This is a no brainer. It would also promote more usage of this functionality which can only be a good thing for both existing ArcGIS for Server customers as well as potential new ones.
With data requirements changing and increasing everyday there seems like an obvious need for this sort of functionality out of the box. It would be so helpful if there was a GP tool that did this. I found an article referring to v9.3 to adding a FC to a replica via code . If there is code it would be great if ESRI could convert this code into a tool that would make it easier for users to access this functionality.
This would ABSOLUTLEY make my life easier. I have a one-way, parent-child replica that I use for read-only usage of Server and Portal. It was a pain to perform the multiple step process to get the replica in Web Mercator in the first place. After needing to add a Feature Class to the production database after setting up the replica, I researched if there were any way to add it to the replica as well. Found this article - How To: Add a feature class to a one-way or two-way replica . It says to copy/past the new FC into the replica. Not that easy with two different coordinate systems. Going to experiment with reprojecting the data today. Hopefully, the global IDs will remain the same.
The ability to add Feature Objects to a replica using ArcPy is crucial to automation. ESRI seems to push for automation, but falls short in replication. Need support not just for Feature Classes and Tables (ability to replicate data in those tables would be nice), but also Feature Datasets and those with Relationship Classes. ESRI go BIG! Go 4 The Win! Make everything related to replication available through ArcPy plus Add Feature Object to Replica. (And ability to unregister both the replica and the Feature Objects inside the replica.) I know you can do it!
Note: I'm making this comment because it is crucial to our business operations operating more smoothly thus saving time and money. It is also possible that this automation could save our data integrity due to the current process requiring too many manual steps that could introduce error.
I agree with Mateo. Adding a removing feature classes from a replica without the having to program it in ArcObjects is needed. I have 3 feature classes out of 40 in a replica that got corrupted so it would be nice to remove them from the replica, replace originals and replicate got those feature classes without blowing away the replicas.
