When a table is added to an existing publication, is there a way to generate and apply a snapshot and re-initialize for the new table only?
I ask because I am never quite sure whether or not generating a snapshot for an entire publication and re-initializing replication while there is activity in the database risks loosing some data. If I can be reassured on that count, the question becomes less significant.
This relates in turn, I suppose, to the question of just when a new snapshot is required or and older one (that has not "expired)" will do. I think that seen recently that if an older snapshot is used to re-initialize subscriptions, there as a lot of additional activity after the snapshot is applied, indicating perhaps that merge replication is "catching up" on inserts, updates and deletes since the time of the snapshot.
Basically I want to improve my understanding of how snapshots work in day to day operation.
R Campbell