OPENQUERY

SQL Server

OPENQUERY( linked_server ,‘query’ )

• linked_server: The name of a linked server that is used as the target of a query. This parameter represents the linked server that the OPENQUERY function will access to execute the specified ‘query’. The linked server should be previously set up using the sp_addlinkedserver procedure.
• ‘query’: A pass-through query to the specified linked_server. OPENQUERY sends the entire ‘query’ to the linked server for execution and returns the result set. The ‘query’ is specified as a string, and it should be written in a language that the linked server understands.

Example

SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY(TestLinkServer,'SELECT EmployeeID, FirstName, LastName FROM TestDB.dbo.Employees')

Output

| EmployeeID | FirstName | LastName |
|------------|-----------|----------|
| 1          | John      | Doe      |
| 2          | Jane      | Doe      |
| 3          | Jim       | Smith    |

Explanation

In the example, OPENQUERY is used to execute the embedded SQL “SELECT EmployeeID, FirstName, LastName FROM TestDB.dbo.Employees” on a linked SQL server named “TestLinkServer”. The result of the query is a list of employees with their IDs and names.