M55614A - Implementing Microsoft SQL Always On and High Availability

Duration

3 Days

Level

300 - Advanced

Vendor

Microsoft, SQL Server

Legacy MOC Code

M55246

Course
Overview

This three-day hands-on course is designed to equip IT professionals, database administrators, and solution architects with the knowledge and skills to implement, manage, and optimize high availability (HA) and disaster recovery (DR) solutions using Microsoft SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability Groups. Participants will learn how to design robust database architectures that ensure business continuity, improve data accessibility, and minimize downtime for mission-critical applications.

The course begins with an introduction to high availability concepts, including the key components and prerequisites for SQL AlwaysOn, such as Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC). Participants will explore how to deploy and configure SQL Server, create availability groups, and add databases for high availability and disaster recovery scenarios.

Advanced topics include multi-site and hybrid configurations, integrating SQL AlwaysOn with Azure, and optimizing security and performance. The course also covers essential backup and recovery strategies tailored for AlwaysOn environments. Throughout the course, participants will gain hands-on experience through guided labs that reinforce theoretical knowledge with practical application.

By the end of this course, attendees will have a deep understanding of SQL Server AlwaysOn and its role in ensuring high availability and disaster recovery for enterprise-level workloads. They will be prepared to deploy, manage, and troubleshoot AlwaysOn solutions, as well as implement best practices for long-term success. 

Audience
Profile

This course is tailored for IT professionals, database administrators (DBAs), and solution architects who are responsible for designing, implementing, and managing high availability (HA) and disaster recovery (DR) solutions in SQL Server environments. It is designed to meet the needs of individuals and teams working in organizations where minimizing downtime, ensuring data availability, and maintaining business continuity are critical.

Prerequisites: Participants should have:

  • A strong understanding of SQL Server, including database management and maintenance.
  • Basic knowledge of Windows Server environments and networking concepts.
  • Familiarity with virtualization and storage technologies.
  • Experience with SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and related tools is recommended.


This course is ideal for professionals seeking to enhance their expertise in high availability and disaster recovery, enabling them to support critical database systems and ensure organizational resilience.

Course
Outline

Module 1: Understanding High Availability

  • Lesson 1: Overview of High Availability
  • Lesson 2: Calculating Availability
  • Lesson 3: General Design Approach for Achieving High Availability
  • Lab 1: Planning and Implementing a High Availability and Disaster Recovery Solution

Module 2: Windows Server Failover Clustering

  • Lesson 1: Planning for Failover Clustering Implementation
  • Lesson 2: Creating and Configuring a New Failover Cluster
  • Lesson 3: Overview of Stretch Clusters
  • Lab 2: Implementing Failover Clustering

Module 3: Planning & Deploying Always On Availability Groups

  • Lesson 1: Introduction to Always On
  • Lesson 2: Concepts and Common Topologies
  • Lesson 3: Data Synchronization Internals
  • Lesson 4: Create Availability Groups
  • Lab 3: Planning and Deploying Always On Availability Groups
  • Lesson 5: Other Ways to Create an Availability Group (T-SQL, PowerShell)
  • Lab 4: Active Secondary Replicas
  • Distributed Availability Groups (Creating, Joining)
  • Lab 5: Create Distributed Availability Groups

Module 4: Managing Availability Groups

  • Lesson 1: Post-Installation Tasks (dashboard, health, quorum, flexible failover policy, login/job replication, Contained AG)
  • Lesson 2: Failing Over Always On Availability Groups
  • Lesson 3: Managing Always On Availability Groups (add/remove databases and replicas, change modes, multiple listeners, readable secondaries, read-only routing)
  • Lab 6: Managing Availability Groups

Module 5: Monitoring and Troubleshooting Always On Availability Groups

  • Dashboard, DMVs, latency collection, manual failover, three troubleshooting scenarios (DDL/REDO, log growth, Resolving state), error reference, best practices
  • Lab 7: Monitoring and Troubleshooting Always On Availability Groups

Module 6: Availability Groups in Microsoft Azure

  • Lesson 1: SQL in Azure (IaaS vs. PaaS, self-managed AG vs. Managed Instance)
  • Lesson 2: Networking Availability Group Listeners in Azure
  • Lesson 3: Hybrid Disaster Recovery in Azure

 

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Other
Information

  • Labs available