SQL Server Always-On drawbacks


SQL Server Always On is a feature that provides high availability for your SQL Server databases by creating a redundant copy of your data on a separate server. This allows you to continue working with your databases even if one of the servers goes down. However, there are a few common issues that you may encounter when using this feature.

One issue is that you may experience slow synchronization between the primary and secondary servers. This can happen if the network bandwidth between the servers is not sufficient to handle the amount of data being transferred. In this case, you can try increasing the network bandwidth or using compression to reduce the amount of data being transferred.

Another issue is that the secondary server may not be able to keep up with the primary server if there are a large number of changes happening on the primary server. This can lead to a backlog of changes that need to be applied to the secondary server, which can cause it to fall behind and become unavailable if the primary server goes down. In this case, you can try increasing the number of secondary servers or using a faster disk subsystem on the secondary server to improve its performance.

Additionally, you may encounter problems with the automatic failover process if the secondary server is not able to take over from the primary server quickly enough. This can happen if the secondary server is not configured properly or if there are network connectivity issues between the servers. In this case, you can try optimizing the configuration of the secondary server and testing the failover process to ensure that it is working correctly.

Overall, SQL Server Always On is a powerful feature that can provide high availability for your databases, but it's important to be aware of the potential issues that you may encounter and take steps to address them. By understanding and addressing these issues, you can ensure that your databases are always available and can continue to support your business.