SQL Server 2008R2 Bespoke replication - Initialize a Transactional Subscription without a snapshot
Hi,
We need to migrate our subscriber archive database from Server A to B. However replication should ideally remain active from the publisher to A at all times.
Ideally I would initialize the subscription databases at B using the ‘initialize with backup’ sync_type which requires that I restore a backup of ourpublisherdatabase to Server B.
Unfortunately this is not possible as we are using an in house modified version of MS Transactional replication which does not delete at the subscriber but rather updates a flag to mark the record as deleted.
Therefore the subscriber database acts as an archive solution and contains historical data which no longer exists at the publisher.
My question is, is there a way to copy thesubscriber backup from Server A to B, update the distributor retention period, restore thesubscriber backup to Server B and then sync all missing commands from the publisher.
Alternatively I could take the system offline and use the ‘replication support only’ sync_type option but this is not ideal.
I notice that there is ainitialize from lsn snyc_typeoption, although it specifies that it is only for use in a peer-to-peer topology.
Many thanks in advance.