How to: Disable Publishing and Distribution (RMO Programming)

You can disable publishing and distribution programmatically by using Replication Management Objects (RMO).

To disable publishing and distribution

  1. Remove all subscriptions to publications that use the Distributor. For more information, see How to: Delete a Pull Subscription (RMO Programming) and How to: Delete a Push Subscription (RMO Programming).

  2. Remove all publications that use the Distributor, and disable publishing for all databases if the Publisher and Distributor are on the same server. For more information, see How to: Delete a Publication (RMO Programming).

  3. Create a connection to the Distributor by using the Serverconnection class.

  4. Create an instance of the DistributionPublisher class. Specify the name() property, and pass the ServerConnection object from step 3.

  5. (Optional) Call the LoadProperties method to get the properties of the object and verify that the Publisher exists. If this method returns false, the Publisher name set in step 4 was incorrect or the Publisher is not used by this Distributor.

  6. Call the Remove(Boolean) method. Pass a value of true for force if the Publisher and Distributor are on different servers, and when the Publisher should be uninstalled at the Distributor without first verifying that publications no longer exist at the Publisher.

  7. Create an instance of the ReplicationServer class. Pass the ServerConnection object from step 3.

  8. Call the UninstallDistributor method. Pass a value of true for force to remove all replication objects at the Distributor without first verifying that all local publication databases have been disabled, and distribution databases have been uninstalled.

Example

This example removes the Publisher registration at the Distributor, drops the distribution database, and uninstalls the Distributor.

            // Set the Distributor and publication database names.
            // Publisher and Distributor are on the same server instance.
            string publisherName = publisherInstance;
            string distributorName = publisherInstance;
            string distributionDbName = "distribution";
            string publicationDbName = "AdventureWorks";

            // Create connections to the Publisher and Distributor
            // using Windows Authentication.
            ServerConnection publisherConn = new ServerConnection(publisherName);
            ServerConnection distributorConn = new ServerConnection(distributorName);

            // Create the objects we need.
            ReplicationServer distributor =
                new ReplicationServer(distributorConn);
            DistributionPublisher publisher;
            DistributionDatabase distributionDb =
                new DistributionDatabase(distributionDbName, distributorConn);
            ReplicationDatabase publicationDb;
            publicationDb = new ReplicationDatabase(publicationDbName, publisherConn);

            try
            {
                // Connect to the Publisher and Distributor.
                publisherConn.Connect();
                distributorConn.Connect();

                // Disable all publishing on the AdventureWorks2008R2 database.
                if (publicationDb.LoadProperties())
                {
                    if (publicationDb.EnabledMergePublishing)
                    {
                        publicationDb.EnabledMergePublishing = false;
                    }
                    else if (publicationDb.EnabledTransPublishing)
                    {
                        publicationDb.EnabledTransPublishing = false;
                    }
                }
                else
                {
                    throw new ApplicationException(
                        String.Format("The {0} database does not exist.", publicationDbName));
                }

                // We cannot uninstall the Publisher if there are still Subscribers.
                if (distributor.RegisteredSubscribers.Count == 0)
                {
                    // Uninstall the Publisher, if it exists.
                    publisher = new DistributionPublisher(publisherName, distributorConn);
                    if (publisher.LoadProperties())
                    {
                        publisher.Remove(false);
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        // Do something here if the Publisher does not exist.
                        throw new ApplicationException(String.Format(
                            "{0} is not a Publisher for {1}.", publisherName, distributorName));
                    }

                    // Drop the distribution database.
                    if (distributionDb.LoadProperties())
                    {
                        distributionDb.Remove();
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        // Do something here if the distribition DB does not exist.
                        throw new ApplicationException(String.Format(
                            "The distribution database '{0}' does not exist on {1}.",
                            distributionDbName, distributorName));
                    }

                    // Uninstall the Distributor, if it exists.
                    if (distributor.LoadProperties())
                    {
                        // Passing a value of false means that the Publisher 
                        // and distribution databases must already be uninstalled,
                        // and that no local databases be enabled for publishing.
                        distributor.UninstallDistributor(false);
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        //Do something here if the distributor does not exist.
                        throw new ApplicationException(String.Format(
                            "The Distributor '{0}' does not exist.", distributorName));
                    }
                }
                else
                {
                    throw new ApplicationException("You must first delete all subscriptions.");
                }
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                // Implement appropriate error handling here.
                throw new ApplicationException("The Publisher and Distributor could not be uninstalled", ex);
            }
            finally
            {
                publisherConn.Disconnect();
                distributorConn.Disconnect();
            }
' Set the Distributor and publication database names.
' Publisher and Distributor are on the same server instance.
Dim publisherName As String = publisherInstance
Dim distributorName As String = subscriberInstance
Dim distributionDbName As String = "distribution"
Dim publicationDbName As String = "AdventureWorks2008R2"

