REPLICATION V7.0

Replication, as defined by dictionary.com, is the act or process of
duplicating or reproducing something. SQL Server has the capability to
duplicate your database table(s) and distribute its data.

You can leverage three types of replication models in SQL Server:
Snapshot, Transactional, and Merge. Each of these types relies on the
Publisher/Subscriber method of moving data. The Publisher (source) 
offers the data
and the Subscriber (destination) receives the data.


* Snapshot: The simplest type of replication, and possibly the least
demanding for server resources. This scheme takes a picture of your 
data
table(s) at a point in time and then distributes the data to other
predefined SQL servers. The Snapshot scheme is used for decision 
support systems
that do not demand immediate access to real-time data.

* Transactional: Slightly more complex than Snapshot, Transactional
replication uses the SQL Server transaction log to monitor INSERTs, 
UPDATEs,
and DELETEs to the data on a server's table(s). It applies the same
INSERTs, UPDATEs, and DELETEs to another server or group of servers in 
the
same transactional order. This is beneficial to those who need faster 
access
to real-time data.

* Merge: By far the most complex scheme. This method allows the
Publisher and Subscriber to each make updates to the data and then 
merge the
changes. Merge is useful if your subscriber server must obtain an 
original
copy of the data, make modifications to the data, and then "merge" the
changes back with the original source data.


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