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Note  The information in this topic applies only to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb).

Before you change the design of any objects in your Design Master (Design Master: The only member of the replica set in which you can make changes to the database structure that can be propagated to other replicas.), follow these guidelines:

• Synchronize (synchronization: The process of updating two members of a replica set by exchanging all updated records and objects in each member. Two replica set members are synchronized when the changes in each have been applied to the other.) all replicas (replica: A copy of a database that is a member of a replica set and can be synchronized with other replicas in the set. Changes to the data in a replicated table in one replica are sent and applied to the other replicas.) in the replica set (replica set: The Design Master and all replicas that share the same database design and unique replica set identifier.) before making design changes.
• Check all replicas to make sure that the name you are selecting for a new field or object isn't already being used as the name of a local object (local object: A table, query, form, report, macro, or module that remains in the replica or Design Master where it was created. Neither the object nor changes to the object are copied to other members in the replica set.). (If you do choose the same name, the local object will be renamed.)
• Don't create relationships (relationship: An association that is established between common fields (columns) in two tables. A relationship can be one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many.) between tables when you intend to replicate (replication: The process of copying a database so that two or more copies can exchange updates of data or replicated objects. This exchange is called synchronization.) some tables but keep others local.
• Make sure that the number of bytes you add to a field or the number of fields you add to a record doesn't exceed the maximum size for a replicated database.
• If you use linked tables (linked table: A table stored in a file outside the open database from which Access can access records. You can add, delete, and edit records in a linked table, but you cannot change its structure.), keep in mind that linked tables aren't automatically replicated. If you create a linked table in the Design Master, it's created as a local object and remains local until you make it replicable. When you make the table replicable, the link and the table are sent to all the replicas in the set. After the table appears in each replica, you can change the link in an individual replica or in the Design Master without affecting the other members of the replica set. To refresh the link in all members of the replica set, change the replicable linked table to a local table (in the Design Master), refresh the link, and change the table back to a replicable table.
• Any formatting included in PivotTable and PivotChart views used in tables, queries, views, stored procedures, and functions is not replicated when you set up replication for your database. You can replicate the format of PivotTable and PivotChart views in a form.