New Subscription Wizard

  • Article

The New Subscription Wizard creates Microsoft SQL Server and SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition (SQL Server Compact Edition) subscriptions to SQL Server merge replication publications. You can also use the New Subscription Wizard to manage and synchronize subscriptions.

Creating Subscriptions

The New Subscription Wizard lets you create a SQL Server Compact Edition subscription to SQL Server 2000 or to SQL Server publications. The subscription can exist in SQL Server Compact Edition databases created on the desktop computer, on a device, or both.

After the subscription has been created, you can synchronize the SQL Server Compact Edition data with SQL Server data. You cannot use the wizard to edit existing subscriptions. To edit subscription information, use the Properties dialog box for each subscription.

To create and synchronize subscriptions with the New Subscription Wizard, it is recommended that you first become familiar with SQL Server Management Studio, SQL Server merge replication, and SQL Server Compact Edition.

For connecting to and managing SQL Server Compact Edition desktop databases, you must have SQL Server Management Studio installed on the desktop computer. For connecting to and managing SQL Server Compact Edition databases on a device, you must have the following products installed:

  • SQL Server
  • SQL Server Compact Edition
  • Microsoft ActiveSync 4.0 or later versions
  • Microsoft .NET Compact Framework

Using Object Explorer within SQL Server Management Studio is the primary method for accessing SQL Server and SQL Server Compact Edition database objects. Management Studio supports connections to various types of servers including SQL Server Compact Edition.

When you expand the Replication folder in Management Studio, Object Explorer determines whether there is an existing subscription. If there is an existing subscription, the Replication node contains child nodes for every subscription in the database. The display name for the subscription is based on the database name and then the word "Subscription" (for example, "AdventureWorks Subscription").

The New Subscription Wizard provides step-by-step instruction for creating an anonymous merge replication subscription from a SQL Server Compact Edition database. On the final page of the wizard, a merge replication synchronization automatically occurs, the information supplied during the wizard is validated, and the subscription is created.