Creating Checkout Replica in ArcObjects (from ArcSDE geodatabse to file geodatabase)?

Question

I'm trying to create a checkout replica of some feature classes from an ArcSDE geodatabase to a file geodatabase using ArcObjects.

I'm trying to follow this: How to create a replica in a connected environment, but I'm getting an ArgumentException when calling CreateReplica with the following message: "The workspace is not connected".

Also, I can access the workspaces I'm using without any problems in other parts of the code.

I haven't been able to find the cause of the problem yet, could anyone help me with this?

Here are the relevant parts in my code:

//PS: _workspace is a private attribute
private void replicateData(string path, string name, IGeometry area)
    {
        IWorkspace localWorkspace = CreateFileGDB(path, name);
        if (localWorkspace == null) return;


        IGeoDataServer parentGds = InitGeoDataServer(_workspace),
                       childGds = InitGeoDataServer(localWorkspace);

        string replicaName = "replica_" + (DateTime.UtcNow - DateTime.MinValue).ToString().Replace(",","");

        CreateFeatureDatasetReplica(parentGds, childGds, replicaName, esriReplicaAccessType.esriReplicaAccessNone, 
                                    _workspace, area, false, false);
    }

//Creates a file GDB, opens its workspace and returns it
public IWorkspace CreateFileGDB(string path, string name)
    {
        if (Directory.Exists(path + name))  
                Directory.Delete(path + name, true);

        var workspaceFactory = new FileGDBWorkspaceFactoryClass() as WorkspaceFactory;
        IWorkspaceName workspaceName = workspaceFactory.Create(path, name, null, 0);

        return (IWorkspace)(workspaceName as IName).Open();


//Opens a GeoDataServer from a workspace 
public static IGeoDataServer IniciaGeoDataServer(IWorkspace workspace)
    {
        IGeoDataServer geoDataServer = new GeoDataServerClass();
        IGeoDataServerInit geoDataServerInit = (IGeoDataServerInit)geoDataServer;

        geoDataServerInit.InitWithWorkspace(workspace);
        return geoDataServer;
    }

//Function to create the replica, based on the example linked above
public void CreateFeatureDatasetReplica(IGeoDataServer parentGDS, IGeoDataServer
        childGDS, String replicaName, esriReplicaAccessType accessType, IWorkspace parentWorkspace,
        IGeometry geometry, Boolean registerOnly, Boolean useArchiving)
    {
        IEnumDataset datasets = parentWorkspace.get_Datasets(esriDatasetType.esriDTFeatureClass);
        IGPReplicaDatasets gpReplicaDatasets = new GPReplicaDatasetsClass();
        IDataset dataset;
        while ((dataset = datasets.Next()) != null)
        {
            //temporary workaround to not include a view that is on the feature classes :^)
            if (dataset.Name.Contains("VW_")) continue;

            IGPReplicaDataset gpReplicaDataset = new GPReplicaDatasetClass();
            gpReplicaDataset.DatasetType = dataset.Type;
            gpReplicaDataset.Name = dataset.Name;
            gpReplicaDatasets.Add(gpReplicaDataset);

        }

        IGPReplicaDatasets gpReplicaDatasetsExpand = parentGDS.ExpandReplicaDatasets(gpReplicaDatasets);

        IGPReplicaDescription gpReplicaDesc = new GPReplicaDescriptionClass();
        gpReplicaDesc.ReplicaDatasets = gpReplicaDatasetsExpand;
        gpReplicaDesc.ModelType = esriReplicaModelType.esriModelTypeFullGeodatabase;
        gpReplicaDesc.SingleGeneration = (accessType ==
            esriReplicaAccessType.esriReplicaAccessNone);
        gpReplicaDesc.QueryGeometry = geometry;
        gpReplicaDesc.SpatialRelation =
            esriSpatialRelEnum.esriSpatialRelIndexIntersects;

        IGPReplicaOptions2 replicaOptions = new GPReplicaOptionsClass();
        replicaOptions.AccessType = accessType;
        replicaOptions.ChildReconcilePolicy =
            esriReplicaReconcilePolicyType.esriReplicaResolveConflictsNone;
        replicaOptions.ParentReconcilePolicy =
            esriReplicaReconcilePolicyType.esriReplicaResolveConflictsNone;
        replicaOptions.IsChildFirstSender = true;
        replicaOptions.RegisterReplicaOnly = registerOnly;
        replicaOptions.UseArchiving = useArchiving;

        IReplicationAgent replicationAgent = new ReplicationAgentClass();
        replicationAgent.CreateReplica("", parentGDS, childGDS, null,
            gpReplicaDesc, replicaOptions);
    }

(How to initialize a GeoDataServer for reference on opening the GeoDataServer function)

Answer 1

I believe the replica name has to be a unique string.

Your code is passing a null.