BUG: Sp_replcmds Does Not Read the Replicated Command

• Microsoft SQL Server, version 6.5

SYMPTOMS

The sp_replcmds stored procedure does not read the replicated transaction from the publisher's log when the command is a DBWRITETEXT statement issued against a text column of a published table. The transaction is logged in the publisher's log as a replicated transaction. This can be verified by using the stored procedures sp_repltrans and sp_replcmds. The WRITETEXT and UPDATETEXT commands work properly from Transact-SQL. Only the DBWRITETEXT command is not being replicated, even though the LOG option is used. The logreader issues the message "Processed 1 replicated transaction consisting of 0 commands" in the task history. The behavior is the same even when the DBWRITETEXT command is explicitly enclosed in a transaction using BEGIN and COMMIT TRAN statements run from the same DB-Library program.

WORKAROUND

Use the text and image functions in Transact-SQL (namely WRITETEXT and UPDATETEXT) with the LOG option, and enclose the text and image function calls within an explicit transaction.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft SQL Server version 6.5. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.