What is SQL Server Data Replication – Process and Tools
Most organizations have a strong and flexible Database Management System (DBMS) in place to handle massive amounts of data generated in routine operations. It helps users to access databases, change and manipulate data, and generate reports to take cutting-edge business decisions. There are four types of DBMS - Hierarchical, Network DBMS, Relational DBMS, and Object-Oriented Relation DBMS of which Relational DBMS is related to SQL. Relational DBMS defines databases in the form of tables and have pre-fixed data forms that support MySQL, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server database. Coming to the definitions, what is SQL? It is Structured Query Language and is the main platform for dealing with Relational Database. SQL is used to update, insert, search, and delete database records. Other benefits of SQL include optimizing and maintaining Relational databases.
Replication is the technology that processes, copies, and distributes database objects from one database to another. It is also used to distribute data to different locations and remote and mobile users. It is done through the Internet, dial-up connections, wireless connections, and local and wide area networks. Before the era of SQL server data replication, organizations had a single server for multiple users at various locations resulting in performance and availability problems and maintenance issues. Now SQL server replication tools help to maintain database copies at multiple locations. SQL Server data replication improves the performance of SQL Server databases and the availability of information across an organization. It ensures that businesses can integrate and load data into data warehouses, migrate data to cloud storage platforms, and copy and distribute data across multiple database servers in remote locations. These activities are regardless of whether a third-party strategy is created by a replication expert or the process is implemented using built-in MSSQL replication utilities. Enterprises can also accelerate, augment, and reduce the cost of SQL data replication using SQL change data capture technology (CDC). SQL Server data replication CDC also makes sure that data-driven enterprises integrate data in real-time and realize faster time-to-insight. It is because changes and updates that are made by individuals at various locations are synchronized to the main server quickly as SQL Server replication distributes the relevant part of the tables and views only and not the entire database. There are three types of SQL Server data replication. The first is Snapshot Replication. A “snapshot” of the data in one server is taken which is then moved to another server or another database in the same server. Another is Transactional Replication where after the initial snapshot replication, only the changes, updates, or deleted records on the publisher are forwarded to the subscriber/s. Finally, there is Merge Replication where data from multiple sources are merged into a single database. SQL Server data replication synchronizes data across enterprises and replication to SQLCE 3.5 and SQLCE 4.0 are supported by both Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8.