Error: Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio is unable to access replication components because replication is not installed on this instance of SQL Server

Replication Setup Error 1
Replication Setup Error 2




Setting up replication (Transactional and merge) is one of easiest job but when setup requires between different versions, It can throw unnecessary issues. 

I tried to setup replication between SQL server 20008 R2 (publisher) and SQL server 2012 (Subscriber) and It comes with lot of issues.  One of them is documented here

Solution:

Install SQL Server 2012  client component .i.e SSMS (SSMS of subscriber server version on publisher server) and then on publisher server Open SQL 2012 SSMS and try to setup replication subscriber and this will be as smooth as butter

Assumption: Both the server (publisher and subscriber already have replication installed)

This means if subscriber is on higher version we have to use ssms of subscriber version on publisher.

Note: Merger replication doesn’t support subscriber at higher version than publisher