sql server replication: I am confused about how to interpret the Merge Agent History panel and
the Session Details of the Merge Agent panel. The Merge Agent History
panel has columns to the right that indicate pretty clearly where the
action is occuring, at the Publisher and at the Subscriber. In my case
I see lots of inserts at the Publisher.

Next when I open the Session Details of the Merge Agent panel, I see a
set of actions all indicated as downloads. If the details panel is from
the perspective of the subscriber, then this would contradict the
parent History panel. It is only consistent if the Detail panel is from
the perspective of the Publisher. Then 'downloads' would correspond to
inserts and such at the Publisher.

So my question is, "Is the Detail panel showing uploads and downloads
from the perspective of the Publisher or the Subscriber?"

Thanks in advance for clarifying this.

Jeff Roughgarden, MCSD, MCDBA

Jeff,
as far as I understand, downloads means changes going from the publisher to
the subscriber, and uploads the inverse.
Cheers,
Paul Ibison SQL Server MVP, www.replicationanswers.com
(recommended sql server 2000 replication book:
http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602p.html)

Paul,

If that is the case, then the two displays I see are contradictory. Do
you also see this contradiction?

Jeff

Paul,

I emailed you screen shots of the apparently contradictory History and
Detail panels.

Jeff

Jeff,
I must be missing something :).
AFAIK download always means publisher to subscriber, while upload means
subscriber to publisher. On my merge agent the figures I see for subscriber
inserts and publisher inserts are consistent with this. Perhaps you could
post up a screen shot of a state which is inconsistant, or is the question
more on a symantic nature ie should download always mean publisher to
subscriber?
Cheers,
Paul Ibison SQL Server MVP, www.replicationanswers.com
(recommended sql server 2000 replication book:
http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602p.html)

Jeff,
please could you send to paul.ibison@replication answers.com (no space).
Cheers,
Paul Ibson

Jeff,
surely we must be talking at cross-purposes :)
An insert at the publisher is downloaded and inserted at the subscriber -
why is this contradictory?
Cheers,
Paul Ibison

I really do apologize for seeming so dense, but they still seem
contradictory to me.

Referring to my original message, the Merge Agent History panel shows
clearly 50925 'Inserts at Publisher'. However clicking on the Session
Details button, the resulting panel shows a long list of ***download***
actions (inserts) whose record sum presumably equals 50925.

This is contradictory. How can we have 50925 inserts at publisher and
50925 downloads leading to inserts at the subscriber?

Jeff

(I received Jeffs pictures sent directly to me but they are too large to
post here)

Jeff,
these pannels seem entirely consistent to me:)
The number of publisher changes is consistent between the pannels. The term
'download' is used to describe a publisher -> subscriber change. The total
also matches the sum of the individual batch totals.
Cheers,
Paul