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Preparing SQL Server for SC Series Replication
13 SQL Server High Availability and Disaster Recovery with Dell EMC SC Series | CML1119
database tuning offer the largest gains in terms of performance and scalability not only for replication but for
the entire system and the importance can’t be emphasized enough.
3.1.6 Testing
Testing an HA/DR architecture is critical to ensure that if an issue arises the system performs as expected.
Often this is difficult to do and requires careful scheduling and coordination to perform an actual failover to
perform verification. Dell Storage Manager includes a feature called Test Activate Disaster Recovery that
allows the test of a disaster recovery solution to be performed online without disrupting replication or requiring
a live failover to the secondary site. Since the replication features are built on snapshot technology, the Test
Activate Disaster Recovery feature automates the process of creating and mounting view volumes from
snapshots on the secondary site. Since these view volumes provide full read/write access, the databases can
be brought online to exercise the failover procedure. Test Activate Disaster Recovery is a great feature that
can be used to verify that the DR plan works as expected, providing confidence in the HA/DR architecture.
3.1.7 Scripting
PowerShell is a great tool for scripting tasks in a Windows environment. This can reduce the time it takes to
perform complex tasks while also minimizing mistakes. SC Series arrays have deep PowerShell integration.
All of the SC Series features discussed in this document can be managed through PowerShell. Using
PowerShell, management of SQL Server, Windows, and storage resources can all be performed in a single
script. For more information and samples on getting started with PowerShell and SC Series Arrays see the
Dell Storage PowerShell SDK Cookbook.