Is Replication For Me?

Hi.
I was after some advise about whether or not replication (Proabably
transactional) was for me. I will have 2 or more databases serving client
applications with each client needing to make quite freqent inserts into
various tables. The application as a whole cannot afford to go offline so a
copy of the tables relevent to a particular client will be stored locally. I
addition to this, if one of the main remote databases go offline, the backup
will have to be able to pick up in the exact condition of the previous. This
means that every transaction will have to be copied to all active databases
before the transaction is autenticated. In addition if an offline server
goes offline, then to come "online and active" it will need to be checked
that it is synced with all current active databases.
Sorry this is a bit of a long winded question but I hope you understand
what I'm asking, and I'd appreciate any input.
Many Thanks
Oli
It sounds like merge replication is what you need. Merge was designed with
mobile clients in mind.
With Merge replication each client will have a copy of a database local.
When the client goes online the changes he made offline will be merge with
the publisher. Other clients changes will also be merge with the publisher
and if you are able to partition everything correctly you should be able to
minimize conflicts.
Hilary Cotter
Looking for a book on SQL Server replication?
http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html
"Oli (StormENT)" <Oli (StormENT)@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:37BBE931-C954-4A5B-B6F8-2E692814DE6C@.microsoft.com...
> Hi.
> I was after some advise about whether or not replication (Proabably
> transactional) was for me. I will have 2 or more databases serving client
> applications with each client needing to make quite freqent inserts into
> various tables. The application as a whole cannot afford to go offline so
a
> copy of the tables relevent to a particular client will be stored locally.
I
> addition to this, if one of the main remote databases go offline, the
backup
> will have to be able to pick up in the exact condition of the previous.
This
> means that every transaction will have to be copied to all active
databases
> before the transaction is autenticated. In addition if an offline server
> goes offline, then to come "online and active" it will need to be checked
> that it is synced with all current active databases.
> Sorry this is a bit of a long winded question but I hope you understand
> what I'm asking, and I'd appreciate any input.
> Many Thanks
> Oli