Leveraging SQL Server always on FCI with FSx for NetApp ONTAP SnapMirror

In today’s world, where data reigns supreme, it’s critical to maintain business continuity and high performance. Organizations increasingly rely on Microsoft SQL Server databases as the backbone of their data-driven operations. Therefore, designing a robust high-availability and disaster recovery (HADR) environment is not just an option, it’s a necessity. In the case of HADR, high availability not only minimizes downtime but also keeps mission-critical applications accessible, even during unexpected disruptions. Traditional backup methods may not suffice, because database restoration can take hours—or even days—resulting in significant productivity losses and financial impacts. A proactive HADR solution is essential to safeguard your business operations.

By combining SQL Server Always On failover cluster instances (FCIs) with Amazon FSx for NetApp^® ONTAP and NetApp SnapMirror^® technology, you get a powerful solution for a robust HADR production environment. Here are some of the key benefits:

• Seamless failover. With Always On FCIs, your SQL Server environment is ready for swift transition during a failover event, minimizing downtime.
• Fully managed storage. Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP provides highly available, fully managed shared storage, enabling your databases to remain online during data center or regional outages.
• Rapid data replication. SnapMirror replicates data at high speeds across NetApp ONTAP^® systems, whether it’s replicating from on premises to AWS or from one AWS region to another. This feature enables your business to maintain up-to-date copies of data at geographically dispersed locations.
• Flexible recovery point objective (RPO) and recovery time objective (RTO) options. Depending on your company’s RPOs and RTOs, replication can be scheduled as frequently as every minute or can even be set up for strict synchronous replication.

By using ONTAP storage, your organization can configure a resilient SQL Server FCI HADR solution with an active-passive setup. Here’s the basic architecture:

• Two nodes are deployed in the active cluster, using FSx read/write volumes.
• Two additional nodes are deployed in the disaster recovery (DR) region, using FSx data protection volumes.
• Data from the primary region is continuously replicated to a secondary region by using FSx data protection volumes.
• If a disaster strikes, the most recent data snapshot is readily available, facilitating rapid failover and minimal interruption to client connections.

This design not only secures your critical database workload but also significantly reduces downtime during regional or data center outages, keeping your business operations running smoothly. And you also reduce costs because the secondary nodes are not required to be licensed, the grace period is used to bring up the primary nodes.

A resilient DR plan is critical because relying solely on periodic backups is a risky approach. Although backups are vital, a comprehensive DR solution—like the one I just described—means that your business can transition seamlessly during unforeseen events. This strategy complements traditional backup systems, offering a living, continuously updated mirror of your environment that stands ready if disaster strikes.

Because data is one of your organization’s most valuable assets, its loss during a disaster can result in significant financial and operational setbacks. NetApp SnapCenter^® software provides a centralized solution for managing data protection, offering quick and robust backup and restore capabilities to help you prevent data loss. When you deploy SnapCenter and SnapMirror with FSx for ONTAP for SQL Server HADR, your data can be efficiently replicated to a DR site. You simply schedule regular backups at your primary site by using the SnapCenter REST API. If a disaster hits, the backup files can be transferred to your DR site and restored promptly, minimizing your data loss.

To see SnapCenter in action, watch a demonstration of the process.

In an era where data-driven decisions are crucial, maintaining database high availability and disaster recovery is paramount. The integration of SQL Server Always On FCIs with Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP and SnapMirror is a state-of-the-art solution that helps you meet the challenges of modern data management. By implementing this architecture, your organization can achieve:

• Uninterrupted business continuity even in the face of disasters
• Faster recovery times during failover events
• Reliable, high-speed data replication across regions
• Reduced licensing costs, with licenses required only on the primary nodes and not on the DR nodes

Deploy this robust HADR solution to protect your SQL Server databases and to secure your organization’s future in a data-centric world.

Explore more about this solution: Data Protection SQL Server Always On FCIs with FSx for NetApp ONTAP and SnapMirror - NetApp Community

References:

• Microsoft Learn article, Always On failover cluster instances (SQL Server), June 14, 2024.
• Microsoft Learn article, SQL Server Multi-Subnet Clustering (SQL Server), March 3, 2023.
• AWS user guide, Replicating your data using NetApp SnapMirror.
• NetApp technical report, SnapMirror configuration and best practices guide for ONTAP 9, TR-4015, January 2024.
• NetApp Docs, Learn about ONTAP SnapMirror licensing, April 15, 2025.
• NetApp Docs, Use cases for SnapMirror active sync, January 23, 2025.