On the second job, do you see the database name print output in the job output (file or step history)?

I stand corrected. Thanks Scott.

SQL Server maximum key length is 900 bytes.

Your column is varchar max and now you have inserted a value in the column that exceeds 900 bytes.

Make sure you backed the database up using MS SQL Server native backup.

If you use third party tools, the recipient of the backup may not have those tools.

What Gail said.

What is important for you to understand is why the log was filling up (unusually large transaction, unusually many transactions, index rebuild).

Ideally you want to get to a...

You could be out of disk space.

The biggest difference between being a database developer and a DBA is one of mind set.

The DBA must take ownership of his environment.

You have to monitor everything and...

My general rule is that whenever a third party application requires privileges beyond dbowner on its own databases, it gets its own instance.

The merge agent cannot connect to the subscriber.

Either

1. any user cannot connect from the publisher to the subscriber due to network or firewall issues

2. The user you set up...

You could customize the replication update proc on the subscriber to only update the columns you want.

You custom proc script would have to be a post_snapshot_script (@post_snapshot_script in sp_add_publication)

Is the ID the ONLY column in the clustered index?

you said "used" so I felt I had to ask.

Oh and the checkpoint is just something I do out of habit when i am doing any type manual admin task.

The transaction log is a circular file ( or a circular list of VLFs).

A tran log that has been growing will have its active part at the...

varchar fields that get frequently updated can cause page splits.

Doubly so if they are indexed.

It is likely not shrinking because the active part of the log is at the end.

Run a few checkpoints and back up the log again and you should be able...