Microsoft KB Archive/941989

= FIX: Error message when you synchronize a merge replication in a replication topology that contains two or more re-publishers in SQL Server 2005: &quot;21997 Failed to allocate new identity range&quot; =

Article ID: 941989

Article Last Modified on 10/22/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition
 * Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition

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Bug: #50001781 (SQL Hotfix)



Microsoft distributes Microsoft SQL Server 2005 fixes as one downloadable file. Because the fixes are cumulative, each new release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous SQL Server 2005 fix release.



SYMPTOMS
Consider the following scenario:
 * You set up a merge publication in SQL Server 2005.
 * The merge publication contains an article that has an identity column.
 * You set the Automatically manage identity ranges property for this article to Automatic.
 * Two or more republishers subscribe to this merge publication.
 * Finally, you create a merge replication between a subscriber and one of the republishers.

In this scenario, when you synchronize the merge replication, the synchronization fails. Additionally, you receive the following error message:

21997 &quot;Failed to allocate new identity range.&quot;

-2147199417 The Publisher failed to allocate a new set of identity ranges for the subscription. This can occur when a Publisher or a republishing Subscriber has run out of identity ranges to allocate to its own Subscribers or when an identity column data type does not support an additional identity range allocation. If a republishing Subscriber has run out of identity ranges, synchronize the republishing Subscriber to obtain more identity ranges before restarting the synchronization.



RESOLUTION
The fix for this issue was first released in Cumulative Update 4. For more information about how to obtain this cumulative update package for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

941450 Cumulative update package 4 for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2

Note Because the builds are cumulative, each new fix release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous SQL Server 2005 fix release. Microsoft recommends that you consider applying the most recent fix release that contains this hotfix. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

937137 The SQL Server 2005 builds that were released after SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 was released

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 hotfixes are created for specific SQL Server service packs. You must apply a SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 hotfix to an installation of SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2. By default, any hotfix that is provided in a SQL Server service pack is included in the next SQL Server service pack.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the &quot;Applies to&quot; section.



MORE INFORMATION
For more information about what files are changed, and for information about any prerequisites to apply the cumulative update package that contains the hotfix that is described in this Microsoft Knowledge Base article, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

941450 Cumulative update package 4 for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2

