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How to: Configure a Publication to Allow for Web Synchronization (SQL Server Management Studio)

The procedure in this topic is the first step in configuring Web synchronization for merge replication. For an overview of the configuration process, see How to: Configure Web Synchronization for Merge Replication (SQL Server Management Studio). After you complete the procedure in this topic, continue to the second step, configuring Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS). This step is described in How to: Configure IIS for Web Synchronization.

To configure a merge publication to allow Web synchronization, use the new Publication Wizard and Publication Properties - <Publication> dialog box, as described in the following procedure.

To configure a merge publication to allow Web synchronization

  1. On the Publication Type page of the New Publication Wizard, select Merge publication. For more information about how to use this wizard, see How to: Create a Publication and Define Articles (SQL Server Management Studio).

  2. Complete the wizard by selecting articles and setting other options. We recommend that you accept the defaults on the Snapshot Agent page. This makes sure that a snapshot will be available when you configure the subscription.

  3. After you complete the New Publication Wizard, enable the Web synchronization option for the publication:

    1. On the FTP Snapshot and Internet page of the Publication Properties - <Publication> dialog box, select Allow Subscribers to synchronize by connecting to a Web server. For more information about accessing this dialog box, see How to: View and Modify Publication and Article Properties (SQL Server Management Studio).

    2. Enter an address for IIS in the Address of Web server to which Subscribers should connect text box. The Web server address, such as https://server.domain.com/directory/replisapi.dll, specifies the location of replisapi.dll. If the server is configured to use a nondefault port for HTTPS (that is, not port 443), you must also supply the port: https://server.domain.com:PortNumber/directory/replisapi.dll.

      Important

      The name of the server in the URL must be the same as the name that was used when you created the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate for IIS. For example, on an intranet, you might be able to access a Web server through https://server/. However, if the fully qualified name, (such as https://server.domain.com/, is used when the certificate was created, you must use this in the URL: https://server.domain.com/directory/replisapi.dll. For more information about SSL certificates, see How to: Configure IIS for Web Synchronization.

      The Web address that you specify on this page is used as the default address for all subscriptions to this publication. You can override the address on the Web Server Information page of the New Subscription Wizard. For example, you can have one set of Subscribers use one instance of IIS, and a second set of Subscribers use a second instance of IIS.

  4. Click OK.