Building a SQL Server Failover Cluster in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a powerful way to ensure your databases remain highly available, even in the face of unexpected failures. High Availability (HA) is crucial for any business-critical application. Downtime can mean lost revenue, decreased productivity, and even damage to your company’s reputation. However, creating HA clusters in the cloud, especially in GCP, presents unique challenges—most notably, the lack of shared storage, which has traditionally been a key component of SQL Server Failover Clustering.
Historically, the absence of shared storage in GCP meant that building a traditional failover cluster wasn’t feasible. VPC restrictions also present challenges with client redirection in clustered environments. But Google has been making significant strides to address this gap. One of the recent improvements is the addition of metadata tags to cluster VMs, such as --metadata enable-wsfc=true, which allows seamless client redirection using a load balancer. This feature streamlines the failover process, ensuring that clients are always directed to the active SQL Server instance without manual intervention.
SIOS DataKeeper steps in to solve the storage challenge by providing block-level replication that enables the creation of a SANless cluster. Whether you need synchronous replication within a single Google zone or asynchronous replication that spans across zones, regions, or even hybrid and multi-cloud environments, SIOS DataKeeper has you covered. By mirroring data between local disks on each cluster node, DataKeeper eliminates the need for traditional shared storage, making it possible to build robust SQL Server clusters in GCP.
Perhaps the most compelling advantage of using SIOS DataKeeper with SQL Server Standard Edition is the potential cost savings. By opting for Failover Clustering with SIOS DataKeeper, you can avoid the hefty price tag associated with SQL Server Enterprise Edition, which is required for Always On Availability Groups. This approach can save you 70% or more on licensing costs, without sacrificing the high availability your applications demand.
For those ready to take the next step, I’ve put together a detailed, step-by-step implementation guide that walks you through the entire process of creating a SQL Server 2019 cluster in GCP using SIOS DataKeeper. Download the guide today and ensure your SQL Server environment is ready to handle whatever comes its way.