Error: SQL Server Not Configured For Remote Access (2017, Standard Edition, on an Azure VM)

Hi.

I wanted to kindly ask for the help about these errors:

1. A log reader agent can only be installed for a database enabled for transactional/snapshot replication. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Rmo)
   
   And then when I go to the DB to enable it for replication (although before yesterday the Wizard seems to have been doing this automatically, since the replication has been working for the past two+ months):
   
2. Could not execute procedure on remote server <name> because SQL Server is not configured for remote access...
   The Distributor has not been installed correctly. Could not enable database for publishing...
   The replication option 'publish' of database <name> has been set to false...Error: 7201

I tried then going to the Linked Server and testing the connection to the one relative to the Remote Distributor, and get the error: Server <name> is not configured for DATA ACCESS...Error: 7411

The facts:

• Replication was working for more than two months
• It seems that someone/something restarted the Publication Server yesterday, and this caused the immediate failures of all Publications
• Once the Publication Server was back online, the replications also continued, but now it is not possible to create new Publications
• Distributor Server IS enabled for remote connections
• Distributor Server was having itself as the Publisher, just in order to try to fix this issue, but this did not work either
• Distributor Server, when queried for SELECT * FROM sys.servers, shows that the Data Access is enabled
• Distributor Server, when queried for EXEC sp_get_distributor shows distribution_db_installed = 1, is_distribution_publisher = 0, has_remote_distribution_publisher = 1
• Publication Server, when queried for EXEC sp_get_distributor shows distribution_db_installed = 0, is_distribution_publisher = 0, has_remote_distribution_publisher = 0

The premise:

• I am starting from the standpoint that there is nothing actually wrong with the Distributor, but rather with the Distributor settings on the Publisher (as displayed in the last bullet of The Facts part)
• The restart of the Publisher caused some replication-related settings to disappear, thus disrupting the replication
• I believe that changing these Distributor-related settings on the Publisher (i.e. at least distribution_db_installed = 1) might solve the issue

The questions:

• How do I manipulate the Fields obtained through EXEC sp_get_distributor (i.e. how do I change the values of distribution_db_installed, etc.)?
• What could have the restart of the Publisher caused that the replication is disrupted in that the existing replications are fine but no new Publications can be done (nor can the Agent status be observed from the Publisher, due to the same error mentioned in the beginning)?
• If you have an idea, please let me know how you think this can be fixed?

With thanks and kind regards,

Bogdan

BogdanU