SQL Server, SQL Server Services, Logins and Merge Replication

Question

When you install SQL Server (2019 or lower) and you use dual authentication sa and Windows Authentication what password is given for the NT Service\MSSQL$InstanceName and NT Service\SQLAgent$InstanceName?

I'm getting an error after creating a subscription on the publisher machine (which requires me to put in the credentials to the other machine) in the Job Agent for the merge replication saying "The process could not connect to Subscriber 'subcriber machine name'.

I have tried creating the subscription for merge for both run the job from the publisher and run the job from the subscriber. The above error I get when creating the subscription to run from the publisher. When I create the subscription to run from the subscriber the error I receive is "The process could not connect to Distributor & or Publisher.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? Any help is appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi @MR BILL ,

>what password is given for the NT Service\MSSQL$InstanceName and NT Service\SQLAgent$InstanceName?

Quote from MS document Virtual Accounts;

NT Service\MSSQL$InstanceName is Virtual Account, it is auto-managed by windows. When specifying a virtual account to start SQL Server, leave the password blank.

> The process could not connect to Subscriber 'subcriber machine name'.

Which authentication that you use to connect to subscriber? You can check this as below screenshots. Did the login that you used is existed in subscriber server?

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