it turns out that since mas currently does not have a 64 bit odbc driver you cannot create a linked server with it using a 64 bit sql server instance. i had to install a 32 bit instance and connect that way.

there is also an issue where the mas odbc driver will show up in the 64 bit odbc administrator (shown by default on windows server 2008 x64) and give errors if configurations are attempted. you must use the 32 bit version of the odbc adminstrator if attempting to add dsn's for mas. more detail is given here:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1954128/how-do-i-connect-to-my-64-bit-sql-server-with-odbc

Did you ever get a resolution to this problem?  I too have a need for a linked MAS connection on a 64 bit SQL server.

So far I have had suggestion to create a nightly batch with the data from MAS, load into an SQL table and deal with it that way. 

A workable solution but messy.

Thanks!

i'm afraid that the messy way is the only way, at least, the only way i know of - we have to use a 32bit instance of sql server, import the data into it from the 32bit mas dsn using an ssis job, then export the data into the 64bit instance of sql server using the same job.

if anyone has a better way to do this please let us know!