Enable Updating Subscriptions for Transactional Publications
Applies to: 
SQL Server
This topic describes how to enable updating subscriptions for transactional publications in SQL Server by using SQL Server Management Studio or Transact-SQL.
Note
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.
Before You Begin
Security
When possible, prompt users to enter security credentials at runtime. If you must store credentials in a script file, you must secure the file to prevent unauthorized access.
Using SQL Server Management Studio
Enable updating subscriptions for transactional publications on the Publication Type page of the New Publication Wizard.
To use updating subscriptions, you must also configure options in the New Subscription Wizard.
To enable updating subscriptions
On the Publication Type page of the New Publication Wizard, select Transactional publication with updatable subscriptions.
On the Agent Security page, specify security settings for the Queue Reader Agent in addition to the Snapshot Agent and Log Reader Agent. For more information about the permissions required for the account under which the Queue Reader Agent runs, see Replication Agent Security Model.
Note
The Queue Reader Agent is configured even if you use only immediate updating subscriptions.
Using Transact-SQL
When creating a transactional publication programmatically using replication stored procedures, you can enable either immediate or queued updating subscriptions.
To create a publication that supports immediate updating subscriptions
If necessary, create a Log Reader Agent job for the publication database.
If a Log Reader Agent job already exists for the publication database, proceed to step 2.
If you are unsure whether a Log Reader Agent job exists for a published database, execute sp_helplogreader_agent (Transact-SQL) at the Publisher on the publication database. If the result set is empty, a Log Reader Agent job must be created.
At the publisher, execute sp_addlogreader_agent (Transact-SQL). Specify the Microsoft Windows credentials under which the agent runs for @job_name and @password. If the agent will use SQL Server Authentication when connecting to the Publisher, you must also specify a value of 0 for @publisher_security_mode and the Microsoft SQL Server login information for @publisher_login and @publisher_password.
Execute sp_addpublication (Transact-SQL), specifying a value of true for the parameter @allow_sync_tran.
At the Publisher, execute sp_addpublication_snapshot (Transact-SQL). Specify the publication name used in step 2 for @publication and the Windows credentials under which the Snapshot Agent runs for @job_name and @password. If the agent will use SQL Server Authentication when connecting to the Publisher, you must also specify a value of 0 for @publisher_security_mode and the SQL Server login information for @publisher_login and @publisher_password. This creates a Snapshot Agent job for the publication.
Add articles to the publication. For more information, see Define an Article.
At the Subscriber, create an updating subscription to this publication.
To create a publication that supports queued updating subscriptions
If necessary, create a Log Reader Agent job for the publication database.
If a Log Reader Agent job already exists for the publication database, proceed to step 2.
If you are unsure whether a Log Reader Agent job exists for a published database, execute sp_helplogreader_agent (Transact-SQL) at the Publisher on the publication database. If the result set is empty, then a Log Reader Agent job must be created.
At the publisher, execute sp_addlogreader_agent (Transact-SQL). Specify the Windows credentials under which the agent runs for @job_name and @password. If the agent will use SQL Server Authentication when connecting to the Publisher, you must also specify a value of 0 for @publisher_security_mode and the SQL Server login information for @publisher_login and @publisher_password.
If necessary, create a Queue Reader Agent job for the Distributor.
If a Queue Reader Agent job already exists for the distribution database, proceed to step 3.
If you are unsure whether a Queue Reader Agent job exists for the distribution database, execute sp_helpqreader_agent (Transact-SQL) at the Distributor on the distribution database. If the result set is empty, then a Queue Reader Agent job must be created.
At the Distributor, execute sp_addqreader_agent (Transact-SQL). Specify the Windows credentials under which the agent runs for @job_name and @password. These credentials are used when the Queue Reader Agent connects to the Publisher and Subscriber. For more information, see Replication Agent Security Model.
Execute sp_addpublication (Transact-SQL), specifying a value of true for the parameter @allow_queued_tran and a value of pub wins, sub reinit, or sub wins for @conflict_policy.
At the Publisher, execute sp_addpublication_snapshot (Transact-SQL). Specify the publication name used in step 3 for @publication and the Windows credentials under which the Snapshot Agent runs for @snapshot_job_name and @password. If the agent will use SQL Server Authentication when connecting to the Publisher, you must also specify a value of 0 for @publisher_security_mode and the SQL Server login information for @publisher_login and @publisher_password. This creates a Snapshot Agent job for the publication.
Add articles to the publication. For more information, see Define an Article.
At the Subscriber, create an updating subscription to this publication.
To change the conflict policy for a publication that allows queued updating subscriptions
- At the Publisher on the publication database, execute sp_changepublication (Transact-SQL). Specify a value of conflict_policy for @property and the desired conflict policy mode of pub wins, sub reinit, or sub wins for @value.
Example (Transact-SQL)
This example creates a publication that supported both immediate and queued updating pull subscriptions.
-- To avoid storing the login and password in the script file, the values
-- are passed into SQLCMD as scripting variables. For information about
-- how to use scripting variables on the command line and in SQL Server
-- Management Studio, see the "Executing Replication Scripts" section in
-- the topic "Programming Replication Using System Stored Procedures".
--Declarations for adding a transactional publication
DECLARE @publicationDB AS sysname;
DECLARE @publication AS sysname;
DECLARE @login AS sysname;
DECLARE @password AS sysname;
SET @publicationDB = N'AdventureWorks2022';
SET @publication = N'AdvWorksProductTran';
SET @login = $(Login);
SET @password = $(Password);
USE [AdventureWorks2022]
-- Enable transactional replication on the publication database.
EXEC sp_replicationdboption
@dbname=@publicationDB,
@optname=N'publish',
@value = N'true';
-- Execute sp_addlogreader_agent to create the agent job.
EXEC sp_addlogreader_agent
@job_login = @login,
@job_password = @password,
-- Explicitly specify the use of Windows Integrated Authentication (default)
-- when connecting to the Publisher.
@publisher_security_mode = 1;
-- Create a transactional publication that supports immediate updating,
-- queued updating, and pull subscriptions.
EXEC sp_addpublication
@publication = @publication,
@status = N'active',
@allow_sync_tran = N'true',
@allow_queued_tran = N'true',
@allow_pull = N'true',
@independent_agent = N'true',
-- Explicitly declare the related default properties
@conflict_policy = N'pub wins';
-- Create a new snapshot job for the publication, using a default schedule.
EXEC sp_addpublication_snapshot
@publication = @publication,
@job_login = @login,
@job_password = @password,
-- Explicitly specify the use of Windows Integrated Authentication (default)
-- when connecting to the Publisher.
@publisher_security_mode = 1;
GO
--Declarations for adding an article.
DECLARE @publication AS sysname;
DECLARE @article AS sysname;
DECLARE @owner AS sysname;
SET @publication = N'AdvWorksProductTran';
SET @article = N'Product';
SET @owner = N'Production';
-- Add a horizontally and vertically filtered article for the Product table.
USE [AdventureWorks2022]
EXEC sp_addarticle
@publication = @publication,
@article = @article,
@source_table = @article,
@vertical_partition = N'false',
@type = N'logbased',
@source_owner = @owner,
@destination_owner = @owner;
GO