Creating Linked Server Issues

I have a Merge Replication Setup. With 3 computers. One computer acts has a central publisher. The 2nd one is a subscriber, and republishes its data to the 3rd computer. Every thing is being done using Windows Authentication method. the 1st PC has SQL SERVER 2000 (Enterprise Manager, the works). The other two are SQL Server MSDE (Rel. A). My process is up and running and works, but heres my issue.

I need to script the replication installation process out., For future installations on machines that will be located in remote parts of the world. The will reside on a secure DSL network.

Anyone familiar with Scripting Merge Replication knows that once you've run certain scripts/procedures on your subscriber, you have to run a final procedure on the publisher to activate or initiate the subscriber as a valid one, and the you can start the Merge Agent on the subscriber, and voila! you're good. The procdure you run is called sp_addmergesubscription . It goes something like this :

BEGIN
exec sp_addmergesubscription @publication = @publicationname, @subscriber = @servername, @subscriber_db = @Attachedbname, @subscription_type = N'pull', @subscriber_type = N'global', @subscription_priority = 56.250000, @sync_type = N'automatic'
END


My intention was to embed this system in a stored proc on the publisher and then call it remotely from the subscriber, before starting the Agent. IT FAILS!!! This is my proc:


Create Procedure RunSp_AM_subscription(@servername Varchar(30), @IAdbname Varchar(20), @Attachedbname Varchar(20))
AS

DECLARE @publicationname Varchar(30)
SET @publicationname = 'REPUBLISH-'+@IAdbname+''

BEGIN
exec sp_addmergesubscription @publication = @publicationname, @subscriber = @servername, @subscriber_db = @Attachedbname, @subscription_type = N'pull', @subscriber_type = N'global', @subscription_priority = 56.250000, @sync_type = N'automatic'
END


When I call it locally ot works fine, but not otherwise........... :eek:

When I try to create a linked server SQL Server seems to think that one already exists (because Replication has already created the said server as a remote server). I think the fact that I am not using SQL Authentication might be a problem too.

Does anyone have any ideas? I mean seriously, any suggestions on what to do. This is qute Urgent..............

Thanks.

'Wale