SQL Server Replication Across Domains and the Internet

Alias Configuration at the Subscriber

In order for the subscriber to 'see' the publisher, an alias must be created in the client network utility before registering the publisher in Enterprise Manager. This is mandatory as the use of an IP address in Em will later result in various errors. Be sure to:

(a) Use TCP/IP and not named pipes, otherwise you'll get a "SQL server does not exist or access is denied." error.

(b) Create an alias that has exactly the same name as the publisher/distributor.

Hosts File Configuration at the Subscriber

The FTP request at the subscriber needs to be able to associate the publisher/distributor's NETBIOS name with its IP address. As we have a non-trusted environment, this entry won't exist on the DNS on the subscribers’s LAN, so we manually add it to the HOSTS file on the subscriber, located in C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\etc. After the hashed out section, the file should look like the text below, where DOHXXX-SQL is the Publisher/Distributor's netbios name.

127.0.0.1 localhost
62.6.139.105 DOHXXX-SQL

If this is omitted, the error message will be the FTP initialization error : “Message: The process could not connect to FTP site 'DOHCOL-SQL' using port 21”.