sql server replication: In SQL Server 2005 there are Tracer Tokens for exactly this purpose, but
alas no such mechanism in SQL Server 2000. However you could manually follow
the progress of a 'dummy' update or insert by a polling mechanism. An
insert.update will be read by the log reader and placed as a stored
procedure call in the distribution database (msrepl_commands table). The
distribution agent will read this table and apply the command at the
subscriber. So, it's not too difficult to manually implement a tracing
mechanism - the problem is that it'll involve a real replicated command
rather than a tracer token.
To minimise the latency, you could reduce the -POLLINGINTERVAL parameter for
both the log reader and the distribution agent, and make sure both agents
are running continuously. Other routes to consider are using PULL
subscriptions and a separate distributor, but let's see how the initial
suggestions change things first.
Cheers,
Paul Ibison SQL Server MVP, www.replicationanswers.com
(recommended sql server 2000 replication book:
http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602p.html)

I have a user that is complaining that replication is lagging by 10 minutes
sometimes. I have two questions:

1. Is there anyway I can track latency to prove/disprove his statement?
2. Is there anyway to improve latency?

I am running trans replication on SQLServer2000 using a push subscription.
The publisher, distributor, and subscriber servers are all server2003 (the
subscriber is the distributor).

I found this great article that shows how you can track the latency in a
transactional replication environment.
http://databasejournal.com/features/mssql/article.php/3441801
Hope this helps. I trying to figure how to modify it to monitor a merge
replication environemnt.

TLN

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