Replication Improvements

SQL 2000 makes many improvements to replication, its service for automatically copying data among database servers. Replication allows companies to distribute or roll up information across servers (e.g., collect financial data from branch offices for central reporting) and to support mobile users who need offline database access (e.g., sales reps who take orders on a laptop). SQL Server provides numerous options for replication, which administrators choose among depending on how many servers contribute replicated data, the volume of data, how frequently the data change, and the quality of connections among servers.

Replication Background

SQL Server replication maintains a replicated data set (called a publication) across a set of servers (called subscribers) through a central hub server (called the publisher). Replication can be one-way (only the publisher makes changes to the data) or two-way (a subscriber can make changes to the data and propagate them to other subscribers via the publisher).