' Create connections to the Publisher and Distributor
' using Windows Authentication.
Dim publisherConn As ServerConnection = New ServerConnection(publisherName)
Dim distributorConn As ServerConnection = New ServerConnection(distributorName)

' Create the objects we need.
Dim distributor As ReplicationServer
distributor = New ReplicationServer(distributorConn)
Dim publisher As DistributionPublisher
Dim distributionDb As DistributionDatabase
distributionDb = New DistributionDatabase(distributionDbName, distributorConn)
Dim publicationDb As ReplicationDatabase
publicationDb = New ReplicationDatabase(publicationDbName, publisherConn)

Try
    ' Connect to the Publisher and Distributor.
    publisherConn.Connect()
    distributorConn.Connect()

    ' Disable all publishing on the AdventureWorks database.
    If publicationDb.LoadProperties() Then
        If publicationDb.EnabledMergePublishing Then
            publicationDb.EnabledMergePublishing = False
        ElseIf publicationDb.EnabledTransPublishing Then
            publicationDb.EnabledTransPublishing = False
        End If
    Else
        Throw New ApplicationException( _
            String.Format("The {0} database does not exist.", publicationDbName))
    End If

    ' We cannot uninstall the Publisher if there are still Subscribers.
    If distributor.RegisteredSubscribers.Count = 0 Then
        ' Uninstall the Publisher, if it exists.
        publisher = New DistributionPublisher(publisherName, distributorConn)
        If publisher.LoadProperties() Then
            publisher.Remove(False)
        Else
            ' Do something here if the Publisher does not exist.
            Throw New ApplicationException(String.Format( _
                "{0} is not a Publisher for {1}.", publisherName, distributorName))
        End If

        ' Drop the distribution database.
        If distributionDb.LoadProperties() Then
            distributionDb.Remove()
        Else
            ' Do something here if the distribition DB does not exist.
            Throw New ApplicationException(String.Format( _
             "The distribution database '{0}' does not exist on {1}.", _
             distributionDbName, distributorName))
        End If

        ' Uninstall the Distributor, if it exists.
        If distributor.LoadProperties() Then
            ' Passing a value of false means that the Publisher 
            ' and distribution databases must already be uninstalled,
            ' and that no local databases be enabled for publishing.
            distributor.UninstallDistributor(False)
        Else
            'Do something here if the distributor does not exist.
            Throw New ApplicationException(String.Format( _
                "The Distributor '{0}' does not exist.", distributorName))
        End If
    Else
        Throw New ApplicationException("You must first delete all subscriptions.")
    End If

Catch ex As Exception
    ' Implement appropriate error handling here.
    Throw New ApplicationException("The Publisher and Distributor could not be uninstalled", ex)

Finally
    publisherConn.Disconnect()
    distributorConn.Disconnect()

End Try

This example uninstalls the Distributor without first disabling local publication databases or dropping the distribution database.

          // Set the Distributor and publication database names.
            // Publisher and Distributor are on the same server instance.
            string distributorName = publisherInstance;

            // Create connections to the Distributor
            // using Windows Authentication.
            ServerConnection conn = new ServerConnection(distributorName);
            conn.DatabaseName = "master";

            // Create the objects we need.
            ReplicationServer distributor = new ReplicationServer(conn);

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


                // Uninstall the Distributor, if it exists.
                // Use the force parameter to remove everthing.  
                if (distributor.IsDistributor && distributor.LoadProperties())
                {
                    // Passing a value of true means that the Distributor 
                    // is uninstalled even when publishing objects, subscriptions,
                    // and distribution databases exist on the server.
                    distributor.UninstallDistributor(true);
                }
                else
                {
                    //Do something here if the distributor does not exist.
                }
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                // Implement appropriate error handling here.
                throw new ApplicationException("The Publisher and Distributor could not be uninstalled", ex);
            }
            finally
            {
                conn.Disconnect();
            }
' Set the Distributor and publication database names.
' Publisher and Distributor are on the same server instance.
Dim distributorName As String = publisherInstance

' Create connections to the Distributor
' using Windows Authentication.
Dim conn As ServerConnection = New ServerConnection(distributorName)
conn.DatabaseName = "master"

' Create the objects we need.
Dim distributor As ReplicationServer = New ReplicationServer(conn)

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


    ' Uninstall the Distributor, if it exists.
    ' Use the force parameter to remove everthing.  
    If distributor.IsDistributor And distributor.LoadProperties() Then
        ' Passing a value of true means that the Distributor 
        ' is uninstalled even when publishing objects, subscriptions,
        ' and distribution databases exist on the server.
        distributor.UninstallDistributor(True)
    Else
        'Do something here if the distributor does not exist.
    End If

Catch ex As Exception
    ' Implement appropriate error handling here.
    Throw New ApplicationException("The Publisher and Distributor could not be uninstalled", ex)

Finally
    conn.Disconnect()

End Try