May 2, 2008 at 9:56 am
We use a software package that requires SQL Server 2000 Personal Edition installed locally on each machine. These are grouped by district. Each district group has its own publisher which in turn syncs with a main publishing server. I should add that about half the machines are laptops that are used in the field and remain off the network for most of the day. When they do connect they do so wirelessly. (yes, I know trying to replicate by wireless connection has its own set of problems.) I am constantly running into problems with dropped subscriptions, services not running, merge jobs not completing even on the computers that remain on the network. I know how to resolve most of these issues on an individual basis but I would like to be able to proactively monitor each machine for these and other issues before it becomes a problem. I have looked at IDERA but they are prohibitively expensive for our set up. Can anyone suggest an alternative or even better a solution within SQL Server?
Thank you.
Hamish D. Richardson
May 2, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I would not invest in tools with SQL server 2000.
You need to investigate Express Edition of 2005 and future editions of 2008.
Regards,Yelena Varsha
May 2, 2008 at 12:57 pm
The software we are using is not compatible with SQL Server 2005 at this point and may not be for sometime. I am currently using SSMS to work with the 2000 instances but not sure how far I can take this before something does not work.
May 2, 2008 at 2:30 pm
If it is a third-party SW, I would notify your manager and escalate back to the vendor who needs to do something about that.
Regards,Yelena Varsha
May 3, 2008 at 7:42 am
The software requires this on each laptop.........hmmm
Have you thought of using a CITRIX Farm - we use this and have one version of SQL Studio on here for all our developers inside and outside LAN/WAN they come into our network to use the services.
What is this software.
May 4, 2008 at 9:19 am
Thank you for the advice you have given so far...Please let me know if I need to move this topic over to SQL 2000. Thanks....
To answer your question, the software is called Utility Center. One of its uses in our industry (Electricity Distribution) to provide a current (through replication) (no pun intended) but mostly disconnected GIS or mapping system for linemen and construction crews in the field in rural areas. Since '99 when the software first came out up until about a year ago it was been the only software to provide this type of functionality. The issues have been never ending however and being a small software company (Utility Automation Integration) with a unique niche with few players, they did not feel the need to respond to their client’s feedback or code their software to work with new technology. Recently Trimble has bought this company and we are looking (urgently) to see some much needed improvement.
However, dropping Utility Center is not an option at this point and we don't expect Trimble to rewrite 9+ years of code into .NET environment anytime soon. So we are entrenched with this software that worked well but is also the reason I have lost most of my hair;).
Ok enough of that. The software depends on each machine with 5 databases successfully completing merge replication. Many times I find SQL Server Agent not running or a network connection has not lasted long enough for this process to complete or someone has turned their computer off for the evening, (which never helps replication) etc. I need something to create a report to tell me which machine has not synced and why. In addition, I want to be able to remotely fix most of these issues in a secure environment without having to give complete administrative access (I have a staff of four technicians that would be doing most of this.) I am working on certification in SQL Server 2005 \ 2008 and would not be averse to using these to work with the SQL Server 2000 instances but I understand you can only go so far with this.
Thank you for your time in responding......
May 5, 2008 at 5:29 am
I understand that at the EOD data is important to you for reporting purpose.
You can have two solutions here:
1. Add step to use sp_sendmail after the SQL Server Agent replicate the data to the specific mail so that you will come to know that from so and so server data has been updated and easily find out the missing SQL Instances.
2. Alternately you can create the table and insert row for agent successfully executed and replicated data. You can use linkserver here. Filter the data of a table as per your need and find out unreplicated instances.
Hope this will help 🙂
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"Thare are only 10 types of people in the world:
Those who understand binary, and those who don't."
May 5, 2008 at 7:36 am
Totally agree with SSC Veteran...
Get rid of the merge replication i can see what your doing.
MAIN SQL ------User in Field 1 merge data goes to their laptop...
User in Field2
You could just have one replication - transactional that goes to
SERVER1 to SERVER2 (This would be where you have SERVER1)...
Then set up either MS ACCESS that they link into SERVER2.
(Now if they update the data - hows is this being done through batches or can the software run batches....you could then have these in a directory and import these into SERVER1 on a timely fashion.
Replicating to a Laptop and some one turns off is a nightmare.......Thats almost like turning off a server.
May 5, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Thanks guys. I will try your suggestions.
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