SQL Server Replication

Replication is a set of technologies for copying and distributing data and database objects from one database to another and then synchronizing between databases to maintain consistency. Using replication, you can distribute data to different locations and to remote or mobile users over local and wide area networks, dial-up connections, wireless connections, and the Internet. Transactional replication is typically used in server-to-server scenarios that require high throughput, including: improving scalability and availability; data warehousing and reporting; integrating data from multiple sites; integrating heterogeneous data; and offloading batch processing. Merge replication is primarily designed for mobile applications or distributed server applications that have possible data conflicts. Common scenarios include: exchanging data with mobile users; consumer point of sale (POS) applications; and integration of data from multiple sites. Snapshot replication is used to provide the initial data set for transactional and merge replication; it can also be used when complete refreshes of data are appropriate. With these three types of replication, SQL Server provides a powerful and flexible system for synchronizing data across your enterprise. In addition to replication, in SQL Server 2008, you can sychronize databases by using Microsoft Sync Framework and Sync Services for ADO.NET. Sync Services for ADO.NET provides an intuitive and flexible API that you can use to build applications that target offline and collaboration scenarios. For an overview of Sync Services for ADO.NET, see Microsoft Sync Framework. For complete documentation, see this MSDN Web site. Browse Content by Life Cycle  Product Evaluation  Getting Started  Planning and Architecture  Development  Deployment  Operations  Security and Protection  Troubleshooting  Technical Reference Browse Content by Role  Administrator  Developer  Architect