In this article, I explain how Snapshot Replication works. It is easy to understand how snapshot replication works. It periodically creates snapshot files containing the article’s information (schema and data) and then applies the created snapshot files to the subscribers.
Prerequisites
In Snapshot Replication, the following two jobs are working. It is similar to transaction replication, but in the case of snapshot replication, there is no Log Reader Agent.
Snapshot Agent
The Snapshot Agent creates a snapshot file of the schema and data at the Publisher. This snapshot file is applied to the Subscribers.
Distribution Agent
The Distribution Agent is transferring the snapshot data from snapshot files to the Subscriber.
Overview
Snapshot replication works as illustrated in the following diagram.
1. Snapshot Agent creates snapshot file. The snapshot file is including the schema and data at the publisher database articles.
2. Distribution Agent applies the snapshot files to the Subscriber database.
3. The Snapshot Agent and Distributor Agent then operate on a schedule or on demand, creating snapshot files and applying them to the subscribers.