HELP! Couple questions for newbie

Hi, I'm new to database and server. I have some questions.
1. Is it hard to connect a computer to a server?
2. Is it possible to connect from win xp (client) to win 2000 (server)?
3. I've tried to connect my computer to server but failed. I cannot find my client computer name on my server.
Can somebody tell me how to connect a client to a server step-by-step? Or maybe is there any online resources i can read about it?

Thank you. I really appreciate it.1. Providing you know your server details and your network is set up to allow you to connect then it sould be easy.

2. Definately possible.

3. First things... make sure your computer can see the server, try pinging it and visa versa make sure the server can see your machine (ping again). Once network connectivity is assured then you can move on to connecting to your server. What are you connecting via? The Enterprise Manager or something else?

help! - could not execute sp_replcmds

I have been getting this message in the past couple of hours. I rebooted
publisher and subscriber. Even if I restart the agent - it doesn't help. I
rebuilt transactional replication from scratch and I still got this error
message. I set for the agent to output to the file and this is what I get
Microsoft SQL Server Log Reader Agent 8.00.2039
Copyright (c) 2000 Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft SQL Server Replication Agent: KOCL384017SQL-DL-69
Connecting to Publisher 'KOCL384017SQL.DL'
Server:
DBMS: Microsoft SQL Server
Version: 08.00.2040
user name: dbo
API conformance: 2
SQL conformance: 1
transaction capable: 2
read only: N
identifier quote char: "
non_nullable_columns: 1
owner usage: 31
max table name len: 128
max column name len: 128
need long data len: Y
max columns in table: 1024
max columns in index: 16
max char literal len: 524288
max statement len: 524288
max row size: 524288
[12/21/2007 10:10:53 AM]KOCL384017SQL.DL: select @.@.SERVERNAME
[12/21/2007 10:10:53 AM]KOCL384017SQL.DL: sp_MSgetversion
Status: 4096, code: 20024, text: 'Initializing'.
The agent is running. Use Replication Monitor to view the details of this
agent session.
Publisher: {call sp_repldone ( 0x000301d3000088650001,
0x000301d3000088650001, 0, 0)}
Publisher: {call sp_replcmds (500, 0)}
Status: 2, code: 0, text: 'The process could not execute 'sp_replcmds' on
'KOCL384017SQL'.'.
The process could not execute 'sp_replcmds' on 'KOCL384017SQL'.
Status: 2, code: 0, text: 'Timeout expired'.
Disconnecting from Publisher 'KOCL384017SQL'
The agent failed with a 'Retry' status. Try to run the agent at a later time.
Microsoft SQL Server Log Reader Agent 8.00.2039
Copyright (c) 2000 Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft SQL Server Replication Agent: KOCL384017SQL-DL-69
Connecting to Publisher 'KOCL384017SQL.DL'
Server:
DBMS: Microsoft SQL Server
Version: 08.00.2040
user name: dbo
API conformance: 2
SQL conformance: 1
transaction capable: 2
read only: N
identifier quote char: "
non_nullable_columns: 1
owner usage: 31
max table name len: 128
max column name len: 128
need long data len: Y
max columns in table: 1024
max columns in index: 16
max char literal len: 524288
max statement len: 524288
max row size: 524288
[12/21/2007 10:16:54 AM]KOCL384017SQL.DL: select @.@.SERVERNAME
[12/21/2007 10:16:54 AM]KOCL384017SQL.DL: sp_MSgetversion
Status: 4096, code: 20024, text: 'Initializing'.
The agent is running. Use Replication Monitor to view the details of this
agent session.
Publisher: {call sp_repldone ( 0x000301d3000088650001,
0x000301d3000088650001, 0, 0)}
Publisher: {call sp_replcmds (500, 0)}
Status: 2, code: 0, text: 'The process could not execute 'sp_replcmds' on
'KOCL384017SQL'.'.
The process could not execute 'sp_replcmds' on 'KOCL384017SQL'.
Status: 2, code: 0, text: 'Timeout expired'.
Disconnecting from Publisher 'KOCL384017SQL'
The agent failed with a 'Retry' status. Try to run the agent at a later time.
Microsoft SQL Server Log Reader Agent 8.00.2039
Copyright (c) 2000 Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft SQL Server Replication Agent: KOCL384017SQL-DL-69
Connecting to Publisher 'KOCL384017SQL.DL'
Server:
DBMS: Microsoft SQL Server
Version: 08.00.2040
user name: dbo
API conformance: 2
SQL conformance: 1
transaction capable: 2
read only: N
identifier quote char: "
non_nullable_columns: 1
owner usage: 31
max table name len: 128
max column name len: 128
need long data len: Y
max columns in table: 1024
max columns in index: 16
max char literal len: 524288
max statement len: 524288
max row size: 524288
[12/21/2007 10:22:55 AM]KOCL384017SQL.DL: select @.@.SERVERNAME
[12/21/2007 10:22:55 AM]KOCL384017SQL.DL: sp_MSgetversion
Status: 4096, code: 20024, text: 'Initializing'.
The agent is running. Use Replication Monitor to view the details of this
