You may need to alter a replication definition after a column has been added to a primary table or if a destination database requires a column that was not specified in the original replication definition.
In most instances, you alter replication definitions in conjunction with changing database schema in the source or destination table. Be sure to coordinate schema changes between the source and destination sites. See “Modifying replicated data”.
WARNING! When you alter a replication definition, it may take a while for the changes to reflect in the replicate RSSD. If you manipulate the data too soon before or after running alter replication definition command, Replication Server may use the wrong replication definition to process the data.
This section describes how to use alter replication definition to modify a replication definition. You can alter the replication definition in one of the following ways:
Provide a different replicate table name
Add columns to the columns list
Provide different replicate column names
Change the specifications for replicating text, unitext, image, or rawobject columns
Add columns to the primary keys column list
Remove columns from the primary keys column list
Add columns to the searchable columns list
Drop columns from the searchable columns list
Change declared or published column datatypes
Change the specification for replicating minimal columns
Change how the replication definition is used in replicating to a standby database
Function
strings with replication definition scope are not automatically altered
when you add columns to a table or to a replication definition.
In certain cases, you must alter the function strings manually.
See “Managing
function strings” on page 33 in the Replication
Server Administration Guide Volume 2.
Use alter replication definition at the primary Replication Server where you created the replication definition. See “Creating replication definitions” for more information about what you can include in a replication definition.
To rename primary or replicate tables, drop and re-create the replication definition. See “Renaming replicated tables” for more information about how to accomplish this task.
To drop or rename primary columns or change column datatypes, drop and re-create all the replication definitions that have the primary columns. See “Deleting columns in a source or destination table” for more information about how to accomplish this task.
Refer to Chapter 3, “Replication Server Commands” in the Replication Server Reference Manual for more information about alter replication definition command.
Examples follow for different scenarios of altering replication definitions using alter replication definition.
Normally, you should quiesce the system and shut down the RepAgent before altering a replication definition.
