Can replication initialise the database tables?

[Michael Robinson]

I have a transaction database that's used 24/7. My aim is to add replication to allow larger reports to run off of the copy, to do dumps from the copy and obviously to have a live backup of the main database.

I'm a SQL developer/database designer but not a DBA. Do I have to dump the live database, then load it on the rep server, then switch on replication or can I just give the replication server details to the master server and let it handle creating all the tables and transferring all the initial data?

If the latter, then that's great but how do I specify this? If it's the former then how do I deal with those transactions that occur during the dump/load and setting up of the rep server?

Perhaps more of a rhetorical question but why is setting up replication so complicated? Naively, I thought initially you'd just create a replication server, then just tell the master to replicate a set of databases to it, and that would be it. I've searched for basic guides on replication but every web page seems to offer different information - does anyone know of a basic, easy to follow, guide?

Thanks for your time
Mike