Exception when starting Snapshot Agent when setting up database replication

I am trying to set up replication between databases. I followed this tutorials:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/replication/tutorial-preparing-the-server-for-replication?view=sql-server-ver15

and after:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/replication/tutorial-replicating-data-between-continuously-connected-servers?view=sql-server-ver15

I went through first without any problems. Almost completed the second, but I stuck on step View the status of snapshot generation

When I try to strat snapshot agent, I get error:

Exception Message: An unspecified error had occurred in the native SQL Server connection component.

I tried to search on the internet MSSQL_REPL55012 (that’s error code I get), but didn’t succeed.

I tried to look in SQL Profiler, Jobs history, Replication Monitor, even ran failing job step from PowerShell, but couldn’t get any more info on that.

What might be the issue? Anybody else stumbled upon that?

I am using:

• SSMS version 15.0.18206.0

• SQL Server engine 15.0.2000.5

Answer

I finally got it resolved. The issue was missing OLE DB driver.

I just downloaded latest driver. Then I got msoledbsqlr.rll driver in directory C:WindowsSysWOW641033. Then I copied to C:Program FilesMicrosoft SQL Server150COM directory, so it can be found by snapshot.exe, which is executable run by Snapshot Agent.

Alternatvely, one can define environmental variable to point to C:WindowsSysWOW641033 direcotry, so it will be found there.

Another issue might be that 64-bit SQL tries to use 32-bit drivers (msoledbsql.dll, msoledbsqlr.rll), but it wasn’t issue in my case.