SQL Merge Replication between SQL Server 2012 and SQL Server CE, 3.5, sp2

Question

Receiving "OpenDB failed getting pub version 28627" in SQLCESALOG.txt when trying to create a subscription on SQL Server CE 3.5 sp2.

server1 is running Win 2008, IIS 7.0, SQL Server CE 3.5 sp2, Replication tools, client tools. This server also hosts the snapshot share. The merge client diag page (http://server1.localhost/websync/sqlcesa35.dll?diag) all checks out except for "9.0 Database Reconciler", which I assumed was not necessary as I am not using SQL Server 2005 (please correct if wrong). The web sync wizard (connwiz.exe) set the /websync vdir with integrated authentication - every other type is disabled.

server2 is running Windows 7, SQL Server 2012.

I am using TCP/IP as the client and server protocol. I have tried using the SA account as well as the user account (which i'm using as the service account on each server (is also admin). Nothing seems to work. I don't see a login attempt on the SQL 2012 server. Firewalls are off. I ran netmon and could see port 1433 traffic between the two machines. I have read ErikEJ's blog through and through but nothing there helps me with this error. The only other person I found who had a solution to this resolved it by creating an alias named pipe client protocol. This didn't help me.

The error I see in the log in the websync directory is above. The error the GUI actually presents me with is:

Failure to connect to SQL Server with provided information. SQL Server does not exist, access is denied because the SQL user is not a valid user on the SQL server, or the password is incorrect. HRESULT 0x800040005 (29060)

Answer 1

The problem is fixed. I had 2 issues:

1. I was not using the version of SQL CE, SP2 that is supported by SQL 2012 (Cumulative update 7).

2. I did not have the SQL 2012 Replication components installed. I had SQL 2008 R2 replication components installed.

Once I fixed all this, replication started working. However, I lost the ability to use SQL Management Studio to manage my CE database. I now have to use the SQL Server Compact Toolbox.

Answer 2

I have recently seen this error, it was caused by wrong SqlCeReplication parameters (specifically, the database name (PublisherDatabase)was wrong. I used the SQL Server Profiler to capture the parameters in the logon attempt.