Introduction

At the heart of SQL Server replication are the tasks of making data available where they can best be used in your organization and optimizing application performance. Managing distributed data can be daunting without the services available in SQL Server replication. SQL Server 2000 offers several replication methods through numerous enhancements in the management, distribution, and implementation of replication over previous versions of SQL Server.

New to SQL Server replication is support for queued updating subscribers. Organizations implementing remote and often disconnected client applications will find immediate advantages in SQL Server 2000 s replication feature. Disconnected applications can now update local copies of data and perform merge replication when they are connected to the server network. Several enhancements to merge and transactional replication increase the performance and stability of replication solutions.

For organizations new to replication, additional wizards and a simplified setup help get replication up and running with minimal effort. Through additional support for Windows 2000 Active Directory, locating and using publications in the enterprise are transparent to your server configurations. Publications are made available with Active Directory search and browse capabilities. Monitoring SQL Server replication and dealing with associated problems are accomplished using the Replication Monitor. Improvements to error handling and conflict resolvers make SQL Server 2000 replication the most reliable and manageable release yet.

If your organization has implemented a previous version of SQL Server replication or has struggled with distributing data throughout the organization and remote clients, the question of whether or not to upgrade to...