But it worked yesterday! 

Your SQL window just returned the following error message:

OLE DB provider 'SQLNCLI10' for linked server 'XX01' returned data that does not match expected data length for column '[xx01].[dbname].[DBO].[tablename].fieldname'. The (maximum) expected data length is 30, while the returned data length is 35.

Funny thing is, when you run it outside of a stored procedure it works fine. 
What's up with that?


What you're probably looking at is compiled code you've written (stored procedure, function, etc) which accesses a view that has been recently altered.  When a non-schema bound view is created, the meta-data from what it returns is stored on any linked servers.  Sounds messy? It is, and also a fair argument against non-schema bound views, but just the same, we need to know how to deal with them.

As you will find in http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187821.aspx, the answer is to refresh the view with the following syntax:
EXECUTE sp_refreshview 'viewname'

Now here's the really odd part...... you execute the refresh from the server where the view exists, not the server linked to it.  Go figure.  If anyone has a logical answer please fill us all in!

Cheers