install/configure SQL Server 2000, SQL Server CE for merge replica

I cannot for the life of me figure out how to connect to my SQL database and
import it into a pocket pc. I've tried so many different settings and
configurations that I don't know where I am going wrong. I've been trying to
connect to the database from a Pocket PC 2002 emulator. I'm able to view the
sscesa20.dll from the emulator and that's about as good as it gets. But I
keep getting these errors:

Initializing SQL Server Reconciler has failed
The process could not connect to Distributor
SQL Server does not exist or access denied OR Login Failed for user


CLIENT SIDE:
I'm using C# to try and connect to the DB and below is the code I'm using to
try and sync the database, you can match these against the SERVER SIDE data
below:

ssceConn = new SqlCeConnection();
replication = new SqlCeReplication();

replication.Publisher = "VIT\VIT";
replication.PublisherLogin = "VIT\sa";
replication.PublisherPassword = blank;
replication.InternetUrl = "http://67.55.64.211/Northwind/sscesa20.dll";
replication.InternetLogin = "VIT\IUSR_VIT";
replication.InternetPassword = "mypassword";
replication.Subscriber = "Northwind";
replication.Publication = "NorthwindProducts";
replication.PublisherDatabase = "Northwind";
strDataSource = "\NorthwindDB.sdf";
ssceConn.ConnectionString = "Data Source =" + strDataSource;
replication.SubscriberConnectionString =
"Provider=Microsoft.SQLSERVER.OLEDB.CE.2.0;Data Source=" + strDataSource;

replication.Synchronize();



SERVER SIDE:
I've listed the steps below what I've been doing to try and get this to
work. I might be doing things out of order or I'm forgetting steps, so
please critique my steps taken:

Installation Steps:
1) Install Windows Server 2003
a) computer name: VIT
2) Install IIS 6
3) Install SQL Server 2000 Dev edition.
a) Installation Definition: Server and Client Tools
b) Instance Name: VIT
c) Service Settings: Use a Domain User Account
d) Authentication Mode: Mixed Mode; and I left the sa password
blank for now.
4) Installed SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3a
5) Installed SQL Server CE 2.0 Server Tools for Service Pack 3a

Configuration Steps:
1) Database Login for SQL Server Enterprise Manager:
a) Created a new login account for VIT\IUSR_VIT in the VIT\VIT
SQL Server Group
b) General Tab: Selected Windows Authentication, Domain VIT,
Database: Northwind.
c) Database Access Tab: Check Permit box for Northwind Database
with user IUSR_VIT

Create Snapshot folder steps:
1) Create folder C:\Snapshot
2) Share the folder as "MySnapshot"
3) Set Permissions to allow everyone read and write permissions.

Create publication Steps:
1) In SQL Server Enterprise Manager's Microsoft SQL Servers->SQL Server
Group->VIT\VIT->Replication->Publication folder.
2) Right click Publication and select New Publication, the wizard starts.
a) Select option: Make 'VIT\VIT' it's own Distributor.
b) Select option: Yes, configure the SQL Server Agent Service to
Start Automatically.
c) Snapshot folder: \\VIT\MySnapshot
d) Publication Database: Northwind
e) Publication type: Merge publication
f) Subscriber Type: Device running SQL Server CE
g) Specify Articles: I just chose the Products Object.
h) Articles Issues: Uniqueidentifier columns will be added to
tables.
i) Publication Name: NorthwindProducts
j) Properties of Publication: No, Create the publisher as
specified.

Configure permissions for publication steps:
1) In SQL Server Enterprise Manager's Microsoft SQL Servers->SQL Server
Group->VIT\VIT->Replication->Publication->NorthwindProducts
2) Right click Northwind and select properties:
a) Publication Access List tab: Add User VIT\IUSR_VIT

Configure IIS steps (fyi: I'm doing this manually because when I use the
SQL Server CE Wizard, it puts the virtual directory under the wrong webpage):
1) Create new folder: C:\NorthwindCE
2) Copy and paste sscesa20.dll into that folder.
3) Start IIS 6.0
4) Right click my web site and select New->Virtual Directory.
a) Alias: Northwind
b) Path: C:\NorthwindCE
c) Permissions: Read, Execute, Write, Browse. (These are set
to this just for testing, so I can see if I can browse the folder from IE)
5) Right Click the new virtual directory, NorthwindCE and click properties.
a) Directory Security Tab-> Authentication and access control->
Edit: Enable Anonymous Access.
b) User: VIT\IUSR_VIT
c) Password: mypassword
6) Register sscesa20.dll

Double check Windows Server 2003 configurations:
1) Services:
a) Make sure that MSSQL$VIT service starts automatically and
that it's set to a windows account and not local system.
a) Make sure that SQLAgent$VIT service starts automatically and
that it's set to a windows account and not local system.

Double check SQL Server Enterprise manager configuration:
1) VIT\VIT Server properties
a) Security tab: Make sure SQL Server and Windows
Authentication is selected.
2) NorthwindProducts:Northwind Publicatio properties
a) Snapshot location: Make sure it's set to \\VIT\MySnapshot

That's basically all the steps that I've taken to try and get this to work.
This is all new to me, I've never developed in C# and I've never used SQL
Server, so please point out all my beginner mistakes and things I might have
over looked. Oh, one more thing, the client side is being done on a Windows
XP box with Visual Studio .NET 2003. And the server is a seperate box
running everything else, Windows Server 2003, SQL Server 2000, SQL Server CE
2.0, and IIS 6.0.

Thanks for taking the time to read all of that, I hope this will be a simple
solution....however, I doubt it. Have a good one!

Steven808

 

check the replication monitor in SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Manager
and verify that a snapshot was successfully created.
--
Darren Shaffer
..NET Compact Framework MVP
Principal Architect
Connected Innovation
www.connectedinnovation.com

 

Hi,

I checked the replication monitor and it says that the snapshot was
successfully created.

Publication: NorthwindProducts
Publisher: VIT\VIT
PublisherDB: Northwind
Status: Succeeded
Last Action: A snapshot of 1 article(s) was generated.

Thanks, I had not verified that previously. But it seems that the snapsot
was created.

 

I was wondering what the significance is to sharing the snapshot folder.
Does the Pocket PC directly access the shared folder? And if so, does it
have to be in the same workgroup? I have not worked with Pocket PC's before
so I'm not sure what rules they follow. Because it seems that the only
connection that is being made is to the folder that contains the sscesa20.dll
in it.

Also would I need to send the servers name "VIT" along with my user name to
get authenticated?

Thanks for any help that can be provided.

Aloha