Replicating to Heterogeneous Data Sources

SQL Server supports replication to heterogeneous data sources that provide 32-bit ODBC or OLE DB drivers on the Microsoft Windows NT and Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows 98 operating systems. Out of the box, SQL Server supports Microsoft Access, Pocket Access, Oracle, and DB2 with the Microsoft BackOffice family of products as heterogeneous subscribers. In addition, SQL Server 7.0 supports any other database server that complies with ODBC or OLE DB Subscriber requirements.

The most straight forward way to publish data to a Subscriber that is not running SQL Server is to use ODBC/OLE DB and create a push subscription from the Publisher to the ODBC/OLE DB Subscriber. Alternately, you can create a publication, and then create an application with an embedded distribution control. The embedded control implements the pull subscription from the Subscriber to the Publisher. For ODBC/OLE DB Subscribers, the subscribing database has no administrative control over the replication being performed.