MSSQL_ENG018456
Message Details
Product Name  | 
SQL Server  | 
Product Version  | 
10.0  | 
Product Build Number  | 
  | 
Event ID  | 
18456  | 
Event Source  | 
MSSQLSERVER  | 
Component  | 
SQL Server Database Engine  | 
Symbolic Name  | 
|
Message Text  | 
Login failed for user '%.*ls'.%.*ls  | 
Explanation
Error MSSQL_ENG018456 is raised whenever a login attempt fails. If the error message includes the account distributor_admin (Login failed for user 'distributor_admin'.), the issue is with an account used by replication. Replication creates a remote server, repl_distributor, which allows communication between the Distributor and Publisher. The login distributor_admin is associated with this remote server and must have a valid password.
Note
In versions prior to MicrosoftSQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3 (SP3), it was possible to specify that this connection was trusted and did not require a password. If you are upgrading from a previous version, you must now specify a password.
User Action
Ensure that you have specified a password for this account. For more information, see Securing the Distributor.