This document discusses SQL Always On Availability Groups for providing high availability and disaster recovery for SharePoint. It covers the requirements and steps to set up an Always On Availability Group including creating a Windows Server cluster, enabling the Always On SQL feature, creating an availability group and listener, and installing SharePoint in the availability group. Different high availability and disaster recovery options from previous versions of SQL Server are also summarized.

1. SQL Always
On Availability
Groups for
SharePoint

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High
Availability
Disaster
Recovery
What did
we have
before?
4
MirroringReqs Features
Topologies
Failover
Clustering
?

4. [

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Run your business 24/7

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The recovery time objective (RTO) is the maximum tolerable length
of time that a computer, system, network, or application can be
down after a failure or disaster occurs.
A recovery point objective (RPO) is the maximum acceptable amount
of data loss measured in time. It is the age of the files or data in
backup storage required to resume normal operations if a computer
system or network failure occurs.

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9. 4

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SQL 2000
• Log Shipping
• Failover Clustering
SQL 2005
• Database Mirroring
SQL 2012
• Always On Availability Groups
SQL Server
2014
• Improved Always On Availability Groups

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• Will not be supported in a future version of SQL
Server
• Pro: Database stored on 2 servers
• Con: Have to setup every database manually
• Con: Mirror server does NOTHING

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• PRO: Easy to consume
• CON: Single Point of Failure

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Maximize
Resources
Multiple
Data Copies
Seamless
Failover

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Licensing

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Software & Hardware Requirements

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Database Requirements

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Database Sync
Supported
Async
Supported
Comments
Central Admin Content Yes No Farm specific database
App Management Yes Yes
BDC Yes Yes
Farm Configuration Yes No Farm specific database
Content Yes Yes
Managed Metadata Yes Yes
PerformancePoint Yes Yes
April 2014 CU+
http://www.harbar.net/archive/2014/03/20/Support-for-SQL-Server-Always-On-Async-Replication-with-SharePoint.aspx

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Database Sync
Supported
Async
Supported
Comments
Project Yes Yes
Search Analytic Reporting Yes No
Search Admin Yes No
Search Crawl Yes No
Search Links Yes No
Secure Store Yes Yes
State Service Yes No Farm specific database
April 2014 CU+
http://www.harbar.net/archive/2014/03/20/Support-for-SQL-Server-Always-On-Async-Replication-with-SharePoint.aspx

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Database Sync
Supported
Async
Supported
Comments
Subscription Settings Yes Yes
Translation Services Yes Yes
UPA Profile Yes Yes
UPA Social Yes Yes
UPA Sync
Yes No
Backup and restore or
recreate.
Word Automation Yes Yes
April 2014 CU+
http://www.harbar.net/archive/2014/03/20/Support-for-SQL-Server-Always-On-Async-Replication-with-SharePoint.aspx

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High Availability and Disaster Recovery
Primary Data Center
Disaster Recovery
Data Center
SQL Server
Primary
SQL Server
Secondary
Windows Server Failover Cluster (single WSFC crossing two data centers)
Availability Group
Synchronous
Asynchronous
SQL Server
Secondary

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1. Create a Windows Server
Cluster
2. Enable the AlwaysOn SQL
Feature
3. Create an Availability Group &
Listener
4. Install SharePoint 2013 in that
AG
5. Simulate a Disaster!

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Q&A
@vladcatrinescu
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