Heterogeneous Interoperability

Replication can also be set up among database servers other than SQL Server. SQL Server is built upon OLE-DB, which enables data to be replicated from SQL Server to any other database server such Sybase or Oracle. There is only a single requirement: The foreign Subscriber must provide a 32-bit ODBC or OLE DB driver on Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, or the Windows 98 operating system. When the non-SQL Server database meets this requirement, it can receive using a push subscription. When you need to pull a subscription from SQL Server to a third-party database system such as Oracle, you need to create a custom program that accesses Distributed Management Objects (SQL-DMO).

Non-SQL Server database engines may also very well act as Publishers that replicate data and database objects to SQL Server Subscribers. The requirement mentioned in the preceding paragraph must also be met if you want to configure a publishing non-SQL Server database. SQL Server uses ODBC to make replication connections to other servers. That is, a foreign Subscriber must support transactions and be Level 1, ODBC compliant. When it meets this requirement, it can also receive data that is sent via a push subscription.

Replication can be performed across platforms, to and from virtually any data source. SQL Server provides for a very diverse strategy for implementing a replication strategy. After it is enabled, you can monitor the progress and quickly be alerted to any problem situations.