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DBATony's avatar
DBATony
Copper Contributor
Jan 02, 2025
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Disaster Recovery and with existing replication

Is there any Disaster Recovery plan for SQL Server that can also handle existing replication. In this case: I have an on-premise server with 9 TB in 18 user databases and existing replication with ...
  • petevern's avatar
    Jan 03, 2025

    1. Can existing replication be handled on a server with a new name?
    No, existing replication cannot be easily transferred to a server with a different name. Replication relies on the publisher, distributor, and subscriber being registered with their specific server names. Restoring the distribution database to a new server will break the replication metadata, as it references the old server name.

    2. Can you restore the distribution database to another server and continue replication?
    The distribution database cannot be restored to a different server without breaking replication. SQL Server replication is tightly coupled to the original server name, and there is no built-in mechanism to seamlessly transfer replication metadata to a new server.

    3. Is re-initializing all replication the only option?
    Yes, in most cases, re-initialization of replication is the only viable option when setting up replication on a new server after a DR event. 

    4. Does any DR documentation address replication?
    DR documentation for SQL Server generally focuses on backup/restore and high availability options like Log Shipping or Availability Groups. Replication is usually considered a separate component, as it is primarily a data distribution mechanism.

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