Setup SQL Server AlwaysOn Replicas in Microsoft Azure
Azure can be a cost-effective alternative to setting up your own private disaster recovery site. Learn a couple of different ways that you can use Azure as a disaster recovery location for SQL Server.
June 5, 2014
![Setup SQL Server AlwaysOn Replicas in Microsoft Azure Setup SQL Server AlwaysOn Replicas in Microsoft Azure](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt07f68461ccd75245/blt1a969ce00a966673/66193d15598692c2100ef7cb/qawebartorange_0_5.jpg?width=1280&auto=webp&quality=95&format=jpg&disable=upscale)
Q: My company wants to create a disaster recovery (DR) site for our core SQL Server system, but we don’t really want to incur the expenses of setting a dedicated site. Is it possible to use Microsoft Azure as DR site for SQL Server?
A: Using Azure as an offsite DR location can be a cost effective alternative to setting up your own private DR site. There are a couple of different ways that you can use Azure as a DR location for SQL Server.
SQL Server 2014 Option
With the release of SQL Server 2014, Microsoft has integrated SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability Groups with Microsoft Azure. A built-in wizard in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), can help you to setup an AlwaysOn Availability Group from your on-premise SQL Server to an Azure virtual machine (VM).
Related: TechEd 2014 Keynote Review - Microsoft Goes Cloud First, Mobile First
One limitation with this is that the replication must be asynchronous and it requires a manual failover. Even so, this can be an affordable DR solution. You can see the specific steps in how to setup a SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability Group in Azure at Tutorial: AlwaysOn Availability Groups in Azure (GUI) .
Site Recovery Service in Preview
Alternatively, Microsoft’s Site Recovery is a service that’s currently in preview that lets you use replicate your on-premise Hyper-V VMs to Azure.
Related: The Azure Experience
Read more about:
MicrosoftAbout the Author
You May Also Like