Hi All,
I really need some help here! I have spent the last few days upgrading a clients system to SQL 2005, part of which involved upgrading their sales people's laptops to Sql 2005 Express and setting up Merge Replication. I have configured the Server to use Web Synchronisation, and have tested that the replisapi.dll?diag all works ok and it does.
I am running into problems now with getting the laptops to synchronise. I have set up the Replication task, and am getting an error when I run the Wndows Synchroniser:
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The schema script '\\PTC42\ParklandsWebsiteV2\ftp\PTC42_PARKLANDS_PARKLANDS\20060812131209\' could not be propagated to the subscriber.
The process could not connect to FTP site 'mail.parklands.net' using port 21.
A connection with the server could not be established
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I have tested independantly connecting to the FTP server using Windows explorer and it works fine using the same username and password. I am at a loss here!!! I am going in circles looking for help too as there doesnt seem to be much info on this in SQL 2005 yet. I have re-read all the books online articles for Replication, Replication in SQL 2005 Express, and also gone back & reset up the Server & the Client several times - with no luck!
The client needs to get these sales guys laptops back ASAP and I am starting to really stress out here!! (can you tell I havent had much sleep in the last few days?) Any help would be so wonderfully apreciated!!!
Thanks so very much,
Catherine
Well I have FINALLY worked it out - and thought I would post my findings to help others that may run into the same problem.
I ran ftp using command prompt and all connected fine so I knew it wasnt the FTP side of things.
I set up the same replication on another machine and received the same error so that meant it was a config probem & not a problem specific to the laptop i was working on.
I ran replmerge.exe via the command prompt and received the same error message - after much testing & trying & playng with settings I realised that the setting I was entering for FTP address werent being used - the setting on the SQL server Publication were being used. It then occurred to me that the Mail.parklands.net address was an external address and perhaps the machine hosting the IIS component of the Web Sync may not be able to map that address. When I tested this on the IIS server I received the same message. I changed this connection path to the internal machine name - and could connect!! i changed this setting in the SQL publication & rebuilt the Snapshot. I then added the PTC42 machine name to my hosts file and tested I could FTP into that locally using the command prompt. When that all worked i tested the replmerge.exe via the ocmmand prompt once again and I am very happy to report that my DB is now synchronising!! :)
So in summary - ensure when you set up your FTP server for the snapshot of a Replicated database that the IIS server that is hosting the Web Synch can access that exact name - keeping in mind internal & external server names.
I am happy to be corrected on this (my explination & terminology may be way off) - but am breathing a sigh of relief as it seems to be working now!
Thanks,
Catherine
