Setting the value of Minimal_cols to Y can reduce network traffic, especially at sites with tables containing a high volume of columns.
Replication Agent limits char and varchar field
lengths to 255 bytes and long varchar field
lengths to 32704 bytes when Minimal_cols=N.
When Minimal_cols=Y, Replication
Agent limits char and varchar fields
to 255 bytes and long varchar fields to 32704
bytes. Replication Agent allows a maximum of 126 double-byte characters
when Minimal_cols=N and 124
double-byte characters when Minimal_cols=Y.
