Microsoft SQL Server replication provides an interactive resolver, which allows you to resolve conflicts manually during on-demand synchronization. Activated at run-time, the Interactive Resolver displays data for each conflicting row, and provides options for viewing and editing the conflict data, and resolving each conflict individually.
The Interactive Resolver resembles the Conflict Viewer. However, the Conflict Viewer displays the results of conflicts that are already resolved after merge synchronization, and the Interactive Resolver displays each conflict prior to resolution, allowing you to determine the outcome of each conflict during merge synchronization. Someone must be available to monitor the Interactive Resolver when a conflict occurs.
Conflict resolvers (either the Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2000 default resolver or a custom resolver) are assigned to specific articles when a publication is created, and use a set of predetermined rules to determine which set of data should be used when conflicting row data is entered.
The Interactive Resolver is not a separate conflict resolver with rules for determining conflict winners and losers, but a tool used in conjunction with the default and custom merge resolvers. The article resolver still determines the winning and losing row, but the Interactive Resolver allows user intervention to accept, reject, or modify the results. Use the Interactive Resolver to review individual conflicts occurring during synchronization, edit the conflict data, or make individual determinations of conflict winners and losers. In other words, an Interactive Resolver can be used in conjunction with the default or custom resolvers.
The option to allow the Interactive Resolver to be used on a subscription is enabled as a publication property. However, invoking the Interactive Resolver when a conflict is detected requires setting this option as a subscription property (in the Create Pull Subscription Wizard, using replication stored procedures, or using ActiveX® controls). After these properties are set for both the publication and subscription, the Interactive Resolver is used when a conflict is detected during merge synchronization.
Note Because user intervention is required, the Interactive Resolver should be used only during an on-demand synchronization, never during a scheduled synchronization.
To enable activation of the Interactive Resolver
You can activate the Interactive Resolver when using Windows Synchronization Manager to synchronize a subscription.
To activate the Interactive Resolver during a merge synchronization (Windows Synchronization Manager)
The Interactive Resolver allows you to view, compare, edit, and select the outcome data. Data that cannot be edited in the Interactive Resolver (for example, rowguid data) is displayed read-only with the box shaded. Information describing why the conflict occurred (for example, the same row was updated at both the Publisher and the Subscriber) is displayed in the Reason for conflict box.
The conflict data is displayed in two corresponding columns (Show and Show or edit for resolution), with the Subscriber data displayed in the left column beneath Show, and the suggested resolution data displayed in the right column beneath Show or edit for resolution. The Resolve With This Data button always refers to the data displayed in the right column.
If the conflict is between updated and deleted data, there may be no data to show for the deleted side of the conflict. In this case, the Interactive Resolver displays a message in one of the columns, indicating the row was deleted at one location and updated at another, and indicating the suggested resolution (conflict winner).
The Interactive Resolver allows you to: