Where to look for Agent history in Replication? In SQL server 2008R2 replication configuration, "agent history cleanup distribution" job by default runs every 10 minutes and deletes any historical data older the 48hrs. If I increase the retention parameter for > 48hrs to access that historical data, where will that data be saved by default ?
where will that data be saved by default ?


Agent history clean up: distribution calls 

EXEC [distribution_db_name].dbo.sp_MShistory_cleanup @history_retention = 48


This PROC deletes from MSsnapshot_history , MSlogreader_history, MSdistribution_history, MSqreader_history and MSmerge_history and bunch of other tables.

This is the entire code for a ready reference :

CREATE PROCEDURE sp_MShistory_cleanup
(
    @history_retention int = 24
)
AS
BEGIN
    DECLARE @cutoff_time datetime
                ,@replerr_cutoff datetime
                ,@start_time datetime
                ,@num_snapshot_rows int
                ,@num_logreader_rows int
                ,@num_distribution_rows int
                ,@num_replerror_rows int
                ,@num_queuereader_rows int
                ,@num_alert_rows int
                ,@num_tracer_record_rows int
                ,@num_milliseconds int
                ,@num_seconds float
                ,@seconds_str nvarchar(10)
                ,@rate int
                ,@retcode int
                ,@total_rows int
                ,@num_merge_rows int
                ,@num_merge_deleted_articlehistory int
                ,@agent_name nvarchar(255)
                ,@agent_type nvarchar(100)
                ,@message nvarchar(255)
                ,@agent_id int
                ,@error int

    SET NOCOUNT ON

    -- Check for invalid parameter values
    IF @history_retention &lt; 0
    BEGIN
        RAISERROR(14106, 16, -1)
        RETURN 1
    END

    -- Get start time for statistics at the end
    -- Get cutoff time
    -- cleanup MSrepl_error with HistoryRetention+30 days
    SELECT @start_time                          = getdate(),
            @num_snapshot_rows                  = 0,
            @num_logreader_rows                 = 0,
            @num_distribution_rows              = 0,
            @num_merge_rows                     = 0,
            @num_replerror_rows                 = 0,
            @num_queuereader_rows               = 0,
            @num_merge_deleted_articlehistory   = 0,
            @cutoff_time                        = dateadd(hour, -@history_retention, getdate()),
            @replerr_cutoff                     = dateadd(hour, -@history_retention - 30*24, getdate())

    DECLARE #crSnapshotAgents CURSOR LOCAL FAST_FORWARD FOR
        SELECT id
            FROM MSsnapshot_agents

    OPEN #crSnapshotAgents

    FETCH #crSnapshotAgents INTO @agent_id
    WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS &lt;&gt; -1
    BEGIN

        -- Delete sp_MSsnapshot_history (leave at least one row for monitoring)
        DELETE MSsnapshot_history 
            WHERE agent_id = @agent_id
                AND time &lt;= @cutoff_time 
                AND timestamp not in (SELECT max(timestamp) 
                                        FROM MSsnapshot_history 
                                        WHERE agent_id = @agent_id)
            OPTION(MAXDOP 1)

        SELECT @error = @@error, @num_snapshot_rows = @num_snapshot_rows + @@rowcount
        IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
            GOTO FAILURE

        FETCH #crSnapshotAgents INTO @agent_id
    END

    CLOSE #crSnapshotAgents
    DEALLOCATE #crSnapshotAgents

    -- Delete sp_MSsnapshot_history that no longer has an MSsnapshot_agent entry
    DELETE FROM MSsnapshot_history 
        WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT * 
                            FROM MSsnapshot_agents
                            WHERE id = agent_id)
        OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
    SELECT @error = @@error, @num_snapshot_rows = @num_snapshot_rows + @@rowcount
    IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
        GOTO FAILURE

    -- Delete sp_MSlogreader_history (leave at least one row for monitoring)
    DECLARE #crLogreaderAgents CURSOR LOCAL FAST_FORWARD FOR
        SELECT id
            FROM MSlogreader_agents

    OPEN #crLogreaderAgents

    FETCH #crLogreaderAgents INTO @agent_id
    WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS &lt;&gt; -1
    BEGIN

        -- Delete sp_MSsnapshot_history (leave at least one row for monitoring)
        DELETE MSlogreader_history 
            WHERE agent_id = @agent_id
                AND time &lt;= @cutoff_time 
                AND timestamp not in (SELECT max(timestamp) 
                                        FROM MSlogreader_history 
                                        WHERE agent_id = @agent_id)
            OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
        SELECT @error = @@error, @num_logreader_rows = @num_logreader_rows + @@rowcount
        IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
            GOTO FAILURE

        FETCH #crLogreaderAgents INTO @agent_id
    END

    CLOSE #crLogreaderAgents
    DEALLOCATE #crLogreaderAgents

    -- Delete sp_MSlogreader_history that no longer has an MSlogreader_agent entry
    DELETE FROM MSlogreader_history 
        WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT * 
                            FROM MSlogreader_agents
                            WHERE id = agent_id)
        OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
    SELECT @error = @@error, @num_logreader_rows = @num_logreader_rows + @@rowcount
    IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
        GOTO FAILURE

    -- Delete sp_MSdistribution_history (leave at least one row for monitoring)
    DECLARE #crDistribAgents CURSOR LOCAL FAST_FORWARD FOR
        SELECT id
            FROM MSdistribution_agents

    OPEN #crDistribAgents

    FETCH #crDistribAgents INTO @agent_id
    WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS &lt;&gt; -1
    BEGIN

        -- Delete sp_MSsnapshot_history (leave at least one row for monitoring)
        DELETE MSdistribution_history 
            WHERE agent_id = @agent_id
                AND time &lt;= @cutoff_time 
                AND timestamp not in (SELECT max(timestamp) 
                                        FROM MSdistribution_history 
                                        WHERE agent_id = @agent_id)
            OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
        SELECT @error = @@error, @num_distribution_rows = @num_distribution_rows + @@rowcount
        IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
            GOTO FAILURE

        FETCH #crDistribAgents INTO @agent_id
    END

    CLOSE #crDistribAgents
    DEALLOCATE #crDistribAgents

    -- Delete sp_MSlogreader_history that no longer has an MSlogreader_agent entry
    DELETE FROM MSdistribution_history 
        WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT * 
                            FROM MSdistribution_agents
                            WHERE id = agent_id)
        OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
    SELECT @error = @@error, @num_distribution_rows = @num_distribution_rows + @@rowcount
    IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
        GOTO FAILURE

    -- Delete MSqreader_history (leave at least one row for monitoring)
    DECLARE #crQreaderAgents CURSOR LOCAL FAST_FORWARD FOR
        SELECT id
            FROM MSqreader_agents

    OPEN #crQreaderAgents

    FETCH #crQreaderAgents INTO @agent_id
    WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS &lt;&gt; -1
    BEGIN

        -- Delete sp_MSsnapshot_history (leave at least one row for monitoring)
        DELETE MSqreader_history 
            WHERE agent_id = @agent_id
                AND time &lt;= @cutoff_time 
                AND timestamp not in (SELECT max(timestamp) 
                                        FROM MSqreader_history 
                                        WHERE agent_id = @agent_id)
            OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
        SELECT @error = @@error, @num_queuereader_rows = @num_queuereader_rows + @@rowcount
        IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
            GOTO FAILURE

        FETCH #crQreaderAgents INTO @agent_id
    END

    CLOSE #crQreaderAgents
    DEALLOCATE #crQreaderAgents

    -- Delete sp_MSlogreader_history that no longer has an MSlogreader_agent entry
    DELETE FROM MSqreader_history 
        WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT * 
                            FROM MSqreader_agents
                            WHERE id = agent_id)
        OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
    SELECT @error = @@error, @num_queuereader_rows = @num_queuereader_rows + @@rowcount
    IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
        GOTO FAILURE

    -- Delete sp_MSmerge_history (leave at least one row for monitoring)
    -- Leave last record ONLY if the agent is not anonymous.  The current logic is to remove all history for anonymous
    -- subscription, the agent definition will also be removed below.
    -- use session id
    DELETE dbo.MSmerge_history
        FROM dbo.MSmerge_history msmh
            JOIN dbo.MSmerge_sessions msms 
                ON msmh.session_id = msms.session_id
        WHERE msms.end_time &lt;= @cutoff_time
        OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
    SELECT @error = @@error, @num_merge_rows = @num_merge_rows + @@rowcount
    IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
        GOTO FAILURE

    -- Delete sp_MSmerge_history that no longer has an MSmerge_agent entry
    DELETE FROM dbo.MSmerge_history 
        WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT * 
                            FROM dbo.MSmerge_agents 
                            WHERE id = agent_id)
        OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
    SELECT @error = @@error, @num_merge_rows = @num_merge_rows + @@rowcount
    IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
        GOTO FAILURE

