Link servers from SQL 2008 R2 to SQL 2000 (32bit)

Solutiion is from http://sqlblog.com/blogs/roman_rehak/archive/2009/05/10/issue-with-64-bit-sql-server-using-sql-2000-linked-server.aspx

Issue with 64-bit SQL Server using SQL 2000 linked server

Recently we started adding SQL Server 2008 64-bit servers to our production set and we ran into the following issue. When we ran queries on a linked 2000 server, we were getting the following error:
OLE DB provider "SQLNCLI10" for linked server "XXXXXX" returned message "The stored procedure required to complete this operation could not be found on the server. Please contact your system administrator.".
Msg 7311, Level 16, State 2, Line 1
Cannot obtain the schema rowset "DBSCHEMA_TABLES_INFO" for OLE DB provider "SQLNCLI10" for linked server "XXXXXX". The provider supports the interface, but returns a failure code when it is used.
This article from MS website describes the issue pretty well, although it says the issue applies to 2005 but we are using 2008. As suggested, we ran the Instcat.sql file on our development system first, and we ended up getting errrors left and right, so we didn't dare to run it on our main production server. In the end, this workaround worked for us - we needed to create a procedure in the master database on the linked 2000 server. The proc is called sp_tables_info_rowset_64 and it is needed because it is called by 64-bit servers when running remote queries.
 Here is the text of the proc in case you ever need to do the same, create it in the master database:

create procedure sp_tables_info_rowset_64

      @table_name sysname,

      @table_schema     sysname = null,  

      @table_type nvarchar(255) = null

as

  declare @Result int set @Result = 0

  exec @Result = sp_tables_info_rowset @table_name, @table_schema, @table_type
go

Creating a linked server

Example specifying a specific name for the linked server:

/****** Object:  LinkedServer [MYLINKEDSERVER]    Script Date: 04/30/2012 09:24:54 ******/
EXEC master.dbo.sp_addlinkedserver @server = N'MYLINKEDSERVER'

                                 , @srvproduct=N'KINDEL-G-W7'

                                 , @provider=N'SQLNCLI'

                                 , @datasrc=N'10.245.8.103'
 /* For security reasons the linked server 

             remote logins password is changed with ######## 
    @server - The name assigned to the linked server definition.

    @srvproduct - Name or IP Address of server sql instance where the linked server                  is being added to.    

    @datasrc - Name or IP Address of remote server sql instance
Sample query:
    SELECT * FROM MYLINKEDSERVER.<database name>.dbo.<table Name>
    
*/
EXEC master.dbo.sp_addlinkedsrvlogin @rmtsrvname=N'MYLINKEDSERVER'

                                    ,@useself=N'False'

                                    ,@locallogin=NULL

                                    ,@rmtuser=N'sa'

                                    ,@rmtpassword='########'

GO

Making good use of SQL 2005/2008 Rank() function

Ran into the age old problem of migrating data from one system into a new system  where new system requires a unique row id but the previous system does not.  In the scerario,  I am moving 400,000 records across a linked server from SQL 2000 to SQL 2005/2008.  Generating a rowID per row is expense in any type of cursor or While Loop for 1/2 million records.  Using the 2005/2008 Rank() function I managed to migrate 400,000 records in under 3 minutes with the linked server connection running over internet through my home cable modem connection.  Not too bad at all.

SELECT rank() OVER (ORDER BY fPat.PatientID, fMrn.MRN) as RowID

FROM [FRIS].FRIS_DB.[dbo].tbPatients fPat                 

INNER JOIN MRIS.[dbo].W_PATIENT mPat ON mPat.Pat_Id = fPat.PatientID

INNER JOIN [FRIS].FRIS_DB.[dbo].tbMRN fMrn ON fMrn.PatientID = fPat.PatientID

How to create a linked server from a local SQL server instance

I needed to add my local server as a named linked server on my development workstation.
Here is the magic hand shake...

--local linked server
EXEC sp_addlinkedserver
@server='FUSIONRIS',
@srvproduct='',
@provider='SQLNCLI',
@datasrc=''