Frequently Asked Questions for Replication Administrators

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Frequently Asked Questions for Replication

Administrators

Updated: 14 April 2006

The following questions and answers provide guidance on a variety of tasks faced by administratorsof replicated databases.

Configuring Replication

Does activity need to be stopped on a database when it is published?

No. Activity can continue on a database while a publication is being created. Be aware that

producing a snapshot can be resource-intensive, so it is best to generate snapshots during periods

of lower activity on the database (by default a snapshot is generated when you complete the New

Publication Wizard).

Are tables locked during snapshot generation?

The length of time that the locks are taken depends on the type of replication used:

For merge publications, the Snapshot Agent does not take any locks.

For transactional publications, by default the Snapshot Agent takes locks only during the

initial phase of snapshot generation.

For snapshot publications the Snapshot Agent takes locks during the entire snapshot

generation process.

Because locks prevent other users from updating the tables, the Snapshot Agent should be

scheduled to execute during periods of lower activity on the database, especially for snapshot

publications.

When is a subscription available; when can the subscription database be used?

A subscription is available after the snapshot has been applied to the subscription database. Even

though the subscription database is accessible prior to this, the database should not be used until

after the snapshot has been applied. Use Replication Monitor to check the status of snapshot

generation and application:

The snapshot is generated by the Snapshot Agent. View the status of snapshot generation

on the Warnings and Agents tab for a publication in Replication Monitor. For more

information, see How to: View Information and Perform Tasks for the Agents Associated With a

Publication (Replication Monitor).

The snapshot is applied by the Distribution Agent or Merge Agent. View the status of

snapshot application in the Distribution Agent or Merge Agent page of Replication Monitor.

For more information, see How to: View Information and Perform Tasks for the Agents

Associated With a Subscription (Replication Monitor).
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What happens if the Snapshot Agent has not completed when the Distribution or Merge Agent

starts?

It will not cause an error if the Distribution Agent or Merge Agent runs at the same time as the

Snapshot Agent. However, you must be aware of the following:

If the Distribution Agent or Merge Agent is configured to run continuously, the agent applies

the snapshot automatically after the Snapshot Agent completes.

If the Distribution Agent or Merge Agent is configured to run on a schedule or on-demand,

and there is no snapshot available when the agent runs, the agent will shut down with a

message stating that a snapshot is not yet available. You must run the agent again to apply

the snapshot after the Snapshot Agent has completed. For more information on running

agents, see How to: Synchronize a Push Subscription (SQL Server Management Studio),How

to: Synchronize a Pull Subscription (SQL Server Management Studio), andProgramming

Replication Agent Executables.

Should I script my replication configuration?

Yes. Scripting the replication configuration is a key part of any disaster recovery plan for a

replication topology. For more information on scripting, see Scripting Replication.

What recovery model is required on a replicated database?

Replication functions properly using any of the recovery models: simple, bulk-logged, or full. Merge

replication tracks change by storing information in metadata tables. Transactional replication tracks

changes by marking the transaction log, but this marking process is not affected by the recovery

model.

Why does replication add a column to replicated tables; will it be removed if the table isn't

published?

To track changes, merge replication and transactional replication with queued updating

subscriptions must be able to uniquely identify every row in every published table. To accomplish

this:

Merge replication adds the column rowguid to every table, unless the table already has a

column of data type uniqueidentifier with the ROWGUIDCOL property set (in which case

this column is used). If the table is dropped from the publication, the rowguid column is

removed; if an existing column was used for tracking, the column is not removed.

If a transactional publication supports queued updating subscriptions, replication adds the

column msrepl_tran_version to every table. If the table is dropped from the publication, themsrepl_tran_version column is not removed.

How do I manage constraints on published tables?

There are a number of issues to consider regarding constraints on published tables:
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Transactional replication requires a primary key constraint on each published table. Merge

replication does not require a primary key, but if one is present, it must be replicated.

Snapshot replication does not require a primary key.

By default, primary key constraints, indexes, and check constraints are replicated to

Subscribers.

The NOT FOR REPLICATION option is specified by default for foreign key constraints and

check constraints; the constraints are enforced for user operations but not agent operations.

For more information, see Controlling Constraints, Identities, and Triggers with NOT FOR

REPLICATION.

