Prepare iBase for database replication

Before the SQL Server administrator can set up replication for the first time, you (as the iBase administrator) need to prepare the publication and subscription databases.

The publication database is the database containing the data that you want to make available to other sites. This database is on a server that is known as the Publisher.

The subscription databases are the databases that receive this data. These databases are on servers that are known as Subscribers.

When you prepare an iBase system for replication, you must to:

Upgrade both the iBase database and its security file if you are using iBase five files.
Convert both the database and security file to SQL Server (you can only replicate databases that are in SQL Server format).
Set up the security connection file at each site (all sites start with a copy of the same security data).
Set the database properties required by replicated databases.
Ensure that the database design and the folder objects for the database are up-to-date, and suitable for use at all sites.
Create a database at each subscriber site. The database design must be the same at all sites.

Although you create the publication and all the subscription databases in iBase, the subscription databases are populated using SQL Server when replication is configured. This ensures that the Subscribers are synchronized with the Publisher.

How you prepare iBase for replication depends on the size of your database, the speed of the communication links between the publisher and subscriber sites, and the version of SQL Server.

All these steps are described in greater detail in separate topics. For an overview of the whole configuration process covering both iBase and SQL Server, see Project Management Overview.

Before you create any iBase databases

Before you create new iBase databases on a server, you might want to give the SQL Server administrator an opportunity to predefine the security for these databases. See Overview of Setting Up iBase database replication in SQL Server for details.

The names that you choose for the security file and database are used to generate the names of the SQL Server databases so you should discuss the naming convention to use with your SQL Server administrator.

SQL Server database names are derived from the names of the .idb and .ids files created in iBase.

Preparing new iBase databases and security files

For organizations that are starting with a new iBase database, see:

Note: You might also want to read Updating the Database Design. This explains which parts of the database design are replicated and suggests features that you might want to incorporate into your database.

Users can start work in the publication database after preparation is complete; you do not have to wait for replication to be configured. Users in the subscription databases must wait for replication to be configured before they enter data in the security file or database.

Preparing existing security files

If you have an existing security file, follow the steps in Preparing Existing Security Files.

Preparation involves:

Adding the administrative user accounts required by the sites involved in replication, to the existing security file.
Updating the System Commands Access Control groups with the new command groups for iBase.
Distributing copies of the security file to all the sites involved in replication. You need to distribute an SQL Server backup if security data is held in an SQL Server database.
At each site, converting the security file to SQL Server format to create a security database on the server machine at each subscriber site. If you are using an SQL Server database already, restore the database from the backup.

After replication is configured by the SQL Server administrator, you must to test the replicated security file; see Testing Replicated Security Files.

Users can start work in the publication database after preparation is complete; you do not have to wait for replication to be configured. Users at the subscriber sites must wait for replication to be configured in SQL Server before they change any of the security data.

Preparing existing iBase databases

For organizations that have an existing database that they want to replicate, where it is possible to populate the subscription databases over a communications link or from an SQL Server backup, see:

For a visual overview of how to set up your system, see Project Management Overview.

Preparing the audit log

No preparation is required for existing or new audit log databases.