Error message in Merge replication "Call sp_MSensure_single_instance"

Question

In replication monitor, I read an error message from a merge replication
"
Command attempted:
{call sp_MSensure_single_instance (N'IZT4N73LFYS1BMZ\FLAG2-flagdata-Flag Data Tables-WIN-5PNEMH7B8TU-642', 4)}

Error messages:
The merge process could not connect to the Publisher 'IZT4N73LFYS1BMZ\FLAG2016:flagdata'. Check to ensure that the server is running. (Source: MSSQL_REPL, Error number: MSSQL_REPL-2147199368)
Get help: http://help/MSSQL_REPL-2147199368
Another merge agent for the subscription or subscriptions is running, or the server is working on a previous request by the same agent. (Source: MSSQLServer, Error number: 21036)
Get help: http://help/21036
"

Then I check the job list in Subscriber's SSMS/SQL Server Agent node, there is no duplicate job so presumably there should be any merge agent running.
And everytime before I start this job, I always stop it first.

Can anyone tell me how to launch an investigation on if there is a hidden subscription/merge agent job. I did delete subscriptions few times, that is real. I should have removed those agent jobs as well.

Answer 1

Hi @Gao Peng ,

When you dropped the subscription and recreated it again the subscriber was able to run the replication agent again.
In addition, please refer to this blog: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/sql-server-support-blog/how-to-find-sql-server-replication-related-jobs-and-t-sql/ba-p/1530496
Hope this would give you some help.

Best regards,
Seeya

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