Microsoft SQL Server Failover Clusters

The options for high availability can get confusing, and we bet you’re having a hard time finding simple information on what a cluster does and the most common gotchas when planning a cluster.

In these articles, we’ll explain what clusters are, what they’re good for, and why we like to plan out our clusters in a very specific way.

Introduction to SQL Server Clusters with Diagrams – takes you from basic diagrams to common gotchas and FAQs.

Everything You Know About Failover Clusters is Wrong – we hate to break it to you, but if you’re still thinking about heartbeat networks and cluster.exe, it’s time for an update.

Why Your SQL Server Cluster Shouldn’t Be Virtual – sure, it might be supported, but is it really a good idea for you?

High Availability and Disaster Recovery Basics (Video) – we explain all of SQL Server’s options including clustering, mirroring, log shipping, replication, and more so you can pick out the right option for your business needs.

AlwaysOn Availability Groups – this new feature of SQL Server 2012 lets you scale out with active queries running against multiple nodes.