What is the Difference Between Mirroring and Replication?

Mirroring and replication are two different concepts related to copying data in database management systems (DBMS). Here are the key differences between them:

1. Target: Mirroring refers to keeping copies of a database at a geographically different location, while replication involves creating multiple copies of data objects of a database for distribution efficiency.
2. Scope: Mirroring is applicable on the complete database as a whole, whereas replication is done on database objects only.
3. Cost: Mirroring operations on a database are generally more costly than replication.
4. Distributed Database: Mirroring does not support distributed databases, while replication does.
5. Location: In mirroring, the database is typically copied to a completely different machine or location from its main database.
6. Failover: In mirroring, if the primary server fails, the system can automatically fail over to the mirrored database.
7. Real-time Data Replication: Mirroring operates in real-time, capturing data modifications as they occur on the source device and immediately applying them to the target device.

In summary, mirroring involves creating redundant copies of an entire database at different locations, while replication focuses on duplicating data and database objects for distribution efficiency. Both techniques aim to improve data availability, reliability, and performance in database systems.

Comparative Table: Mirroring vs Replication

Here is a table summarizing the differences between mirroring and replication:

In summary, mirroring and replication are both methods for copying data in databases, but they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics. Mirroring is used to create copies of an entire database in different locations, while replication involves duplicating data and database objects for distribution efficiency.