How to: Configure a Publication to Allow for Web Synchronization (RMO Programming)

New: 5 December 2005

The procedure in this topic is the first step of configuring Web synchronization for merge replication. For an overview of the configuration process, see How to: Configure Web Synchronization for Merge Replication (RMO Programming). After you complete the procedures in this topic, continue to the second step, configuring the IIS server. The second step is described in How to: Configure IIS for Web Synchronization.

This topic describes the parameters that are required by Web synchronization. For more information about how to create publications, see How to: Create a Publication (RMO Programming).

To configure a merge publication to allow for Web synchronization

  1. Create a connection to the Publisher by using the ServerConnection class.

  2. Create an instance of the ReplicationDatabase class for the publication database.

  3. Set the ConnectionContext property to the instance of ServerConnection from step 1.

  4. Call the LoadProperties method. If this method returns false, verify that the database exists.

  5. If the EnabledMergePublishing property is false, set this property to true, and then call CommitPropertyChanges.

  6. Create an instance of the MergePublication class, and then set the following properties for this object:

    • The ServerConnection from step 1 for ConnectionContext.

    • The name of the published database for DatabaseName.

    • A name for the publication for Name.

    • Add the values AllowWebSynchronization and AllowPull to Attributes by using the inclusive logical OR operator (| in Visual C# and Or in Visual Basic) to enable Web synchronization.

    • (Optional) If Subscribers will only connect to the Publisher through HTTP, add the value AllowAnonymous to Attributes by using the inclusive logical OR operator (| in Visual C# and Or in Visual Basic).

    • For a new Publication, to provide the credentials for the Windows account under which the Snapshot Agent runs, set the Login and Password fields of SnapshotGenerationAgentProcessSecurity. This account is also used when the Snapshot Agent makes connections to the local Distributor and for any remote connections when Windows Authentication is used.

      Note

      When the publication is created by a member of the sysadmin fixed server role, you do not have to set SnapshotGenerationAgentProcessSecurity. For more information, see Replication Agent Security Model.

  7. Call one of the following methods:

    • For a new publication, to create the publication with Web synchronization enabled, call Create.
    • For an existing publication, to enable Web synchronization, call CommitPropertyChanges.

Example

The following example creates a publication that is enabled for Web synchronization.

// Set the Publisher, publication database, and publication names.
string publisherName = publisherInstance;
string publicationName = "AdvWorksSalesOrdersMerge";
string publicationDbName = "AdventureWorks";

ReplicationDatabase publicationDb;
MergePublication publication;

// Create a connection to the Publisher.
ServerConnection conn = new ServerConnection(publisherName);

try
{
    // Connect to the Publisher.
    conn.Connect();

    // Enable the database for merge publication.                
    publicationDb = new ReplicationDatabase(publicationDbName, conn);
    if (publicationDb.LoadProperties())
    {
        if (!publicationDb.EnabledMergePublishing)
        {
            publicationDb.EnabledMergePublishing = true;
        }
    }
    else
    {
        // Do something here if the database does not exist. 
        throw new ApplicationException(String.Format(
            "The {0} database does not exist on {1}.",
            publicationDb, publisherName));
    }

    // Set the required properties for the merge publication.
    publication = new MergePublication();
    publication.ConnectionContext = conn;
    publication.Name = publicationName;
    publication.DatabaseName = publicationDbName;

    // Enable Web synchronization, if not already enabled.
    if ((publication.Attributes & PublicationAttributes.AllowWebSynchronization) == 0)
    {
        publication.Attributes |= PublicationAttributes.AllowWebSynchronization;
    }

    // Enable pull subscriptions, if not already enabled.
    if ((publication.Attributes & PublicationAttributes.AllowPull) == 0)
    {
        publication.Attributes |= PublicationAttributes.AllowPull;
    }
    
    // Enable Subscriber requested snapshot generation. 
    publication.Attributes |= PublicationAttributes.AllowSubscriberInitiatedSnapshot;

    // Enable anonymous access for Subscribers that cannot make a direct connetion 
    // to the Publisher. 
    publication.Attributes |= PublicationAttributes.AllowAnonymous;

