sql server replication: Does anyone know the reason for the error message

"The process could not connect to FTP site xxx"

I can connect fine using FTP, but my subscription agent generates this
message.

Ideas?

Darryl Pollock

can the subscriber ping the ftp server?

Here's a hint with using ftp: on the subscriber open up IE and in the
browser type ftp://PublisherServerName

See if you can browse the ftp files on the publisher from the subscriber.

For ftp to work you need to ensure

1) the ftp server is up and running on your Publisher
2) you can connect to the ftp server from the subscriber - use IE for this
3) you have to have an FTP server configured on your Publisher for anonymous
access or to use an existing NT account and have to open the accepted IP
range that your subscriber is on
4) you have to modify your publication to allow anonymous pull
subscriptions, and use an independent distribution agent
5) you have to modify your publication to use an alternate snapshot
location that dumps your snapshot in a folder within your FTP root

6) you have to apply security to the underlying files and folders that
underlie your FTP virtual directory that maps to your alternate snapshot
location. If you are using anonymous authentication your snapshot folder
must have read access to IUSER_Machine name. If you are using NT
Authentication, the NT account must have read rights. To clarify if you use
an NT account called DarrylPollock this account must have read rights to the
directory c:\temp or c:\program files\Microsoft SQL
Server\mssql\repldata\ftp, and this is the account you specify in the FTP
password and account text boxes. Do not use the domain in the account text
box. So if your domain is called Domain, and your account is
Domain\DarrylPollock you would merely put DarrylPollock in the ftp account
text box.

7) you have to configure your Subscriber to download the snapshot using
FTP

8) if you are using your normal snapshot folder your virtual root must map
to c:\program files\microsoft sql server\mssql\repldata\ftp, if not it must
map to an ftp directory within your the directory you are dumping it to.

So if you pick c:\temp as your alternate snapshot folder location you must
precreate an ftp folder within this, and your virtual directory or ftp root
will be to the c:\temp\ftp location.

I also log ftp visits to aid with diagnosing ftp errors. Some DBA's don't
recommend using the C:\Program Files\Microsoft sql server\msssl\repldata
share for their ftp site or as a virtual directory as they are worried about
cannonicalization.



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Hi Darry,

I am reviewing you post and our community member provide some detailed
information about it. Since we have not heard from you for some days, I
wonder if you have got the answer of your problem or if you need more
explanation on that. For any question, please feel free to post your
message here and we are glad to help.

Thanks

Baisong Wei
Microsoft Online Support
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