Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

Creating a 2-Node AlwaysOn Availability Group Cluster

Document Overview:
This SOP provides a step-by-step guide for setting up a 2-node AlwaysOn Availability Group cluster using
SQL Server 2022 and Windows Server 2022. The document covers prerequisites, installation,
configuration, and testing procedures to ensure high availability and disaster recovery.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Prerequisites

3. Preparing the Cluster Nodes

4. Create the Failover Cluster

5. Configure Storage

6. Install SQL Server 2022

7. Configure SQL Server for AlwaysOn Availability Groups

8. Add Databases to the Availability Group

9. Test the Failover Process

10. Set Up Backup and Maintenance Plans

11. Monitor the Availability Group

12. High Availability Testing and Validation

13. Post-Deployment

14. Conclusion

1. Introduction

This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlines the steps required to create a 2-node AlwaysOn Availability
Group cluster using SQL Server 2022 and Windows Server 2022. This setup will ensure high availability and
disaster recovery for critical database systems, minimizing downtime and improving business continuity.

2. Prerequisites

Before beginning the setup process, ensure the following prerequisites are in place:

1. Hardware Requirements:
Ensure both nodes meet the SQL Server 2022 hardware and performance requirements.

2. Operating System:
Both nodes should have Windows Server 2022 installed and configured.
 3. SQL Server 2022:
Install SQL Server 2022 on both nodes. Both must have the same edition of SQL Server.

4. Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC):

5. Network Configuration:

o Both nodes should be part of the same domain.

o Ensure you have a reliable, high-speed network connection between the nodes.

o The SQL Server and WSFC network settings should be configured with static IP addresses.

6. DNS Configuration:
You should have a domain DNS name for the AlwaysOn listener.

3. Preparing the Cluster Nodes

3.1 Install Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) Feature on Both Nodes:

1. Open Server Manager.

2. Click on Manage > Add Roles and Features.

3. Select Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.

4. Select the server from the server pool and click Next.

5. Under Features, select Failover Clustering and click Next.

6. Click Install and complete the installation process.

3.2 Validate the Cluster Configuration:

1. Open Failover Cluster Manager.

2. Select Validate Configuration from the Action pane.

3. Select both nodes to validate and run all the tests to ensure your hardware, networking, and
configuration are suitable for clustering.

4. Create the Failover Cluster

1. In Failover Cluster Manager, click Create Cluster.

2. Add both nodes to the cluster.

3. Follow the wizard to configure the cluster. Ensure that:

o A static IP address is assigned to the cluster.

o A cluster name is chosen.

4. Once the cluster is created, verify its health in Failover Cluster Manager.
5. Configure Storage

1. Set up shared storage if necessary (for data files, logs, or quorum). This storage must be available to
both cluster nodes and should be a supported type (e.g., iSCSI, Fibre Channel).

2. Ensure SQL Server is configured to use the shared storage as required.

6. Install SQL Server 2022 on Both Nodes

1. On each node, run the SQL Server 2022 installation setup.

2. Choose New SQL Server stand-alone installation and select the necessary features.

3. Install SQL Server Engine and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

4. Ensure that SQL Server is installed with the same version and edition on both nodes.

7. Configure SQL Server for AlwaysOn Availability Groups

7.1 Enable AlwaysOn Availability Groups on Both Nodes:

1. Open SQL Server Configuration Manager.

2. Under SQL Server Services, right-click on SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER) and choose Properties.

3. In the AlwaysOn High Availability tab, check Enable AlwaysOn Availability Groups.

4. Restart the SQL Server service.

7.2 Create and Configure the Availability Group Listener:

1. Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and connect to one of the SQL Server instances.

2. Right-click on AlwaysOn High Availability > New Availability Group.

3. Complete the wizard to:

o Specify the name of the Availability Group.

o Choose the databases to include in the Availability Group.

o Add the secondary replica.

o Choose Synchronous or Asynchronous commit for data synchronization.

4. Configure the listener:

o Provide a DNS name and port for the listener.

o Assign the listener's IP address (use static IP).

o Specify the availability mode (Synchronous or Asynchronous).

8. Add Databases to the Availability Group

1. From SQL Server Management Studio, right-click on the Availability Group.

2. Choose Add Database and select the databases to add to the group.

3. Ensure all selected databases are in full recovery model.

1. In SQL Server Management Studio, right-click the Availability Group and select Failover.

2. Follow the wizard to test the failover process.

3. Verify that the database fails over to the secondary replica correctly and that the availability group
remains online.

10. Set Up Backup and Maintenance Plans

1. Configure regular backups for the databases in the Availability Group.

2. Ensure that both nodes are involved in backup jobs (as required).

11. Monitor the Availability Group

1. Set up monitoring for the AlwaysOn Availability Group using:

o SQL Server Management Studio.

o System Center Operations Manager (optional).

2. Monitor the health of the Availability Group, replicas, and listeners.

12. High Availability Testing and Validation

1. Validate that the secondary node is synchronized and can fail over correctly.

2. Test applications and client connectivity to the AlwaysOn listener.

13. Post-Deployment

• Regular Checks: Monitor the SQL Server and WSFC logs regularly for any errors.

• Patching: Regularly patch both SQL Server instances and the Windows operating system to maintain
high availability and security.

• Backup Plan: Ensure that database backups are working correctly and that the backup strategy for the
AlwaysOn Availability Group is implemented properly.

14. Conclusion

This SOP outlines the process of setting up a 2-node AlwaysOn Availability Group cluster on SQL Server
2022 and Windows Server 2022. Following the steps above will ensure high availability for your SQL Server
databases and provide a resilient infrastructure capable of handling failover situations, minimizing
downtime, and improving the overall performance of mission-critical applications.