SQL Replication

Naming rules for SQL Replication objects

The following table lists the limits for names of replication objects.

Table 1. Name limits for replication objects
Object	Name limits
Source and target tables	Follow the naming rules for your database management system. Names cannot include blanks, asterisks (*), question marks (?), single quotation marks ('), double quotation marks ("), or a slash (/). Note: Some tools that are used to create tables can add trailing blanks or carriage returns to the table name. When you use the Replication Center or ASNCLP command-line program to register a view over the table, the replication administration tools treat any trailing blanks or carriage returns as part of the base table name. The view registration might fail if the replication tools do not recognize the base table name.
Source and target columns	Follow the naming rules for your database management system. (Note that all before-image columns have a one-character prefix added to them. To avoid ambiguous before-image column names, ensure that source column names are unique to 127 characters and that the before-image column names will not conflict with existing column names when the before-image character prefix is added to the column name.)
Subscription set	A subscription-set name can include any characters allowed by DB2® for varying-character (VARCHAR) columns. Recommendation: Follow the naming rules for DB2 table and column names. Because DB2 replication stores the subscription-set name in each replication control server, be sure that the name is compatible for all three servers' code pages.
Capture schema	The Capture schema can be a string of 128 or fewer characters.¹ Subsystems that are running Version 8 compatibility mode or earlier: 18 or fewer characters The Capture schema (CAPCTLLIB) can be a string of 10 or fewer alphanumeric characters¹.
Apply qualifier	The Apply qualifier can be a string of 18 or fewer characters¹. The Apply qualifier can be a string of 18 or fewer characters but, because Apply jobs can be only up to 10 characters long, the first 10 characters must be unique for a given Apply qualifier¹.
Monitor qualifier	The Monitor qualifier can be a string of 18 or fewer characters¹.
Note: For Capture schemas, Apply qualifiers, and Monitor qualifiers, ensure that you use only the following valid characters in the names of these objects: A through Z (uppercase letters) a through z (lowercase letters) Numerals (0 through 9) The underscore character "_" Blanks are not allowed; neither are other special characters such as the colon ":" and the plus sign "+".

Replication system commands and the Replication Center, by default, convert all names that you provide to uppercase. Enclose a mixed-case character name in double quotation marks (or whatever character the target system is configured to use) to preserve the case and save the name exactly as you typed it. For example, if you type myqual or MyQual or MYQUAL, the name is saved as MYQUAL. If you type those same names and enclose them in double quotation marks, they are saved as myqual or MyQual or MYQUAL, respectively. Some operating systems don't recognize double quotation marks and you might have to use an escape character, typically a backslash (\).

For Windows On Windows operating systems, you must use a unique path to differentiate between names that are otherwise identical. For example, assume that you have three Apply qualifiers: myqual , MyQual, and MYQUAL. The three names use the same characters but different case. If these three qualifiers are in the same Apply path, they will cause name conflicts.

Important: When setting up Windows services for Capture, Apply, or the Replication Alert Monitor, you must use unique names for the Capture schema, Apply qualifier, and Monitor qualifier. You cannot use case to differentiate names.

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Last updated: 2013-10-25