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Disable Check Constraints for Replication

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Applies to: SQL Server 2016 (13.x) and later Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW)

You can disable check constraints in SQL Server by using SQL Server Management Studio or Transact-SQL. You can also explicitly disable check constraints for replication, which can be useful if you are publishing data from a previous version of SQL Server.

Note

If a table is published using replication, check constraints are automatically disabled for operations performed by replication agents. When a replication agent performs an insert, update, or delete at a Subscriber, the constraint is not checked; if a user performs an insert, update, or delete, the constraint is checked. The constraint is disabled for the replication agent because the constraint was already checked at the Publisher when the data was originally inserted, updated, or deleted. For more information, see Specify Schema Options.

Before You Begin

Security

Permissions

Requires ALTER permission on the table.

Using SQL Server Management Studio

To disable a check constraint for replication

  1. In Object Explorer, expand the table with the check constraint you want to modify, and then expand the Constraints folder.

  2. Right-click the check constraint you wish to modify and then click Modify.

  3. In the Check Constraints dialog box, under Table Designer, select a value of No for Enforce For Replication.

  4. Click Close.

Using Transact-SQL

To disable a check constraint for replication

  1. In Object Explorer, connect to an instance of Database Engine.

  2. On the Standard bar, click New Query.

  3. Copy and paste the following example into the query window and click Execute. The example creates a table with an IDENTITY column and a CHECK constraint on the table. The example then drops the constraint and recreates it specifying the NOT FOR REPLICATION clause.

    USE AdventureWorks2022;  
GO  
CREATE TABLE dbo.doc_exd (column_a int IDENTITY (1,1)   
CONSTRAINT exd_check CHECK (column_a > 1))   

ALTER TABLE dbo.doc_exd   
DROP CONSTRAINT exd_check;   
GO  
ALTER TABLE dbo.doc_exd    
ADD CONSTRAINT exd_check CHECK NOT FOR REPLICATION (column_a > 1);

For more information, see ALTER TABLE (Transact-SQL).

See Also

Specify Schema Options