For information on setting the schema options that control whether constraints are replicated, see

How to: Specify Schema Options (SQL Server Management Studio) and How to: Specify Schema

Options (Replication Transact-SQL Programming).

How do I manage identity columns?

Replication provides automatic identity range management for replication topologies that include

updates at the Subscriber. For more information, see Replicating Identity Columns.

Can the same objects be published in different publications?

Yes, but with some restrictions. For more information, see the section "Publishing Tables in More

Than One Publication" in the topicPublishing Data and Database Objects.

Can multiple publications use the same distribution database?

Yes. There are no restrictions on the number or types of publications that can use the same

distribution database. All publications from a given Publisher must use the same Distributor and

distribution database.

If you have multiple publications, you can configure multiple distribution databases at the

Distributor to ensure that the data flowing through each distribution database is from a single

publication. Use the Distributor Properties dialog box or sp_adddistributiondb (Transact-SQL)to

add a distribution database. For more information about accessing the dialog box, seeHow to: View

and Modify Distributor Properties (SQL Server Management Studio).

How do I find information on the Distributor and Publisher, such as which objects in a database are

published?

This information is available through SQL Server Management Studio, and a number of replication

stored procedures. For information, see Replication Properties and Distributor and Publisher

Information Script.

Does replication encrypt data?

No. Replication does not encrypt data that is stored in the database or transferred over the network.

For more information, see the "Encryption" section of the topic Elements of Replication Security.

How do I replicate data over the Internet?

Replicate data over the Internet using:
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A Virtual Private Network (VPN). For more information, seePublishing Data over the

Internet Using VPN.

The Web synchronization option for merge replication. For more information, see Web

Synchronization for Merge Replication.

All types of Microsoft SQL Server replication can replicate data over a VPN, but you should consider

Web synchronization if you are using merge replication.

Does replication resume if a connection is dropped

Yes. Replication processing resumes at the point at which it left off if a connection is dropped. If you

are using merge replication over an unreliable network, consider using logical records, which

ensures related changes are processed as a unit. For more information, seeGrouping Changes to

Related Rows with Logical Records.

Does replication work over low bandwidth connections? Does it use compression?

Yes, replication does work over low bandwidth connections. For connections over TCP/IP, it uses the

compression provided by the protocol but does not provide additional compression. For Web

synchronization connections over HTTPS, it uses the compression provided by the protocol and also

additional compression of the XML files used to replicate changes. For more information about

replicating over low bandwidth connections, seeA Slow Network Is Causing Problems.

Logins and Object Ownership

Are logins and passwords replicated?

No. You could create a DTS package to transfer logins and passwords from a Publisher to one or

more Subscribers. For more information, seeDesigning and Creating Integration Services Packages.

What are schemas and how are they replicated?

In Microsoft SQL Server 2005, schema has two meanings:

The definition of an object, such as a CREATE TABLE statement. By default, replication

copies the definitions of all replicated objects to the Subscriber.

The owner of an object, which is used in a multi-part name, such as

... Schemas are defined using the CREATE SCHEMA

statement.

Replication has the following default behavior in the New Publication Wizard with respect to schemas

and object ownership:

For articles in merge publications with a compatibility level of 90 or higher, snapshot

publications, and transactional publications: by default, the object owner at the Subscriber is

the same as the owner of the corresponding object at the Publisher. If the schemas that own

objects do not exist at the Subscriber, they are created automatically.

For articles in merge publications with a compatibility level lower than 90: by default, the

owner is left blank and is specified as dbo during the creation of the object on the Subscriber.
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For articles in Oracle publications: by default, the owner is specified as dbo.

For articles in publications that use character mode snapshots (which are used for non-SQL

Server Subscribers and SQL Server Compact Edition Subscribers): by default, the owner is left

blank. The owner defaults to the owner associated with the account used by the Distribution

Agent or Merge Agent to connect to the Subscriber.

The object owner can be changed through the Article Properties - dialog box and

through the following stored procedures: sp_addarticle, sp_addmergearticle,

sp_changearticle, and sp_changemergearticle. For more information, see How to: View and

Modify Publication and Article Properties (SQL Server Management Studio), How to: Define an

Article (Replication Transact-SQL Programming), and How to: View and Modify Article Properties

(Replication Transact-SQL Programming).

