Availability while applying a snapshot

In merge replication, if I select to re-initialize the subscriber. Is the database available to the end users while the snapshot is being applied?
The publisher requires a table lock to create the snapshot, while on the
subscriber it depends on the sync type. By default you'll drop the table on
the subscriber and recreate it, which would preclude user availability.
Regards,
Paul Ibison
"ReplGuy" <anonymous@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E90EEDC1-D397-41D9-B413-D2B1FD10B6E0@.microsoft.com...
> In merge replication, if I select to re-initialize the subscriber. Is the
database available to the end users while the snapshot is being applied?
|||Thanks Paul,
So if I want the users to keep on working, then I should ellect not to re-initialize the database? Is this correct?
|||It depends why you are reinitializing. If it is because the schema has
modified substantially, then it is mandatory and your subscriber users will
not be able to access the table. If there is an addition of a column, then
sp_repladdcolumn is needed rather than reinitialization. As for the
reinitialization, it is usually treated as an out-of-hours procedure because
of this restriction.
HTH,
Paul Ibison
|||well it is available but merge replication by default deletes the data in the existing table and then refreshes it. So for a moment or two (depending on how long it takes to bcp the data in) the table is empty.
While the truncation and refreshing is going on there is some locking.
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