The following steps are needed to configure merge replication for a remote user:
If possible, set up an anonymous subscription from the client. For normal subscriptions, detailed information about each Subscriber is stored at the Publisher, and performance information about each Subscriber is kept at the Distributor. However, this information is not stored about an anonymous Subscriber.
If you have multiple Subscribers or do not want the overhead of maintaining detailed information, you can allow anonymous subscriptions. Additionally, this can be useful if you want to allow Subscribers using anonymous FTP over the Internet.
Many organizations partition a database by user. For example, a sales representative needs to see accounts only in his territory. One way to do this is to set up a separate publication for each user so that each publication receives only the appropriate data. SQL Server simplifies this process by allowing you to pass the username and computer name as a parameter to the Publisher, so one publication can handle many users.
If you have multiple clients that require customized publications, you should consider automating the procedure with SQL-DMO, which eliminates the time-consuming task of setting up clients one by one.
After replication is enabled between the central database and mobile client, you might want to monitor replication activities. SQL Server Enterprise Manager includes a replication monitor that logs, by Subscriber (unless they are anonymous), the success or failure of all replication activities. Because this information is stored in SQL Server tables, you can generate reports of replication activities easily.
Windows NT is the preferred operating system for your management console because it supports the Windows NT application event log and performance monitor. You also can set up alerts that provide notification by e-mail or pager when problems occur. For information about alert messages, see SQL Server Books Online.
Sybase Adaptive Server Anywhere 6.0 uses a separate module called SQL Remote for managing mobile clients. For each remote user, the database administrator must specify a username, a transport protocol, and an address, rather than relying on the operating system for this information.
Sybase Adaptive Server Anywhere 6.0 also requires administrators to install the initial snapshot to the mobile client. SQL Server 7.0 executes the initial snapshot automatically.