Don Boxley of DH2i shares how intelligent availability software solves high availability (HA) challenges for containerized SQL Server in Kubernetes, empowering AI workloads.
Containers provide numerous benefits due to their portability, customization, and security features. First, containers offer enhanced portability, allowing applications to be packaged with their dependencies and run consistently across different environments, making moving applications between the development, testing, and production stages easier. Second, containers enable extensive customization, allowing developers to fine-tune application environments and optimize resource allocation based on specific requirements.Â
This customization capability leads to improved efficiency and performance. Last but not least, containers offer robust security mechanisms, isolating applications and their dependencies from the underlying infrastructure, reducing the risk of conflicts, and ensuring the secure execution of applications.
But when artificial intelligence (AI) applications need to use containerized stateful workloads, such as Microsoft SQL Server, there’s a hurdle to clear: how to implement high availability (HA).
One container orchestration system, Kubernetes (K8s), is a go-to for automation of computer application deployment, management, and scaling. But on its own, K8s’ HA lacks the speed to support the larger workloads of SQL Server. SQL Server professionals often turn to HA availability groups (AGs), but containers have traditionally not supported these.
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A Solution for the HA Conundrum
What can IT do when its AI workloads need HA? The good news is that a software solution—using Software-Defined-Perimeter (SDP) intelligent availability software – circumvents these HA limitations. The software provides the high level of HA required for containerized SQL Server AGs, helping enterprises achieve business continuity with SQL Server containers. As a best practice, consider leveraging K8s for pod-level HA for SQL Server containers, but shift to intelligent availability software when you must provide SQL Server AG HA at the database level.
Here are some of the key advantages of deploying intelligent availability software:
- Simplified cluster setup: One important benefit of intelligent availability software is that IT can provide it as a cluster service, installing it on every container responsible for the core management, network management, failover automation, and fault detection for the SQL Server AG. The result is a simplified setup for a cluster that can be done without more restrictive solutions like a virtual private network (VPN).
- Flexibility for “mix and matchâ€: The software’s clustering can run inside and outside containers and K8s, enabling “mix and match,†it also supports Windows and Linux. The result is that it’s easy to set up clusters in different locations with secure tunneling and end-to-end automatic failover between clusters. I recommend opting for intelligent availability for a Windows virtual machine (VM), some Linux nodes, and some containers in Azure, all running in the same HA SQL Server AG cluster.
- Migration between platforms: Intelligent availability software can additionally facilitate migration from platform to platform as needed. This is particularly useful when running various nodes in different networks, whether bare metal machines, VMs, or containers drawing on the software’s SDP features, including secure tunneling, which allows for unlocking hybrid cloud capabilities. The software can manage the networking needed for AG replication and cluster communication from node to node in the container use case.
- AGs become HA between containers: Intelligent availability software allows AGs to enjoy high availability between containers. Since most SQL Server setups are already familiar with AG technology, this flattens the learning curve. It’s also easier to deploy, with IT creating a container image incorporating SQL Server plus HA software; that image can then be used to deploy containers. So, after creating such containers, it’s a snap to create an HA AG between them.Â
In conclusion, while containers offer numerous advantages for AI applications, implementing high availability (HA) for containerized stateful workloads, such as Microsoft SQL Server, presents a challenge. Although Kubernetes (K8s) is widely used for container orchestration, its native HA capabilities may not suffice for larger SQL Server workloads.Â
However, the software-defined perimeter (SDP) intelligent availability software provides a solution to overcome these limitations. It delivers the required level of HA for containerized SQL Server Availability Groups (AGs), enabling enterprises to achieve business continuity with SQL Server containers.
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By leveraging intelligent availability software, IT teams can simplify cluster setup by installing the software on each container responsible for core management, network management, failover automation, and fault detection in the SQL Server AG. This approach streamlines the cluster setup without requiring restrictive solutions like virtual private networks (VPNs).
Furthermore, the software offers flexibility for “mix and match†deployments, as it can run inside and outside containers and K8s. It supports both Windows and Linux, facilitating the setup of clusters in different locations with secure tunneling and automatic failover between clusters. Deploying intelligent availability software on a Windows virtual machine (VM), along with Linux nodes and containers in Azure, within the same HA SQL Server AG cluster is recommended.
Intelligent availability software makes migration between platforms easier, which supports various nodes in different networks, including bare metal machines, VMs, and containers. Its SDP features, including secure tunneling, enable hybrid cloud capabilities. The software manages the necessary networking for AG replication and cluster communication between nodes.
Flexibility and Facilitation for Business Continuity
Intelligent availability software allows HA between containers, enabling AGs to enjoy high availability. Leveraging existing familiarity with AG technology in SQL Server setups simplifies the learning curve. IT teams can easily deploy containers by creating an image incorporating SQL Server and HA software and then creating an HA AG between them.
Bottom-line, using SDP intelligent availability software addresses the HA challenges faced by AI workloads with containerized stateful workloads. It simplifies cluster setup, offers flexibility, facilitates platform migration, and enables HA between containers. By leveraging this software solution, organizations can achieve the desired level of high availability for their SQL Server containers, ensuring uninterrupted operations and business continuity.
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