Initialization of the Primary Data Server and Replication Agent

For Microsoft SQL Server initialization, Replication Agent for Microsoft SQL Server installs objects at both the data server and database level.

Data-server-level modifications are only required once. However, to make the server-level modifications, additional permissions are required, the pds_dac_port_number parameter is used, and the primary database must be in standalone mode. Subsequent executions of ra_admin init do not modify the server again and do not require the additional permission or configurations.

• First-Time Initialization
  You must initialize the primary Microsoft SQL Server so that Replication Agent can open the supplemental log of a table or procedure that is marked for replication. Do this only once for each primary data server.
• Subsequent Initialization
  After you have initialized Replication Agent for the first time and have subsequently deinitialized Replication Agent using ra_admin deinit, you may want to reinitialize this Replication Agent instance or another Replication Agent instance for a different database in the same primary data server.
• Final Cleanup
  After you have removed all Replication Agent objects from all the databases on a given primary data server by issuing ra_admin deinit in each database in which you had issued ra_admin init, you may want to remove all the remnants of Replication Agent and completely clean the primary data server.