SQL Server 2008 replication scenario
First of all sorry about my english, and most importantly, my database ignorance, I'll do my best ;)

Until now, the scenario that I have is as follows:

- In a server under our LAN, we have a database in a SQL Server 2008 R2 instance that is replicating as a publisher in a transactional replication with a DB (SQL Server 2008 R2 too) subscriber under a client LAN, both of them communicating through internet without using any VPN

Today the world turned black... at least for me, I'm on the developer side and this kind of requirements makes me spend a lot of time to get little progress: **The client request us to setup a bidirectional transactional replication**.

I know the client dont want a bidi-trans-replication exactly, what they really want it's to interact with data that we have to see like they see ours via replication, and here it's where my doubts appears:

- Is there other solution to this scenario than bidi-trans-replication?, I read something about mixed replications, but I don't know if this is better or worst :S
- In case of bidi-trans-replication, do the client needs to keep open ports in order to mantain the bidi-trans-replication?, by now we distribute the snapshot via FTP, I understand that we have to keep ports 21 and 1433 opened, but, the client needs the 1433 port opened too?

Thanks all in advance!

SQL Server 2008 replication scenario
===

First of all sorry about my english, and most importantly, my database ignorance, I'll do my best ;)

Until now, the scenario that I have is as follows:

- In a server under our LAN, we have a database in a SQL Server 2008 R2 instance that is replicating as a publisher in a transactional replication with a DB (SQL Server 2008 R2 too) subscriber under a client LAN, both of them communicating through internet without using any VPN

Today the world turned black... at least for me, I'm on the developer side and this kind of requirements makes me spend a lot of time to get little progress: **The client request us to setup a bidirectional transactional replication**.

I know the client dont want a bidi-trans-replication exactly, what they really want it's to interact with data that we have to see like they see ours via replication, and here it's where my doubts appears:

- Is there other solution to this scenario than bidi-trans-replication?, I read something about mixed replications, but I don't know if this is better or worst :S
- In case of bidi-trans-replication, do the client needs to keep open ports in order to mantain the bidi-trans-replication?, by now we distribute the snapshot via FTP, I understand that we have to keep ports 21 and 1433 opened, but, the client needs the 1433 port opened too?

Thanks all in advance!
