SQL Server options for high availability and disaster recovery
SQL Server has many features that you can put in place to implement a HA/DR solution that will fit your needs. These features include the following:
- Always On Failover Cluster (FCI)
- Always On Availability Groups
- Database mirroring
- Log shipping
- Replication
In many cases, you will combine one or more of these features together since your HA and DR needs will overlap. HA/DR does not have to be limited to just one single feature. In complex scenarios, you'll plan for a primary HA solution and secondary HA solution that will work as your DR solution at the same time.
Always On Failover Cluster
An Always On Failover Cluster (FCI) is an instance-level protection mechanism that is based on the Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC) feature. A SQL Server instance will be installed across multiple WSFC nodes, where it will appear in the network...