DATABASE MANAGEMENT

The database replication history
In the Basics tab of the Database Properties box, there is a button "replication history," which opens the window of the same name. The first time one server replica successfully replicates with a replica on another server, IBM® Lotus® Domino® creates an entry in the replication history. The entry contains the name of the other server, as well as the date and time of the replication. Separate entries are created when a replica sends information and when a replica receives it. On each subsequent replication with a specific server, Domino updates the entry in the history to reflect the most recent replication time.

Domino uses the replication history to determine which documents to scan for changes during the next replication. For example, if a database successfully replicated with the HR-E/East/Acme server 24 hours ago, Domino replicates only those documents that were added, modified, or deleted in the replica on HR-E/East/Acme within the last 24 hours.

Before replication starts between two databases, Domino checks the replication history of both databases to make sure that they agree. If they don't, Domino scans each document created or modified since the date specified in the "This replica includes deletion stubs for all documents deleted since" setting on the Other panel of the Replication Settings dialog box. This setting is one of several used to limit the contents and therefore size, of a replica.

If a database doesn't replicate successfully, Domino doesn't update the replication history.

Clearing the replication history

If you have Manager access to a database, you can clear the database replication history if you think the database doesn't contain all the documents it should or if the database replication history is not synchronized with that of other replicas. Clear the replication history only as a last resort to solve replication problems. If you clear the history, during the next replication, Domino scans each document created or modified since the date specified in the "This replica includes deletion stubs for all documents deleted since" setting on the Other panel of the Replication Settings dialog box. Scanning all these documents can be time-consuming, especially over dial-up connections. If you clear the "This replica includes deletion stubs for all documents deleted since" setting, Domino scans all documents in the database.

Within a server cluster, the Cluster Replicator stores replication history information in memory and updates the replication history about once an hour.

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