Question

What command would I execute to safely change (i.e. from int to bigint) a replicated column’s data type in SQL Server 2005?

The column is not a key. There is a non-clustered index on the column.

Answer 1

ALTER TABLE MyTable 
    ALTER COLUMN myIntCol bigint

From BOL:

By default, the following schema
changes made at a Publisher running
SQL Server are replicated to all SQL
Server Subscribers:

• ALTER TABLE
• ALTER VIEW
• ALTER PROCEDURE
• ALTER FUNCTION
• ALTER TRIGGER