SQL Server 2012: SQLServer Error: 15404 Could not obtain information about Windows NT group/user

Problem

In SQL Server 2012, you are configuring scheduled backup maintenance plans for your SharePoint 2013 farm databases. When you attempt to execute a maintenance plan, you experience the following error:

[date] [time],,Error,[298] SQLServer Error: 15404 <c/> Could not obtain 
information about Windows NT group/user [Account you are logged in as]<c/> 
error code 0x5. [SQLSTATE 42000] (ConnIsLoginSysAdmin)

Solution

1. Determine the domain account that you will use to login to SQL Server as (eg, spAdmin) to create the farm database maintenance plans. 
2. Launch Active Directory Users and Computers as administrator.
3. Navigate to this account in the directory.
4. Right-click this account and choose Properties.
5. Select the Security tab.
6. Click the Add button.
7. Enter the SQL Server service domain account and click OK.
8. On the Properties dialog, select this account in the Group or user names list.
9. Ensure that Read is enabled and all its subpermissions (eg, Read account restrictions, Read general information, etc).  Disabling and enabling Read automatically enables all the Read subpermissions. 
10. Click OK.

References

• SharePoint 2013: Service Account Configurations and Permissions
• Initial deployment administrative and service accounts in SharePoint 2013

Notes

• The error presented above appears in the SQL Server Error Logs: [ServerName] > Management > SQL Server Agent > Error Logs.