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Extending AlwaysOn Availability Group to Remote Azure Datacenter (PowerShell)

  • Article

Author: Steven Schneider

Reviewers: Sanjay Mishra, Shep Sheppard, Mike Weiner, Kun Cheng, Rama Ramani, Yorihito Tada, Hongyi Wang

If you are looking for multi region continuous availability, by extending your current availability group to a remote Azure datacenter, then this blog is for you. We start with an existing availability group already setup within Azure, walk you through setting up VPN connectivity by taking advantage of the Azure-to-Azure VPN functionality, extend your infrastructure and setup your asynchronous replica. At the end of this blog, your SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability Group in Azure will consist of the following elements:

  • 2 virtual networks with VPN connectivity between West US and East US, as an example.
  • A domain controller on each site with Active Directory (AD) and Domain Name Services (DNS).
  • 2 snchronous replicas in WestUS and an asynchronous replica in EastUS. Synchronous was chosen for the WestUS replicas since they are within the same region and asynchronous for the EastUS replica since it is cross region.
  • An extended availability group with an asynchronous commit replica of an availability database.

Below are a couple diagrams showing you what your environment should look like before you start (Figure 1) and what it will look like when you are finished (Figure 2).

 

Figure 1: Initial State

Figure 2: Final State

 

 

Please see the original documentation for the complete steps. Extending AlwaysOn AG to Cross Region Azure DC (PowerShell).docx

Comments

  • Anonymous
    October 05, 2014
    if I have a server with sql server and connect to the data using ODBC from a PC with windows, do I need SQL licenses?

  • Anonymous
    October 10, 2014
    @Jorge: If your SQL Server is licensed on the "per core" model the answer is no. If your SQL Server is licensed on the Server/CAL model you require a SQL CAL for the PC or the User. SQL Server Express Edition does not require licensing. Download the most recent SQL licensing guide here. download.microsoft.com/.../SQL_Server_2014_Licensing_Guide.pdf

  • Anonymous
    April 20, 2015
    Why is this a bad idea? Please tell me ASAP as I am installing it right now???

  • Anonymous
    August 23, 2015
    Hi, How can I create public IP of listener i..e Public Load balancer instead of ILB between cross data centers. Please guide. Regards, Hafiz