Implementing Replication
The following stages will help you implement replication, whether you are using snapshot replication, transactional replication, or merge replication.
| Stage | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Configuring Replication | Identify the Publisher, Distributor, and Subscribers in your topology. Use SQL Server Enterprise Manager, SQL-DMO, or Transact-SQL system stored procedures and scripts to configure the Publisher, create a distribution database, and enable Subscribers. |
| Publishing Data and Database Objects | Create the publication and define the data and database object articles in the publication, and apply any necessary filters to data that will be published. |
| Subscribing to Publications | Create push, pull, or anonymous subscriptions to indicate what publications need to be propagated to individual Subscribers and when. |
| Generating the Initial Snapshot | Indicate where to save snapshot files, whether they are compressed, and scripts to run before or after applying the initial snapshot.
Specify to have the Snapshot Agent generate the snapshot one time, or on a recurring schedule. |
| Applying the Initial Snapshot | Apply the snapshot automatically by synchronizing the subscription using the Distribution Agent or the Merge Agent. The snapshot can be applied from the default snapshot folder or from removable media that can be transported manually to the Subscriber before application of the snapshot. |
| Synchronizing Data | Synchronizing data occurs when the Snapshot Agent, Distribution Agent, or Merge Agent runs and updates are propagated between Publisher and Subscribers.
For snapshot replication, the snapshot will be reapplied at the Subscriber. For transactional replication, the Log Reader Agent will store updates in the distribution database and updates will be propagated to Subscribers by the Distribution Agent. If using updatable subscriptions with either snapshot replication or transactional replication, data will be propagated from the Subscriber to the Publisher and to other Subscribers. For merge replication, data is synchronized during the merge process when data changes at all servers are converged and conflicts, if any, are detected and resolved. |