My work has two SQL Server 2005 databases, one installed on a Windows XP machine (running some equipment) and one installed on a Windows 7 machine (backing up the files from the XP instance). Both computers run only the default instance. I had replication set up and functioning (data being created on the XP maching was being replicated to the Win 7 machine) for the last three weeks in July. I recently noticed that the replication is no longer working (the files were no longer being copied), and when I tried to check the status I got an error about named pipes, or, if I disabled named pipes "tcp provider error 0 no such host is known".
At the time I found the replication problem, I could connect to both databases through SSMS on the Windows 7 machine. On the XP machine, I could use SSMS to browse to the Win 7 instance but SSMS would not connect to the Win 7 instance by name (same errors about no such host known); the connection does go through by IP address. I can ping from the Win 7 machine to the XP machine both by IP address and by name. I could ping from the XP machine to the Win 7 machine by IP address but NOT by name.
I tried running the workgroup wizard on the XP machine, thinking this might help with the name resolution problem. In the wizard, I changed the workgroup name to a new name. I changed the workgroup name on the Win 7 machine to match.
This change did not affect the ping status - I can still ping by both name and IP address from the Win 7 machine, and still only the IP address works from the XP machine. However, now SSMS on the Win 7 machine no longer sees the XP machine! Trying to log in with either the machine name and the IP address, I now get a "timeout expired" message, and the SSMS login browser does not show the XP machine on the network.
Any pointers on where to look for the cause of this problem would be very welcome.