How can grants on the subscription database be configured to match grants on the publication

database?

By default, replication does not execute GRANT statements on the subscription database. If you

want the permissions on the subscription database to match those on the publication database, use

one of the following methods:

Execute GRANT statements at the subscription database directly.

Use a post-snapshot script to execute the statements. For more information, see Executing

Scripts Before and After the Snapshot Is Applied.

Use the stored proceduresp_addscriptexec (Transact-SQL) to execute the statements.

What happens to permissions granted in a subscription database if a subscription is reinitialized?

By default, objects at the Subscriber are dropped and recreated when a subscription is reinitialized,which causes all granted permissions for those objects to be dropped. There are two ways to handle

this:

Reapply the grants after the reinitialization using the techniques described in the previous

section.

Specify that objects should not be dropped when the subscription is reinitialized. Prior to

reinitialization, either:

Execute sp_changearticle (Transact-SQL)or sp_changemergearticle (Transact-

SQL). Specify a value of 'pre_creation_cmd' (sp_changearticle) or

'pre_creation_command' (sp_changemergearticle) for the parameter @property and avalue of 'none', 'delete' or 'truncate' for the parameter @value.

In the Article Properties - dialog box in the Destination Object

section, select a value ofKeep existing object unchanged, Delete data. If article has

a row filter, delete only data that matches the filter. or Truncate all data in the

existing object for the option Action if name is in use. For more information on

accessing this dialog box, see How to: View and Modify Publication and Article Properties

(SQL Server Management Studio).
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Database Maintenance

Why can't I run TRUNCATE TABLE on a published table?

TRUNCATE TABLE is a non-logged operation that does not fire triggers. It is not permitted because

replication cannot track the changes caused by the operation: transactional replication tracks

changes through the transaction log; merge replication tracks changes through triggers on

published tables.

What is the effect of running a bulk insert command on a replicated database?

For transactional replication, bulk inserts are tracked and replicated like other inserts. For merge

replication, you must ensure that change tracking metadata is updated properly. For more

information, see the section "Bulk Inserting Data into Published Tables" inConsiderations for Merge

Replication.

Are there any replication considerations for backup and restore?

Yes. There are a number of special considerations for databases that are involved in replication. For

more information, see Backing Up and Restoring Replicated Databases.

Does replication affect the size of the transaction log?

Merge replication and snapshot replication do not affect transaction log size, but transactional

replication can. If a database includes one or more transactional publications, the log is not

truncated until all transactions relevant to the publications have been delivered to the distribution

database. If the transaction log is growing too large, and the Log Reader Agent is running on a

scheduled basis, consider shortening the interval between runs or setting it run in continuous mode.

If it is set to run in continuous mode (the default), ensure that it is running. For more information

on checking Log Reader Agent status, see How to: View Information and Perform Tasks for the

Agents Associated With a Publication (Replication Monitor).

Additionally, if you have set the option 'sync with backup' on the publication database or distributiondatabase, the transaction log is not truncated until all transactions have been backed up. If the

transaction log is growing too large, and you have this option set, consider shortening the interval

between transaction log backups. For more information on backing up and restoring databases

involved in transactional replication, seeStrategies for Backing Up and Restoring Snapshot and

Transactional Replication.

How do I upgrade from SQL Server version 7.0 or SQL Server 2000 if I have replicated databases?

SQL Server 2005 supports upgrading replicated databases from previous versions of SQL Server.

For more information, seeUpgrading Replicated Databases.

How do I rebuild indexes or tables in replicated databases?

There are a variety of mechanisms for rebuilding indexes. They can all be used with no special

considerations for replication, with the following exception: primary keys are required on tables in

transactional publications, so you cannot drop and recreate primary keys on these tables.

How do I add or change indexes on publication and subscription databases?

Indexes can be added at the Publisher or Subscribers with no special considerations for replication

(be aware that indexes can affect performance). CREATE INDEX and ALTER INDEX are not
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replicated, so if you add or change an index at, for example, the Publisher, you must make the

same addition or change at the Subscriber if you want it reflected there.

How do I move or rename files for databases involved in replication?

