MSDE Merge Replication (feasibility and licensing)

I am new to replication and have a couple of questions.
My requirement is to keep several (2 - 10) databases in sync. My current thinking is to use MSDE, along with merge replication. I have determined from the documentation that MSDE has the features and capabilities to fulfil the data storage and retrieval
requirments.
1) Is merge replication possible among a number of MSDE databases across a network (no SQL Server involved)
2) Do any licenses have to be purchased? The documentation is a little inconsistent on this point.
Thanks a lot.
1) yes, but MSDE is optimized for 8 concurrent workloads
2) check out this link for MSDE licensing information
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/msde/howtobuy/msdeuse.asp
"JW" <anonymous@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F861246B-EBDA-4EEA-8CA0-6077C3F5DBCD@.microsoft.com...
> I am new to replication and have a couple of questions.
> My requirement is to keep several (2 - 10) databases in sync. My current
thinking is to use MSDE, along with merge replication. I have determined
from the documentation that MSDE has the features and capabilities to fulfil
the data storage and retrieval requirments.
> 1) Is merge replication possible among a number of MSDE databases across a
network (no SQL Server involved)
> 2) Do any licenses have to be purchased? The documentation is a little
inconsistent on this point.
> Thanks a lot.
|||I must admit that I've never tested this, but as far as I
recall MSDE is throttled at 5 connections.
Regards,
Paul Ibison
|||Thanks for the replies.
1) I think that it's the number of concurrent batches that chokes MSDE, not the number of connections.
From "The SQL Server 2000 Workload Governor" at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/?u...asp?frame=true :
"Like all versions of SQL Server 2000, SQL Server 2000 Personal Edition and MSDE 2000 allow 32,767 connections to an instance of the database engine. There is no limit for the number of connections that can be executing operations at the same time. The on
ly effect of the workload governor is that it starts slowing down the database engine when more than eight operations are actively running at the same time."
2) Based on my research, it looks like no extra licensing is required if there is no connection to any of the 'regular' SQL Server editions:
From "HOW TO: Use Replication with SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000)" at http://support.microsoft.com/4
"Licensing Issues
MSDE 2000 does not require any licensing when you use it in a stand-alone mode, but when you use it as part of a replication topology that involves regular SQL Server editions, if the server is in Per Seat mode as opposed to a Per Processor mode, each MSD
E 2000 Subscriber must have a client-access license (CAL).
For more information about SQL Server licensing, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/howtobuy/SQL2KLic.doc"
Again, thanks for your time.
Regards,
Joe
|||JW,
interesting. In the MS knowledgebase it mentions throttling after 5
concurrent connections:
MSDE 2000-Specific Limitations and Caveats
a.. MSDE 2000 limits the size of the database to 2 GB...
b.. The number of connections to MSDE 2000 is optimized for five
connections. This may affect the performance of replication if MSDE 2000 is
the Publisher and there are a enough Subscribers to the publication or if it
is a Subscriber to multiple publications.
see: http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;Q324992
I have seen this 'limit' mentioned elsewhere, so the mentioning of 8 is
strange. I'll do some more research and see if we can get a definitive
answer.
Regards,
Paul Ibison