FIX: Snapshots Created on SQL Server Service Pack 2 Cannot Be Delivered Through FTP to Pre-SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 2 Subscribers (318592)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (all editions)
This article was previously published under Q318592
BUG #: 356652 (SHILOH_BUGS)

SYMPTOMS

The SQL Server Distribution Agent or Merge Agent might fail to download a snapshot if all of the following conditions are true:
  • A Snapshot Agent that is running on a computer with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 2 (SP2) generates the snapshot.
  • The subscriber is a pull subscriber and is running a SQL Server 2000 version earlier than SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 2 (SP2).
  • The subscriber uses FTP to download the snapshot file.
The Replication Agent and error message vary based on whether your publication is a transactional, merge, or snapshot publication.

Merge Publications

If the Pull agent is a subscriber to a merge publication, the Merge Agent experiences the failure.

The following error message is located in the Error message pane of the Error Details of the Merge Agent dialog box: 
The schema script '' could not be propagated to the subscriber.
-and-

The following error details are located in the Error details pane of the Error details of the Merge Agent dialog box: 
The schema script '' could not be propagated to the subscriber.
(Source: Merge Replication Provider (Agent); Error number: -2147201001)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The process could not connect to FTP site '??????????????????????????????????????' using port 21.
(Source: DANSHA5\RTM (Agent); Error number: 0)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The server name or address could not be resolved
(Source:  (OS); Error number: 12007)
Transactional and Snapshot Publications

If the Pull agent is a subscriber to a transactional or snapshot publication, the Distribution Agent experiences the failure. The following error message is located in the Error message pane of the Distribution Agent Error Details dialog box: 
The process could not connect to FTP site '??????????????????????????????????????' using port 21.
-and-

The following error details are located in the Error details pane of Distribution Agent Error Details dialog box: 
The server name or address could not be resolved
(Source:  (OS); Error number: 12007)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The process could not connect to FTP site '??????????????????????????????????????' using port 21.
(Source: AGENT (Agent); Error number: 1708)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To view the Error Details of the Merge Agent or the Distribution Agent Error Details dialog boxes, connect to the server where the failed agent was running. Expand Replication Monitor, expand Agents, and then expand Merge Agents or Distribution Agents. Right-click the agent you want, and then click Error Details, or double-click the failed agent.

CAUSE

SQL Server 2000 SP2 changes the way that snapshots are generated. Pull subscribers that are running SQL Server 2000 versions earlier than SQL Server 2000 SP2 cannot connect to the FTP server to download the snapshot.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft SQL Server 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

290211 INF: How To Obtain the Latest SQL Server 2000 Service Pack

NOTE: The following hotfix was created before the release of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3.

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later: 
   Date         Time          Version    Size            File name
   ------------------------------------------------------------------

   02-20-2002   12:47:18 PM   8.00.587   283,208 bytes   Rinitcom.dll
NOTE: Because of file dependencies, the most recent hotfix or feature that contains the files may also contain additional files.


WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, you can use any one of the following three methods:
  • Change the pull subscription to a push subscription.
  • Upgrade the SQL Server version that the Pull Agent is on to SQL Server 2000 SP2.
  • Do not have the subscriber use FTP to download the snapshot.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.
This problem was first corrected in Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3.

MORE INFORMATION

After you install the fix, you must regenerate any snapshot in which all of the following conditions are true:
  • The snapshot was created by a SQL Server 2000 SP2 based Snapshot Agent.
  • The subscriber uses FTP to download the snapshot.
If the subscriber does not use FTP to download the snapshot, you do not have to regenerate the snapshots generated by SQL Server 2000 SP2 based Snapshot Agents for publications.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:9/27/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbSQLServ2000sp3fix kbbug kbfix kbSQLServ2000preSP3fix KB318592
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