Challenge
When configuring a staging SQL server for Veeam Explorers, the following error appears when a malformed server name is provided:
A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 25 – Connection string is not valid)
Cause
The name for the staging server is malformed. Typically, this is the result of entering the SQL server as a UNC path.
Solution
To correct this error, provide only the DNS name or IP address in the server name field.