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UPDATE statements may be replicated as DELETE/INSERT pairs

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This article describes that Update statements may be replicated as DELETE/INSERT pairs.

Original product version:   SQL Server
Original KB number:   238254

Summary

If any column that is part of a unique constraint is updated, then SQL Server implements the update as a "deferred update", which means as a pair of DELETE/INSERT operations. This "deferred update" causes replication to send a pair of DELETE/INSERT statements to the subscribers. There are also other situations that might cause a deferred update. Therefore, any business logic that you implement in your UPDATE triggers or custom stored procedures at the Subscriber should also be included in the DELETE/INSERT triggers or custom stored procedures.

More information

The default behavior in transactional replication is to use INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE custom stored procedures to apply changes at the subscribers.

INSERT statements made at the Publisher are applied to subscribers through an INSERT stored procedure call. Similarly, a DELETE statement is applied through a DELETE stored procedure call.

However, when an UPDATE statement is executed as a "deferred update", the logreader agent places a pair of DELETE/INSERT stored procedure calls in the distribution database to be applied to the Subscribers rather than an update stored procedure call. For example, suppose you have a publishing table, named TABLE1, with these three columns:

  • col1 int
  • col2 int
  • col3 varchar(30)

The only unique constraint on TABLE1 is defined on col1 through a primary key constraint. Assume that you have one record (1,1,'Dallas').

When you execute this code:

UPDATE TABLE1 set col1 = 3 where col3 = 'Dallas'

The UPDATE statement is implemented by SQL Server as a pair of DELETE/INSERT statements since you are updating col1, which has a unique index defined. Thus, the logreader places a pair of DELETE/INSERT calls in the distribution database. This can impact any business logic that is present in the triggers or custom stored procedures at the Subscriber. You should incorporate the additional business logic in DELETE and INSERT triggers or stored procedures to handle this situation.

If you prefer to use single logic and you want all your UPDATE commands replicated as DELETE/INSERT pairs, you can enable a trace flag.

Additionally, if you use a horizontal filter in your publication and if the updated row does not meet a filter condition, only a DELETE procedure call is sent to the subscribers. If the updated row previously did not meet the filter condition but meets the condition after the update, only the INSERT procedure call is sent through the replication process.

In the preceding example, assume that you also have a horizontal filter defined on TABLE1: where col3 = 'Dallas'. If you execute this code:

UPDATE table1 set col3 = 'New York' where col1 = 3

the logreader agent only places a DELETE stored procedure call to be applied to the subscribers since the updated row does not meet the horizontal filter criteria.

Now, if you execute this code:

UPDATE table1 set col3 = 'Dallas' where col1 = 3

the logreader generates only the INSERT stored procedure call, since the row did not previously meet the filter condition.

Although an UPDATE operation was performed at the Publisher, only the appropriate commands are applied at the Subscriber.