sp_copysubscription (Transact-SQL)
Applies to: 
SQL Server
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Copies a subscription database that's pull subscriptions, but no push subscriptions. Only single file databases can be copied. This stored procedure is executed at the Subscriber on the subscription database.
Important
This feature will be removed in a future version of SQL Server. Avoid using this feature in new development work, and plan to modify applications that currently use this feature. For merge publications that are partitioned using parameterized filters, we recommend using the new features of partitioned snapshots, which simplify the initialization of a large number of subscriptions. For more information, see Create a Snapshot for a Merge Publication with Parameterized Filters. For publications that aren't partitioned, you can initialize a subscription with a backup. For more information, see Initialize a Transactional Subscription Without a Snapshot.
Transact-SQL syntax conventions
Syntax
sp_copysubscription
[ @filename = ] N'filename'
[ , [ @temp_dir = ] N'temp_dir' ]
[ , [ @overwrite_existing_file = ] overwrite_existing_file ]
[ ; ]
Arguments
[ @filename = ] N'filename'
The string that specifies the complete path, including file name, to which a copy of the data file (.mdf) is saved. @filename is nvarchar(260), with no default.
[ @temp_dir = ] N'temp_dir'
The name of the directory that contains the temp files. @temp_dir is nvarchar(260), with a default of NULL. If NULL, the SQL Server default data directory is used. The directory should have enough space to hold a file the size of all the subscriber database files combined.
[ @overwrite_existing_file = ] overwrite_existing_file
An optional Boolean flag that specifies whether or not to overwrite an existing file of the same name specified in @filename. @overwrite_existing_file is bit, with a default of 0.
- If
1, it overwrites the file specified by @filename, if it exists. - If
0, the stored procedure fails if the file exists, and the file isn't overwritten.
Return code values
0 (success) or 1 (failure).
Remarks
sp_copysubscription is used in all types of replication to copy a subscription database to a file as an alternative to applying a snapshot at the Subscriber. The database must be configured to only support pull subscriptions. Users having appropriate permissions can make copies of the subscription database and then e-mail, copy, or transport the subscription file (.msf) to another Subscriber, where it can then be attached as a subscription.
The size of the subscription database being copied must be less than 2 gigabytes (GB).
sp_copysubscription is only supported for databases with client subscriptions and can't be executed when the database has server subscriptions.
Permissions
Only members of the sysadmin fixed server role can execute sp_copysubscription.