Building High Availability and Disaster Recovery Strategies for SQL Server with Real-Time Protection for Critical Systems

• Author(s): Padma Rama Divya Achanta
• Paper ID: 1709406
• Page: 380-387
• Published Date: 30-04-2022
• Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
• Publisher: IRE Journals
• e-ISSN: 2456-8880
• Volume/Issue: Volume 5 Issue 10 April-2022

Abstract

In today's data-intensive business scenario, the integrity and availability of mission-critical systems are of utmost importance. Microsoft SQL Server is a heavily used product by organizations to store and manage critical business information. Accordingly, maintaining uninterrupted data access through strong High Availability (HA) and Disaster Recovery (DR) solutions is crucial to reduce downtime, avoid data loss, and ensure business continuity. This paper discusses the architecture, implementation, and best practices of constructing effective HA and DR plans particularly for SQL Server environments with emphasis on real-time protection of mission-critical applications. The paper discusses the comparative study of native SQL Server features like Always On Availability Groups, Failover Cluster Instances (FCIs), Log Shipping, Database Mirroring, and Backup/Restore approaches. It also addresses how third-party offerings and real-time data replication technologies aid in the optimization of recovery point objectives (RPO) and recovery time objectives (RTO). It looks into cloud DR solutions and hybrid models integration to discover how they can complement on-premises infrastructures with economical, scalable alternatives. In addition, the research discusses real-time HA/DR challenges including network latency, storage replication consistency, application failover compatibility, and the administrative burden in configuring and monitoring HA/DR solutions. Automation of failover processes, round-the-clock monitoring, and performing periodic DR drills to be well-prepared is also of much importance. Using case studies and actual implementations, the paper illustrates how businesses from various industries have been able to achieve near-zero downtime and fractional data loss by implementing sophisticated HA and DR mechanisms. Business size, budget limitations, compliance demands, and system criticality are used as guidelines to make recommendations for selecting the appropriate HA/DR strategy. Finally, this paper provides value to the IT practitioner and system architect by providing a well-defined method for designing, implementing, and managing high availability and disaster recovery plans for SQL Server. Highlighting real-time data protection is to ensure that mission-critical business systems continue to function even if there is hardware failure, cyber-attack, or natural disasters.

Keywords

SQL Server, High Availability (HA), Disaster Recovery (DR), Real-Time Protection, Always On Availability Groups, Failover Cluster Instances, Log Shipping, Database Mirroring, RPO, RTO, Data Replication, Business Continuity, Cloud Disaster Recovery, Hybrid Architecture, System Resilience.

Citations

IRE Journals:
Padma Rama Divya Achanta "Building High Availability and Disaster Recovery Strategies for SQL Server with Real-Time Protection for Critical Systems" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 5 Issue 10 2022 Page 380-387

IEEE:
Padma Rama Divya Achanta "Building High Availability and Disaster Recovery Strategies for SQL Server with Real-Time Protection for Critical Systems" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 5(10)