Replication: SQL Server 2008 Publisher with SQL Server Express 2005 Subscriber

Question

Here is the setup:

SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Server with a Merge Publication.

SQL Server 2005 Express with pull subscription.

There is no web or ftp setup. This is direct merge replication.

Using the RMO objects from C#, I get a "class cannot be found." COM Error when accessing the MergePullSubscription.SynchronizationAgent property. I've tried with both the 2008 RMO dll's (version 10 dll's) and the 2005 RMO dll's (version 9 dll's).

When trying to use replmerge.exe, I get the following:

2010-04-10 04:12:05.263 Microsoft SQL Server Merge Agent 9.00.1399.06
2010-04-10 04:12:05.294 Copyright (c) 2000 Microsoft Corporation
2010-04-10 04:12:05.294
2010-04-10 04:12:05.294 The timestamps prepended to the output lines are express
ed in terms of UTC time.
2010-04-10 04:12:05.294 User-specified agent parameter values:
                        -Publisher SUN
                        -PublisherDB PRIMROSE
                        -PublisherSecurityMode 1
                        -Publication PRIMROSE
                        -Distributor SUN
                        -DistributorSecurityMode 1
                        -Subscriber PVILLE\SQLEXPRESS
                        -SubscriberSecurityMode 1
                        -SubscriberDB PRIMROSE
                        -SubscriptionType 1
                        -DistributorLogin sa
                        -DistributorPassword **********
                        -DistributorSecurityMode 0
                        -PublisherLogin sa
                        -PublisherPassword **********
                        -PublisherSecurityMode 0
                        -SubscriberLogin sa
                        -SubscriberPassword **********
                        -SubscriberSecurityMode 0
2010-04-10 04:12:05.325 Connecting to Subscriber 'PVILLE\SQLEXPRESS'
2010-04-10 04:12:05.481 Connecting to Distributor 'SUN'
2010-04-10 04:12:05.513 The version of SQL Server running at the Distributor(10.
0.2531.?♠?♠???♠?♠?♠?♠?♠?♠) is not compatible with the version of SQL Server runn
ing at the Subscriber(9.00.1399.?♠?♠???L?L?LHL?L?L?L?,?).
2010-04-10 04:12:05.513 Category:NULL
Source:  Merge Process
Number:  -2147200979
Message: The version of SQL Server running at the Distributor(10.0.2531.?♠?♠???♠
?♠?♠?♠?♠?♠) is not compatible with the version of SQL Server running at the Subs
criber(9.00.1399.?♠?♠???L?L?LHL?L?L?L?,?).

Any ideas?

Answer 1

The BOL reference on the topic is Using Multiple Versions of SQL Server in a Replication Topology. The supported topologies and restrictions are listed there, including such information as:

For SQL Server 2005 the minimum version is Service Pack 2 (SP2).

Your Express is 1399 which means RTM, so is not a supported topology.