In previous versions of SQL Server, moving or renaming database files required detaching and

reattaching the database. Because a replicated database cannot be detached, replication had to be

removed from these databases first. In SQL Server 2005, you can move or rename files without

detaching and re-attaching the database, with no effect on replication. For more information about

moving and renaming files, seeALTER DATABASE (Transact-SQL).

How do I drop a table that is being replicated?

First drop the article from the publication using sp_droparticle (Transact-SQL),sp_dropmergearticle

(Transact-SQL), or the Publication Properties - dialog box, and then drop it from

the database using DROP . You cannot drop articles from snapshot or transactional

publications after subscriptions have been added; you must drop the subscriptions first. For more

information, see Adding Articles to and Dropping Articles from Existing Publications.

How do I add or drop columns on a published table?

SQL Server 2005 supports a wide variety of schema changes on published objects, including adding

and dropping columns. For example, execute ALTER TABLE DROP COLUMN at the Publisher, and

the statement is replicated to Subscribers and then executed to drop the column. Subscribers

running previous version of SQL Server support adding and dropping columns through the stored

proceduressp_repladdcolumn (Transact-SQL) and sp_repldropcolumn (Transact-SQL). For more

information, see Making Schema Changes on Publication Databases.

Replication Maintenance

How do I determine if the data at Subscribers is synchronized with data at the Publisher?

Use validation. Validation reports on whether a given Subscriber is synchronized with the Publisher.For more information, seeValidating Replicated Data. Validation does not provide information on

which rows if any are not synchronized correctly, but the tablediff Utility does.

How do I add a table to an existing publication?

It is not necessary to stop activity on the publication or subscription databases in order to add a

table (or another object). Add a table to a publication through the Publication Properties -

dialog box or the stored procedures sp_addarticle (Transact-SQL) and

sp_addmergearticle (Transact-SQL). For more information, seeAdding Articles to and Dropping

Articles from Existing Publications.

How do I remove a table from a publication?

Remove a table from the publication using sp_droparticle (Transact-SQL), sp_dropmergearticle

(Transact-SQL), or the Publication Properties - dialog box. You cannot drop

articles from snapshot or transactional publications after subscriptions have been added; you must

drop the subscriptions first. For more information, see Adding Articles to and Dropping Articles from

Existing Publications.

What actions require subscriptions to be reinitialized?
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There are a number of article and publication changes that require subscriptions to be reinitialized.

For more information, seeChanging Publication and Article Properties.

What actions cause snapshots to be invalidated?

There are a number of article and publication changes that invalidate snapshots and require a new

snapshot to be generated. For more information, see Changing Publication and Article Properties.

How do I remove replication?

The actions required to remove replication from a database depend on whether the database served

as a publication database, subscription database, or both. For more information, see Removing

Replication.

How do I determine whether there are transactions or rows to be replicated?

For transactional replication, use stored procedures or the Undistributed Commands tab in

Replication Monitor. For more information, seeHow to: View Replicated Commands and Other

Information in the Distribution Database (Replication Transact-SQL Programming) and How to: View

Information and Perform Tasks for the Agents Associated With a Subscription (Replication Monitor).

For merge replication, use the stored procedure sp_showpendingchanges. For more information,

seesp_showpendingchanges (Transact-SQL).

How far behind is the Distribution Agent? Should I reinitialize?

Use the sp_replmonitorsubscriptionpendingcmds stored procedure or the Undistributed

Commands tab in Replication Monitor. The stored procedure and tab display:

The number of commands in the distribution database that have not been delivered to the

selected Subscriber. A command consists of one Transact-SQL data manipulation language

(DML) statement or one data definition language (DDL) statement.

The estimated amount of time to deliver commands to the Subscriber. If this value is

greater than the amount of time required to generate and apply a snapshot to the Subscriber,

consider reinitializing the Subscriber. For more information, seeReinitializing a Subscription.

For more information, seesp_replmonitorsubscriptionpendingcmds (Transact-SQL) and How to:

View Information and Perform Tasks for the Agents Associated With a Subscription (Replication

Monitor).

Replication and Other Database Features

Does replication work in conjunction with log shipping and database mirroring?

Yes. For more information, see Replication and Log Shipping and Replication and DatabaseMirroring.

Does replication work in conjunction with clustering?

Yes. No special considerations are required because all data is stored on one set of disks on the

cluster.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Replication Administrators

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