How to: Set the Compatibility Level for Merge Publications (SQL Server Management Studio)
Merge replication uses the publication compatibility level to determine which features can be used by publications in a given database. For more information, see the "Compatibility Level for Merge Publications" section in Using Multiple Versions of SQL Server in a Replication Topology.
Set the compatibility level on the Subscriber Types page of the New Publication Wizard. For more information on accessing this wizard, see How to: Create a Publication and Define Articles (SQL Server Management Studio). After a publication snapshot is created, the compatibility level can be increased but cannot be decreased. Increase the compatibility level on the General page of the Publication Properties - <Publication> dialog box. For more information about accessing this dialog box, see How to: View and Modify Publication and Article Properties (SQL Server Management Studio). If you increase the publication compatibility level, any existing subscriptions at servers running versions prior to the compatibility level will no longer be able to synchronize.
Note
Because the compatibility level has implications for other publication properties and for which article properties are valid, do not change the compatibility level and other properties in the same use of the dialog box. The snapshot for the publication should be regenerated after the property is changed.
To set the publication compatibility level
- On the Subscriber Types page of the New Publication Wizard, select the types of Subscribers that the publication should support.
To increase the publication compatibility level
- On the General page of the Publication Properties - <Publication> dialog box, select a value of SQL Server 2000 or SQL Server 2005 for Compatibility level.