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title: "sp_testlinkedserver (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs"
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# sp_testlinkedserver (Transact-SQL)
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-xxxx-xxxx-xxx_md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]

  Tests the connection to a linked server. If the test is unsuccessful the procedure raises an exception with the reason of the failure.  
  
||  
|-|  
|**Applies to**: [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] ([!INCLUDE[ssKatmai](../../includes/sskatmai-md.md)] through [current version](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=299658)).|  
  
 ![Topic link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "Topic link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md)  
  
## Syntax  
  
```  
  
sp_testlinkedserver [ @servername ] = servername  
```  
  
## Arguments  
 [ **@servername =** ]*servername*  
 Is the name of the linked server. *servername* is **sysname**, with no default value.  
  
## Result Sets  
 None  
  
## Permissions  
 No permissions are checked; however, the caller must have the appropriate login mapping.  
  
## Examples  
 The following example creates a linked server named `SEATTLESales`, and then tests the connection.  
  
```  
USE master;  
GO  
EXEC sp_addlinkedserver   
    'SEATTLESales',  
    N'SQL Server';  
GO  
sp_testlinkedserver SEATTLESales;  
GO  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [sp_addlinkedserver (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-addlinkedserver-transact-sql.md)   
 [sp_addlinkedsrvlogin (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-addlinkedsrvlogin-transact-sql.md)