agent session.
Publisher: {call sp_repldone ( 0x000301d3000088650001,
0x000301d3000088650001, 0, 0)}
Publisher: {call sp_replcmds (500, 0)}
As you can see you are getting a timeout. Set querytimeout on your logreader
agent to something large and stop the distribution clean up task. You might
also want to stop the distribution agents as well.
http://www.zetainteractive.com - Shift Happens!
Looking for a SQL Server replication book?
http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html
Looking for a FAQ on Indexing Services/SQL FTS
http://www.indexserverfaq.com
"T" <T@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:C612E192-E828-4715-9A5C-5368D2719223@.microsoft.com...
>I have been getting this message in the past couple of hours. I rebooted
> publisher and subscriber. Even if I restart the agent - it doesn't help.
> I
> rebuilt transactional replication from scratch and I still got this error
> message. I set for the agent to output to the file and this is what I get
> Microsoft SQL Server Log Reader Agent 8.00.2039
> Copyright (c) 2000 Microsoft Corporation
> Microsoft SQL Server Replication Agent: KOCL384017SQL-DL-69
> Connecting to Publisher 'KOCL384017SQL.DL'
> Server:
> DBMS: Microsoft SQL Server
> Version: 08.00.2040
> user name: dbo
> API conformance: 2
> SQL conformance: 1
> transaction capable: 2
> read only: N
> identifier quote char: "
> non_nullable_columns: 1
> owner usage: 31
> max table name len: 128
> max column name len: 128
> need long data len: Y
> max columns in table: 1024
> max columns in index: 16
> max char literal len: 524288
> max statement len: 524288
> max row size: 524288
> [12/21/2007 10:10:53 AM]KOCL384017SQL.DL: select @.@.SERVERNAME
> [12/21/2007 10:10:53 AM]KOCL384017SQL.DL: sp_MSgetversion
> Status: 4096, code: 20024, text: 'Initializing'.
> The agent is running. Use Replication Monitor to view the details of this
> agent session.
> Publisher: {call sp_repldone ( 0x000301d3000088650001,
> 0x000301d3000088650001, 0, 0)}
> Publisher: {call sp_replcmds (500, 0)}
> Status: 2, code: 0, text: 'The process could not execute 'sp_replcmds' on
> 'KOCL384017SQL'.'.
> The process could not execute 'sp_replcmds' on 'KOCL384017SQL'.
> Status: 2, code: 0, text: 'Timeout expired'.
> Disconnecting from Publisher 'KOCL384017SQL'
> The agent failed with a 'Retry' status. Try to run the agent at a later
> time.
> Microsoft SQL Server Log Reader Agent 8.00.2039
> Copyright (c) 2000 Microsoft Corporation
> Microsoft SQL Server Replication Agent: KOCL384017SQL-DL-69
> Connecting to Publisher 'KOCL384017SQL.DL'
> Server:
> DBMS: Microsoft SQL Server
> Version: 08.00.2040
> user name: dbo
> API conformance: 2
> SQL conformance: 1
> transaction capable: 2
> read only: N
> identifier quote char: "
> non_nullable_columns: 1
> owner usage: 31
> max table name len: 128
> max column name len: 128
> need long data len: Y
> max columns in table: 1024
> max columns in index: 16
> max char literal len: 524288
> max statement len: 524288
> max row size: 524288
> [12/21/2007 10:16:54 AM]KOCL384017SQL.DL: select @.@.SERVERNAME
> [12/21/2007 10:16:54 AM]KOCL384017SQL.DL: sp_MSgetversion
> Status: 4096, code: 20024, text: 'Initializing'.
> The agent is running. Use Replication Monitor to view the details of this
> agent session.
> Publisher: {call sp_repldone ( 0x000301d3000088650001,
> 0x000301d3000088650001, 0, 0)}
> Publisher: {call sp_replcmds (500, 0)}
> Status: 2, code: 0, text: 'The process could not execute 'sp_replcmds' on
> 'KOCL384017SQL'.'.
> The process could not execute 'sp_replcmds' on 'KOCL384017SQL'.
> Status: 2, code: 0, text: 'Timeout expired'.
> Disconnecting from Publisher 'KOCL384017SQL'
> The agent failed with a 'Retry' status. Try to run the agent at a later
> time.
> Microsoft SQL Server Log Reader Agent 8.00.2039
> Copyright (c) 2000 Microsoft Corporation
> Microsoft SQL Server Replication Agent: KOCL384017SQL-DL-69
> Connecting to Publisher 'KOCL384017SQL.DL'
> Server:
> DBMS: Microsoft SQL Server
> Version: 08.00.2040
> user name: dbo
> API conformance: 2
> SQL conformance: 1
> transaction capable: 2
> read only: N
> identifier quote char: "
> non_nullable_columns: 1
> owner usage: 31
> max table name len: 128
> max column name len: 128
> need long data len: Y
> max columns in table: 1024
> max columns in index: 16
> max char literal len: 524288
> max statement len: 524288
> max row size: 524288
> [12/21/2007 10:22:55 AM]KOCL384017SQL.DL: select @.@.SERVERNAME
> [12/21/2007 10:22:55 AM]KOCL384017SQL.DL: sp_MSgetversion
> Status: 4096, code: 20024, text: 'Initializing'.
> The agent is running. Use Replication Monitor to view the details of this
> agent session.
> Publisher: {call sp_repldone ( 0x000301d3000088650001,
> 0x000301d3000088650001, 0, 0)}
> Publisher: {call sp_replcmds (500, 0)}
>