    // Specify the Windows account under which the Snapshot Agent job runs.
    // This account will be used for the local connection to the 
    // Distributor and all agent connections that use Windows Authentication.
    publication.SnapshotGenerationAgentProcessSecurity.Login = winLogin;
    publication.SnapshotGenerationAgentProcessSecurity.Password = winPassword;

    // Explicitly set the security mode for the Publisher connection
    // Windows Authentication (the default).
    publication.SnapshotGenerationAgentPublisherSecurity.WindowsAuthentication = true;

    if (!publication.IsExistingObject)
    {
        // Create the merge publication and the Snapshot Agent job.
        publication.Create();
        publication.CreateSnapshotAgent();
    }
    else
    {
        throw new ApplicationException(String.Format(
            "The {0} publication already exists.", publicationName));
    }
}

catch (Exception ex)
{
    // Implement custom application error handling here.
    throw new ApplicationException(String.Format(
        "The publication {0} could not be created.", publicationName), ex);
}
finally
{
    conn.Disconnect();
}
' Set the Publisher, publication database, and publication names.
Dim publisherName As String = publisherInstance
Dim publicationName As String = "AdvWorksSalesOrdersMerge"
Dim publicationDbName As String = "AdventureWorks"

Dim publicationDb As ReplicationDatabase
Dim publication As MergePublication

' Create a connection to the Publisher.
Dim conn As ServerConnection = New ServerConnection(publisherName)

Try
    ' Connect to the Publisher.
    conn.Connect()

    ' Enable the database for merge publication.                
    publicationDb = New ReplicationDatabase(publicationDbName, conn)
    If publicationDb.LoadProperties() Then
        If Not publicationDb.EnabledMergePublishing Then
            publicationDb.EnabledMergePublishing = True
        End If
    Else
        ' Do something here if the database does not exist. 
        Throw New ApplicationException(String.Format( _
         "The {0} database does not exist on {1}.", _
         publicationDb, publisherName))
    End If

    ' Set the required properties for the merge publication.
    publication = New MergePublication()
    publication.ConnectionContext = conn
    publication.Name = publicationName
    publication.DatabaseName = publicationDbName

    ' Enable Web synchronization, if not already enabled.
    If (publication.Attributes And PublicationAttributes.AllowWebSynchronization) = 0 Then
        publication.Attributes = publication.Attributes _
        Or PublicationAttributes.AllowWebSynchronization
    End If

    ' Enable pull subscriptions, if not already enabled.
    If (publication.Attributes And PublicationAttributes.AllowPull) = 0 Then
        publication.Attributes = publication.Attributes _
        Or PublicationAttributes.AllowPull
    End If

    ' Enable Subscriber requested snapshot generation. 
    publication.Attributes = publication.Attributes _
        Or PublicationAttributes.AllowSubscriberInitiatedSnapshot

    ' Enable anonymous access for Subscribers that cannot 
    ' make a direct connetion to the Publisher. 
    publication.Attributes = publication.Attributes _
        Or PublicationAttributes.AllowAnonymous

    ' Specify the Windows account under which the Snapshot Agent job runs.
    ' This account will be used for the local connection to the 
    ' Distributor and all agent connections that use Windows Authentication.
    publication.SnapshotGenerationAgentProcessSecurity.Login = winLogin
    publication.SnapshotGenerationAgentProcessSecurity.Password = winPassword

    ' Explicitly set the security mode for the Publisher connection
    ' Windows Authentication (the default).
    publication.SnapshotGenerationAgentPublisherSecurity.WindowsAuthentication = True

    If Not publication.IsExistingObject Then
        ' Create the merge publication and the Snapshot Agent job.
        publication.Create()
        publication.CreateSnapshotAgent()
    Else
        Throw New ApplicationException(String.Format( _
            "The {0} publication already exists.", publicationName))
    End If
Catch ex As Exception
    ' Implement custom application error handling here.
    Throw New ApplicationException(String.Format( _
        "The publication {0} could not be created.", publicationName), ex)
Finally
    conn.Disconnect()
End Try

See Also

Tasks

How to: Create a Publication (RMO Programming)

Concepts

How to: Configure Web Synchronization for Merge Replication (Replication Transact-SQL Programming)

Other Resources

Web Synchronization for Merge Replication

Help and Information

Getting SQL Server 2005 Assistance