SQL FineBuild Always On Overview

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This page should be considered as a work in progress. Further details are planned to be added at a future date.

FineBuild supports installing Always On for SQL Server 2012 and above, including many common pre-installation and post-installation tasks. This section includes the following details:

• SQL FineBuild Always On Configuration
• Always On Operation

A suggested architecture for making use of Always On is given at Scale Up and Scale Out.

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SQL FineBuild Always On Configuration

There are a number of variations in Availability Group setup that are supported by SQL FineBuild:

Windows Cluster	SQL Cluster	Disk Configuration
No	No	Standard
Yes	No	Standard
Yes	Yes	Shared
Yes	Yes	Cluster Shared

For SQL 2017 and above, a Distributed Availability Group can also be created that links two standard Availability Groups

All of the tasks listed below can be performed by FineBuild, depending on the parameters that you supply:

• Windows server preparation tasks
• SQL Server install, either clustered or non-clustered
• Availability Group and listener creation
• Distributed Availability Group creation

A SQL FineBuild Always On Install can also combined with a SQL Server Cluster Install.

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Always On Operation

SQL Server Always-On allows the data centres involved to act as Peers, and Best Practice recommends regular failover to an alternate data centre to confirm that BCO capabilities are working correctly. However, care needs to be taken as operating the database tier at a different data centre to the application tier will cause unavoidable data transmission delays. Some applications (eg Sitecore) can be very sensitive to performance delays and may not work as desired if the database tier and application tier are operating at different data centres.

Always-On processing can replicate all user databases but does not include the system databases of master, msdb and model. SQL FineBuild provides a partial solution that uses the dbatools PowerShell objects that can be installed using Install SQL PowerShell but this covers only the most common object types. Each organisation should review Configure Always-On Processes and develop any additional routines they may require.

Even though FineBuild makes it easy to install SQL Server Always On, it cannot provide the DBA skills needed to manage it efficiently. The specialist skills needed should be planned for, so that any tasks and risks specific to Always On can be understood.

Copyright FineBuild Team © 2021. License and Acknowledgements

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