Invisible Rows After Failed Syncronization

Publisher: SQL Server 2000 SP4
Subscriber: SQL Server 2005 Mobile Edition

Sometimes, after a failed merge replication(due to communication error) some rows on the subscriber became invisible for the publisher.

I've reproduced a case:

[START Short Version]
All rows inserted between a comm failed sync and a fine sync became invisible.
This seems to be caused because the subscriber keeps generating rows with the same generation number and the publisher doesn't look for this generation anymore.
[END Short Version]

[START Detailed case]
STEP 0: INITIAL STATE
Publisher
Orders Table
EMPTY

Subscriber
NO DATABASE


STEP 1: After FIRST SYNC and INSERTING 2 Orders

Publisher

Orders Table

EMPTY



Subscriber

Orders Table
OrderId __sysIG __sysCG __sysMC000001 4 4 81000002 4 4 81


STEP 2: After SECOND SYNC


Publisher


Orders Table

OrderId



000001
000002



Subscriber


Orders Table

OrderId __sysIG __sysCG __sysMC

000001 4 4 80

000002 4 4 80


STEP 3: INSERT ANOTHER ORDER



Subscriber



Orders Table


OrderId __sysIG __sysCG __sysMC


000001 4 4 80


000002 4 4 80



000003 6 6 81



STEP 4: After THIRD SYNC (with comm error)
Error: [NativeError:28037][HRESULT:-2147012889]->[A request to send data to the computer running IIS has failed. For more information, see HRESULT.]
When: Error happens provoked after sending from Subscriber to Publisher but before ending syn process.
Publisher




Orders Table



OrderId





000001



000002



000003







Subscriber




Orders Table



OrderId __sysIG __sysCG __sysMC



000001 4 4 80



000002 4 4 80




000003 6 6 81
Note: Publisher has the row but subscriber keeps the state in 81.



STEP 5: INSERT ANOTHER ORDER (BEFORE A GOOD SYNC)




Subscriber




Orders Table



OrderId __sysIG __sysCG __sysMC



000001 4 4 80



000002 4 4 80




000003 6 6 81




000004 6 6 81
Note: Orders 000003 and 000004 have the same system info



STEP 6: After FOURTH SYNC
Publisher






Orders Table





OrderId







000001





000002





000003











Subscriber






Orders Table





OrderId __sysIG __sysCG __sysMC





000001 4 4 80





000002 4 4 80






000003 6 6 81







000004 6 6 81

Note: Even with a fine merge process Publisher didn't get the 000004 row and the Subscriber didn't update the __sysMC




STEP 7: INSERT ANOTHER ORDER





Subscriber





Orders Table




OrderId __sysIG __sysCG __sysMC




000001 4 4 80




000002 4 4 80





000003 6 6 81





000004 6 6 81





000005 8 8 81




STEP 8: After FIFTH SYNC

Publisher







Orders Table






OrderId








000001






000002






000003
000005













Subscriber







Orders Table






OrderId __sysIG __sysCG __sysMC






000001 4 4 80






000002 4 4 80







000003 6 6 81








000004 6 6 81






000002 8 8 80


Note: Data from generation 8 merge correctly, but data from generation 6 keeps invisible to publisher.





STEP 9: DUMMY UPDATE ON GEN 6 ROWS






Action: I made a non relevant update to force the Subscriber update the generation.
Subscriber






Orders Table





OrderId __sysIG __sysCG __sysMC





000001 4 4 80





000002 4 4 80






000003 6 10 81






000004 6 10 81






000005 8 8 80

Note: sysCG get its value updated correctly.





STEP 10: After SIXTH SYNC


Publisher








Orders Table







OrderId









000001







000002







000003
000004

000005















Subscriber








Orders Table







OrderId __sysIG __sysCG __sysMC







000001 4 4 80







000002 4 4 80








000003 6 6 80








000004 6 6 80







000002 8 8 80



Note: Data merges correctly.






[END Detailed case]

I could code a system that checks all the publication tables and updates all the last generation rows in case of communication error but i would really like to avoid doing it.

I don't know if I'm missing something or if this is a bug or a known issue.

This is a big problem for me because communication errors on cellular phone based connection are quite common and users keep working even if there's an error.

Any comment will be appreciated.