sql server replication: We're implementing log shipping and have run into problems
when attempting to reverse server roles.

The error occurs when we run the sp_change_secondary_role.
We receive a "sqlmaint.exe" error. If the stored procedure
is run 3 or 4 times it will occasionally succeed but the
role reversal is not successful even then.

Has anyone had any experience with this?

Thanks,

John

John,
I often have to run this several times before it works but it always worked
in the end. In SQL server magazine Jan 2002 there was an indepth article on
this type of thing
(http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtech
nol/sql/deploy/prodspecs/logship2.asp). It was stated that "the
sp_change_secondary_role stored procedure requires exclusive use of the
database and will fail if it doesn't have it. I've seen this procedure fail
and report that the database is in use even when I knew that no users were
accessing the database. Just rerunning the stored procedure solved the
problem."
Have a look at the article which mentions some other issues which hopefully
will help. Also there is a KB article which may be relevant:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;300497.
Regards,
Paul Ibison