Pull Merge replication between two SQL Server machines in different, but trusted domains

Hi,
We are attempting to setup Pull Merge replication between two SQL Server
(SQL 2K sp3a, Windows Authentication) machines in different domains. We have
been able to get Pull Merge replication to work within the same domain.
While we are running Win2k on both machines, two one way trusts were setup
between them. The server are linked to each other, but cannot initiate the
replication agents. The message we get is:
SQL Server Agent could not access the replication agent. Use the DCOMCNFG
utility to confirm that the SQL Server Agent Windows account has permissions
to launch the replication agent. The step failed.
I did not spot any in DCOMCNFG, but I am not familiar with it. Any
suggections?
Tia
Paul
Paul,
here is an MSDN article which shows how to enable the merge agent to be run
remotely:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...us/howtosql/ht
_replctem_6c1l.asp
HTH,
Paul Ibison
|||I have a feeling that the error message may be misleading me away from the
true problem. It appears that DCOMCNFG is used for running agents remotely.
I am looking at having the push replication run at the distributor and pull
replications to run at the subscriber. Besides, I couldn't get it to work by
using DCOMCNFG.
I want to have one merge publication which is pushed to subscribers which
will not be intentionally disconnected from the network. And, the same
publication pulled to subscribers which will be removed from the network for
possibly weeks. This currently works as long as long as all the servers are
in the same domain. The problem is that the pull subscribers will be in
different domains with trust relationship setup between them and the
distributor.
When I take the existing scripts that work when all of the server are in the
same domain and run them with the pull subscriber in different domains I get
the error:
SQL Server Agent could not access the replication agent. Use the DCOMCNFG
utility to confirm that the SQL Server Agent Windows account has permissions
to launch the replication agent. The step failed.
I don't think this has any thing to do with running the agent remotely, but
I'm not sure. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Paul
"Paul Ibison" <Paul.Ibison@.Pygmalion.Com> wrote in message
news:uQmkhv7FEHA.744@.TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Paul,
> here is an MSDN article which shows how to enable the merge agent to be
run
> remotely:
>
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...us/howtosql/ht
> _replctem_6c1l.asp
> HTH,
> Paul Ibison
>
|||PaulW,
The easiest way to set up replication between different domains is to create a local user account on both the servers with the same username and password. Make the account an administrator of the local machine. Then set this account as the startup account
for the SQL Server Agent. Restart the SQL Server agent and start the merge agent. This should fix your problem.
Regards
Chris R
|||Thanks for the response. I saw that option for non-trusted domains and when
I presented it, the option was quickly shot down because the production
system will be administered by different companies and they didn't want to
be forced to share passwords..
Thanks,
Paul
"Chris R" <crichardson@.iir-central.com> wrote in message
news:7CE505D6-BE9C-40E4-80D4-75F7287AAB3C@.microsoft.com...
> PaulW,
> The easiest way to set up replication between different domains is to
create a local user account on both the servers with the same username and
password. Make the account an administrator of the local machine. Then set
this account as the startup account for the SQL Server Agent. Restart the
SQL Server agent and start the merge agent. This should fix your problem.
> Regards
> Chris R
|||Non-trusted domains can also be set up using the Guest account, but I would assume that this is even less likely to be allowed :-)
Regards,
Paul Ibison
|||I already know that the guest account has been disabled. There will be a two
way trust between the domains. I don't know how that got approved. There
must be some way to perform pull subscriptions in a trusted relationship
without matching accounts and passwords.
Paul
|||Paul,
I have used pass-through security, or the guest account, because of working
in a non-trusted environment but in your case you should be able to use
impersonation. Have a look at this article:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=321822.
Regards,
Paul Ibison
|||I think I got it. We started having net work troubles once it appeared to be
working, so I'm not sure. The problem was that the SQL Server agent accounts
had the same name on both machines, but different passwords. Once I changed
the name of the account on one machine and gave it dbo access to the other
machine's database it looked like it was working. Most of the initial
snapshot was applied, but it failed due to the retry count. Before this
change, it never get started.
Thanks for the help.
Paul