There are basically three types of directory replication messages:
Note For the purpose of this document we are not differentiating between RPC and mail-based messages unless specifically stated in the text.
Notification Used by directory replication to notify servers on the Reps-To list that there are changes to a particular naming context. For example, if the Site naming context had changed, you would notify other servers on the Reps-To list about the change. The only information in the Notification message is:
Request Can be triggered by the receipt of a Notification message or on a schedule based on the Period-Rep-Sync-Time. It can also be triggered through the Administrator program. The Request message includes:
Responses Includes all the information that needs to be replicated, including object details. The Response message includes:
When Response information is sent between servers, it is packaged based on the number of changes and not the size of the objects or the changes. During replication within a site, the maximum number of changes that can be sent in one RPC communication is 100. During replication between sites, the maximum number of changes that can be sent in one mail-based replication message is 512.
This means that if many changes have occurred to a particular naming context, it may take multiple messages to complete replication. The directory can commit changes from one Response message before it receives all changes, as long as the changes are in order.