Azure PaaS BCP/DR SQL

Azure SQL Database: Geo-Replication and Disaster Recovery

Azure SQL Database is a fully managed relational database service provided by Microsoft as part of the Azure cloud platform

Introduction

Azure SQL Database is a fully managed relational database service provided by Microsoft as part of the Azure cloud platform. One of its key features is the built-in geo-replication and disaster recovery capabilities, which ensure data protection and enable rapid recovery in case of failure.

How Azure SQL Database Works

Azure SQL Database uses active geo-replication, a feature that allows you to configure up to four readable secondary databases in the same or different data center locations (regions). These secondary databases are available for querying and can be located in the same region as the primary or in different regions for disaster recovery purposes. In the event of a regional outage, you can failover to one of the secondary databases.

Implementation

Implementing geo-replication and disaster recovery with Azure SQL Database involves several steps:

  1. Create an Azure SQL Database: If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to create an Azure SQL Database.

  2. Configure Active Geo-Replication: You can configure active geo-replication through the Azure portal, PowerShell, or the Azure CLI. This involves creating secondary databases and choosing their locations.

  3. Perform Failover: In the event of a regional outage or if you want to switch processing to a secondary location, you can manually failover to one of the secondary databases.

  4. Test Your Disaster Recovery Strategy: It’s important to regularly test your disaster recovery strategy to ensure you can successfully failover when needed.

Conclusion

Implementing geo-replication and disaster recovery with Azure SQL Database provides an organisation with robust data protection capabilities. The automatic creation of secondary databases and the ability to failover to these databases offer peace of mind, knowing that your data is safe and can be quickly restored in case of a regional outage.

Learn More

For more detailed information on Azure SQL Database and its geo-replication and disaster recovery capabilities, you can refer to the following resources on the official Microsoft Learn website: