Programming SQL Server 2005

Chapter 19. Replication

Replication copies and distributes data and database objects from one database to another and provides a mechanism to keep the data synchronized. Data can be replicated from server to server or from server to client.

Before you look at programming replication, there are some key terms with which you should be familiar:

Publisher

A SQL Server instance that makes its data available through replication, detects changes to the data, and maintains information about one or more publications and articles.

Distributor

A SQL Server instance that stores replication metadata for one or more publishers. Each distributor has a distribution database that stores history data, transactions, and metadata. When a single SQL Server instance acts as both publisher and distributor, the distributor is called a local distributor. When the publisher and distributor are on different SQL Server instances, the distributor is called a remote distributor.

Subscriber

A SQL Server instance that receives replicated data.

Publication

A collection of one or more articles. A publication can be either pushed to the subscriber or pulled by the subscriber.

Article

A database object included in a publication.

Subscription

A request for the publication that defines where and when the publication will be received.

SQL Server 2005 provides three types of replication :

Snapshot

Distributes data as it appears at a moment in time. The entire snapshot is generated and sent to subscribers when synchronization ...