How To Exclude a Column From Being Replicated to the Target Table
Introduction
How to exclude a column from being replicated from the source to the target table?
A source database has several columns, but one has sensitive data (NPI, Non-Public Information) that you don't wish to replicate to the target database. Or you may have determined a new requirement to remove a column with sensitive (NPI) data.
What is the correct procedure to exclude such columns from being replicated on the target side?
Steps
Open Table Explorer, selecting the Source to connect. Select all tables you want replicated to the target, including those with sensitive (NPI) data.
Add action Capture on the source location group.
Add action Integrate on the target location group.
Add action Column Properties, selecting the table & the target location group. Enter the column in the /Names and click /Absent.
Run Initialize for the Capture and Integrate location with Scripts and Jobs and Table Enrollment checked.
If this table had previously existed in replication, but is a new requirement to exclude the column from the target, then you create the new action in Step 4 and then perform an Online Refresh with Recreate table(s) option for the affected table(s). This will be necessary to get the data and layout back in sync with the column and data removed from the target.