Change SQL Server 2008 name I want to change my SQL Server's name.

Currently I am connecting to SERVER1\SQLSERVER. SERVER1 is the machine name. I want to change it so I could connect to SERVER2\SQLSERVER and keep SERVER1 as the machine name.

I tried:

sp_dropserver 'SERVER1\SQLSERVER'
sp_addserver 'SERVER2\SQLSERVER', local


Then I restarted the server.

If I verify I get the new server name:

select @@servername


Looks like the name was changed but i cant connect to SERVER2\SQLSERVER while the SERVER1\SQLSERVER connection still works.

What am I missing here ... and is this even possible?
If you aren't changing the physical server's name you'll need to change the name that SQL Server knows back.

sp_dropserver 'SERVER2\SQLSERVER'
sp_addserver 'SERVER1\SQLSERVER', local


You then just need to put an alias in DNS so that when people try to connect to SERVER2 then are redirected to SERVER1 without knowing about it.  Specifically you'll want (or you'll want your sysadmin) to put a CNAME record into DNS pointing SERVER2 to SERVER1.