    -- Delete MSrepl_error entries
    DELETE FROM MSrepl_errors 
        WHERE time &lt;= @replerr_cutoff 
        OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
    SELECT @error = @@error, @num_replerror_rows = @@rowcount
    IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
        GOTO FAILURE

    -- similiar to above time based cleanup, we need to clean up added tables
    DELETE dbo.MSmerge_articlehistory
        FROM dbo.MSmerge_articlehistory msmah 
            JOIN dbo.MSmerge_sessions msms
                ON msmah.session_id = msms.session_id
        WHERE msms.end_time &lt;= @cutoff_time
        OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
    SELECT @error = @@error, @num_merge_deleted_articlehistory = @num_merge_deleted_articlehistory + @@rowcount
    IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
        GOTO FAILURE

    DELETE FROM dbo.MSmerge_sessions 
        WHERE end_time &lt;= @cutoff_time
            AND session_id NOT IN (SELECT max(session_id) 
                                    from dbo.MSmerge_sessions 
                                    group by agent_id)
        OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
    SELECT @error = @@error, @num_merge_rows = @num_merge_rows + @@rowcount
    IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
        GOTO FAILURE

    -- Delete MSmerge_sessions that no longer has an MSmerge_agent entry
    DELETE FROM dbo.MSmerge_sessions 
        WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT * 
                            FROM dbo.MSmerge_agents 
                            WHERE id = agent_id)
        OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
    SELECT @error = @@error, @num_merge_rows = @num_merge_rows + @@rowcount
    IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
        GOTO FAILURE

    -- Delete sysreplicationalerts table
    DELETE FROM msdb.dbo.sysreplicationalerts 
        WHERE time &lt;= @cutoff_time 
        OPTION(MAXDOP 1)
    SELECT @error = @@error, @num_alert_rows = @@rowcount
    IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
        GOTO FAILURE

    -- Delete Tracer Record history rows
    EXEC @error = sys.sp_MSdelete_tracer_history @cutoff_date = @cutoff_time, @num_records_removed = @num_tracer_record_rows output
    IF @error &lt;&gt; 0
        GOTO FAILURE

    -- Calculate statistics for number of rows deleted
    SELECT @num_milliseconds = datediff(millisecond, @start_time, getdate())
    IF @num_milliseconds &lt;&gt; 0
        SELECT @num_seconds = @num_milliseconds*1.0/1000
    ELSE
        SELECT @num_seconds = 0

    SELECT @total_rows = @num_merge_rows + 
                            @num_merge_deleted_articlehistory +
                            @num_snapshot_rows + 
                            @num_logreader_rows + 
                            @num_distribution_rows +  
                            @num_queuereader_rows +
                            @num_replerror_rows + 
                            @num_alert_rows + 
                            @num_tracer_record_rows

    IF @num_seconds &lt;&gt; 0 
        SELECT @rate = @total_rows/@num_seconds
    ELSE
        SELECT @rate = @total_rows

    SELECT @seconds_str = CONVERT(nchar(10), @num_seconds)

    RAISERROR(14108, 10, -1, @num_merge_rows, 'MSmerge_history')
    RAISERROR(14108, 10, -1, @num_merge_deleted_articlehistory, 'MSmerge_articlehistory')
    RAISERROR(14108, 10, -1, @num_snapshot_rows, 'MSsnapshot_history')
    RAISERROR(14108, 10, -1, @num_logreader_rows, 'MSlogreader_history')
    RAISERROR(14108, 10, -1, @num_distribution_rows, 'MSdistribution_history')
    RAISERROR(14108, 10, -1, @num_queuereader_rows, 'MSqreader_history')
    RAISERROR(14108, 10, -1, @num_replerror_rows, 'MSrepl_errors')
    RAISERROR(14108, 10, -1, @num_alert_rows, 'sysreplicationalerts')
    RAISERROR(14108, 10, -1, @num_tracer_record_rows, 'MStracer_tokens')
    RAISERROR(14149, 10, -1, @total_rows, @seconds_str, @rate)

    RETURN 0
FAILURE:
    -- Raise the Agent Failure error
    SELECT @agent_type  = formatmessage(20544),
            @agent_name = db_name() + @agent_type,
            @message    = formatmessage(20553)

    EXEC sys.sp_MSrepl_raiserror @agent_type, @agent_name, 5, @message

    RETURN 1
END