sql server replication: I have 13 push subscriptions all using SQL Server 2000. The
publisher/distributor are together on another server are also on SQL Server
2000.

Subscriptions have been running for years without problems. Yesterday, 2 of
the subscriptions started erroring. The error message is the same on both
failed subscriptions. The error reads:

Error: The merge process could not update the list of subscriptions.

Last Command: {call sp_MScreateglobalreplica
(?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)}

Error Information:

DataSource: The subscription could not be created.
DataSource: Violation of UNIQUE KEY constraint 'unique_pubsrvdb'. Cannot
insert duplicate key in object 'sysmergesubscriptions'.


Any clue on what's going on? I saw article
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278629/EN-US/
but it doesn't apply since these are SQL Server 2000 boxes and they are all
push subscriptions.

Bryan

I did see this post, but the issue is slightly different since mine are
already PUSH subscriptions and I'm having this problem. We're going to open
a support ticket to Microsoft and I'll post the answer I get here for anyone
else that happens to run across this post.

In the meantime, don't let that stop anybody else from posting to this
thread if you've seen this!

Bryan


[quoted text, click to view]

Bryan,
there was a similar issue posted before and someone raised a support case
and seemed to find a solution (see
http://www.dbtalk.net/microsoft-public-sqlserver-replication/merge-process-could-not-update-222937.html).
Cheers,
Paul Ibison SQL Server MVP, www.replicationanswers.com

It's a different part of the thread I was thinking of - the reply by Will at
the end involves a manual delete which got things working again. It'll be
interesting if PSS come up with the same thing.
Cheers,
Paul Ibison SQL Server MVP, www.replicationanswers.com

Ok, so here's the answer. Maybe it will save somebody else $250.

We had added another subscriber while testing. Somehow, when this
subscriber was removed, it left a copy of the subscriber name in the tables:

sysmergesubscriptions
msmerge_replinfo

The tables are located in the Database that is having the problem (not the
distribution database)

After these bogus rows were deleted, the merging went back to normal.

Hope this helps someone else.

Bryan



[quoted text, click to view]

Thanks for ths update - I'll stick it on my site.
BTW, this is essentially the same as the link I pointed out earlier, but you
also mention msmerge_replinfo which is an extra interesting part.
Cheers,
Paul Ibison SQL Server MVP, www.replicationanswers.com