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SQL Server Failover Clustering and Always On Availability Groups are both high-availability solutions in SQL
Server, but they differ in their architecture, configuration, and use cases. Here’s a detailed comparison:

1. Scope and Failover

● Failover Clustering:
○ Instance-Level Failover: Protects an entire SQL Server instance, including system databases like
master, msdb, etc.
○ Single Point of Failure for Storage: Since the cluster nodes share the same storage, if the
shared storage (typically a SAN) goes down, the entire cluster could fail.
○ Failover Process: When a failure occurs, the SQL Server instance is taken offline on the failed
node and brought online on another node, with the same storage attached. This process can take
some time, resulting in a slight downtime.
● Always On Availability Groups:
○ Database-Level Failover: Protects individual user databases rather than the entire instance. Each
database in the availability group has its own independent replicas.
○ No Shared Storage Dependency: Each replica maintains its own copy of the data, so there is no
single point of failure at the storage level.
○ Failover Process: Failover happens at the database level. If the primary replica fails, one of the
synchronous secondaries can take over almost instantly, minimizing downtime.

2. Architecture and Storage

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● Failover Clustering:
○ Shared Storage: All nodes (servers) in the cluster share the same storage (e.g., SAN). Only one
node (active) runs the SQL Server instance at a time, while other nodes are passive and wait to
take over in case of failure.
○ Single Location: Typically confined to a single location or data center because it relies on shared
storage, though some advanced SAN replication technologies can allow for geographic clustering.
● Always On Availability Groups:
○ Independent Storage: Each node (replica) in the availability group has its own local storage,
which contains a separate copy of the database. This eliminates shared storage as a potential
single point of failure.
○ Multi-Site Support: Replicas can be spread across different locations, including remote data
centers or cloud environments. This makes it more suitable for Disaster Recovery (DR) in addition
to high availability (HA).

3. Readability and Workload Offloading

● Failover Clustering:
○ No Readable Secondaries: Failover Cluster Instances (FCI) operate in active-passive mode,
meaning only one node is active and handling requests at any given time. The passive nodes do
not handle any workloads unless they take over in a failover situation.
● Always On Availability Groups:

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○ Readable Secondaries: Secondary replicas can be configured as read-only, allowing read-heavy
workloads (such as reporting and analytics) to be offloaded from the primary replica, reducing the
load on the primary node.
○ Backup from Secondaries: You can take backups from secondary replicas, reducing the backup
overhead on the primary server.

4. Failover and Synchronization

● Failover Clustering:
○ Automatic Failover: Automatic failover happens when the active node fails. A passive node takes
over by starting the same SQL Server instance using the shared storage. This results in downtime,
typically ranging from a few seconds to a minute.
○ Synchronous Process: There is no data replication between nodes, as all nodes access the
same storage. This means there is no lag between the data in the nodes.
● Always On Availability Groups:
○ Automatic Failover: In synchronous commit mode, automatic failover can happen to a secondary
replica without data loss. In asynchronous commit mode, manual failover can happen but may
result in some data loss.
○ Synchronous and Asynchronous: Data is replicated between the primary and secondary
replicas. Synchronous commit ensures zero data loss, while asynchronous commit prioritizes
performance at the cost of potential data lag and loss.

5. Performance and Overhead

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● Failover Clustering:
○ Lower Overhead: Since there’s no data replication between nodes (shared storage handles data
consistency), there is less performance overhead compared to Always On.
○ Downtime on Failover: Failover can cause some downtime as the SQL Server instance is
stopped on one node and started on another.
● Always On Availability Groups:
○ Replication Overhead: In synchronous commit mode, the primary replica waits for the secondary
to acknowledge that it has received and committed the transaction. This can introduce latency.
Asynchronous mode has less impact on performance but may result in data loss if failover occurs.
○ Instant Failover: Failover to a secondary replica can be almost immediate, especially in
synchronous mode, minimizing downtime.

6. Deployment Complexity

● Failover Clustering:
○ Complexity: Requires configuring a Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC), setting up
shared storage, and ensuring that nodes have proper access to the shared storage. This can be
complex but is manageable in traditional on-premises environments.
○ Limited to Local Networks: Due to the need for shared storage, clustering is often limited to
nodes within the same data center or network.
● Always On Availability Groups:
○ More Complex: Involves setting up both Windows Server Failover Cluster and SQL Server
Availability Groups. You also need to configure data replication between the primary and

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secondary replicas, which may involve managing additional network and security configurations
(especially for geographically dispersed replicas).
○ More Flexible: Availability Groups can span across multiple data centers or cloud regions, offering
greater flexibility in disaster recovery scenarios.

7. Licensing and Costs

● Failover Clustering:
○ Licensing: Failover Clustering is available in SQL Server Standard Edition and SQL Server
Enterprise Edition, but the Standard Edition has limitations on the number of nodes.
○ Cost of Shared Storage: Since shared storage is a requirement, the cost of implementing a SAN
or similar storage solution can be significant.
● Always On Availability Groups:
○ Licensing: Requires SQL Server Enterprise Edition, which can be more expensive than
Standard Edition.
○ No Shared Storage Cost: Since each node has its own storage, there is no need for expensive
shared storage solutions, but the cost of maintaining and replicating data between multiple nodes
can still be high.

8. Use Cases

● Failover Clustering:
○ Instance-Level Protection: Suitable when you need to protect an entire SQL Server instance,
including system databases, and when your infrastructure supports shared storage.

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○ On-Premises Environments: Ideal for environments where shared storage is already in place or
required.
○ Lower Complexity: When the primary goal is high availability without the complexity of setting up
data replication.
● Always On Availability Groups:
○ Database-Level Protection: Best suited for scenarios where protecting individual databases is
important, and when you need the flexibility of readable secondaries and offloading workloads.
○ Geographically Dispersed or Hybrid Environments: Ideal for disaster recovery across multiple
data centers or when using hybrid cloud solutions.
○ Higher Availability and Read Scalability: Preferred when reducing downtime and increasing
read scalability are top priorities.

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Conclusion

● SQL Server Failover Clustering is a robust high-availability solution that protects the entire instance and
uses shared storage, making it ideal for traditional on-premises setups with SAN storage.
● SQL Server Always On Availability Groups, on the other hand, provide more flexibility, better
performance for read-heavy workloads, and enhanced disaster recovery capabilities through
database-level replication and geographically dispersed replicas.

Each option has its advantages, and the choice between them depends on factors like budget, licensing,
infrastructure, and specific availability and disaster recovery needs.

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