Organizations rely on their SQL Server databases more than ever to keep their businesses running and their customers happy. As the volume of data continues to grow, database administrators need tools that give them the ability to quickly recover their databases without data loss. The combination of SQL Server and ActiveDR lets database administrators seamlessly maintain copies of their databases at remote sites that can be recovered quickly with near-zero recovery point objectives.
FIGURE 1 | High-level overview of SQL Server, FlashArray, and ActiveDR.
This solution includes the following:
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SQL Server instances running on Windows Server on either physical hardware or virtual machines
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FlashArray storage using block storage protocols such as Fibre Channel Protocol or iSCSI
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A wide area network between data centers if the FlashArray storage and SQL Server instances are geographically dispersed, or a Fibre Channel fabric or Ethernet network for FlashArray storage and SQL Server instances that are located within the same data center
Benefits of FlashArray and ActiveDR in a SQL Server Environment
This solution offers a number of benefits, including:
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No additional licensing: ActiveDR is included with FlashArray and Everpure™ Cloud Dedicated at no extra cost.
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Reduced complexity: ActiveDR replicates databases at the storage level. Database administrators don't have to worry about maintaining database-level replication to achieve their disaster recovery goals
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Simple, non-disruptive test failovers: Storage and database administrators can test ActiveDR failovers with SQL Server without stopping replication, which does not impact recovery point objectives or recovery time objectives.
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Fast recovery and failovers: Storage administrators can perform failovers on protected volumes with a single command. Failovers include protected volumes and any protection group snapshots.
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Near-zero recovery point objectives: ActiveDR continuously streams writes between the source and target FlashArray systems, which provides near-zero recovery point objectives for protected databases without performance impact on the source FlashArray or SQL Server instance.
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Near-synchronous data replication between sites: ActiveDR provides near-synchronous data replication between primary and secondary sites. Data at a secondary site can be quickly attached and used by remote SQL Server instances in the event of a primary site failure, which can help simplify disaster recovery workflows.
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No latency requirements: Primary and secondary arrays can replicate at nearly any distance without affecting SQL Server performance.