This is part 4 of the Azure SQL Database series. In this session I cover the business continuity within the context of Azure SQL Databases. I start off with what business continuity is how it is important for an organization. I discuss how the terms RTO, RPO and Retention are important to understand and establish business continuity plans. In this session I go over first the Database Export method of backing up the data. I explain how this should not be your first choice for database backup in Azure SQL. I further divulge into the Automated point-in-time restore backups and discuss the details of it. Finally, I discuss what Active geo-replication of database is and how that’s the premium choice of ultimate Disaster Recovery and High Availably of Databases in Azure SQL Database. View all other sessions in this training series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPie5drlGW25NnMjef7HRdSAqEjxz66Ky [44] Azure SQL Database - Part 1 - Introduction https://youtu.be/6tXEgsMt8Lo [45] Azure SQL Database - Part 2 - Advanced Topics https://youtu.be/h7V9Y7hBRas [46] Azure SQL Database - Part 3 - Database Security https://youtu.be/iyM8w34WG_M [47] Azure SQL Database - Part 4 - Business Continuity https://youtu.be/BYgF-Of-61I

1. Microsoft Azure Training
Shawn Ismail (Azure MVP)
shawn@cloudranger.net
http://www.cloudranger.net

2. Shawn Ismail
Microsoft MVP
Azure SQL Database - Part 4 - Business Continuity
Email: shawn@cloudranger.net | Twitter: @shawnismail | Blog: http://www.cloudranger.net | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnismail
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CloudrangerNetwork
Slides: http://www.slideshare.net/shawnismail

3. Azure SQL Database - Part 4 - Business Continuity
Azure SQL Database Business Continuity
Business Continuity
Business continuity encompasses planning and preparation to ensure that an organization can continue to operate
in case of serious incidents or disasters and is able to recover to an operational state within a reasonably short
period. – Wikipedia
Every organization should have a business continuity plan for all workloads in Azure
In context of Azure SQL:
• Data backup on a regular basis
• Establish data retention
• Have data High Availability

4. Azure SQL Database - Part 4 - Business Continuity
Azure SQL Database Business Continuity
Recovery Time Objective (RTO) – Maximum acceptable time before the workload fully recovers after a disruptive
event.
Recovery Point Objective (RPO) – Maximum amount of data updates the workload can tolerate losing
Data Retention – Maximum amount of time the data needs to be archived
Azure SQL Database cannot directly use the database and transaction log backup like MS SQL Server
SQL Database provides several business continuity features, including automated backups and optional database
replication

5. Azure SQL Database - Part 4 - Business Continuity
Azure SQL Database Business Continuity – Database copy & export
Backup procedure - Works by manually copying a database and exporting as a .backpac file and storing in a
storage account
Restore procedure – In case of a failure, create a new Azure SQL Database server & import the exported copy the
database from the storage account
• Very simple backup solution
• Can also be restored in on-premises SQL servers
• Analogues to Full Backup in MS SQL Server
Not the preferred method of backing up:
Manual intervention
Not transactionally consistent backups
Additional costs of storage

6. Azure SQL Database - Part 4 - Business Continuity
Azure SQL Database Business Continuity – Automated Backups
SQL Database provides automated database backups (functionality built into Azure SQL):
• No opt-in required
• No additional cost
• Backups are stored in geo-redundant storage. Backups are automatically placed in paired regions
• Can be restored to same database server or new database server
Backup routine:
• Full Database backups weekly
• Differential backups hourly
• Transactional (Incremental) backups every 5 minutes
The above routine allows point-in-time restore | Restore to on-premises environment not available
Basic service tiers:
• Any restore points in within 7 days
Standard and Premium tiers:
• Any restore points within 35 days
Retention periods are changed by changing the tiers

7. Azure SQL Database - Part 4 - Business Continuity
Azure SQL Database Business Continuity – Paired Regions
Geography Paired regions
North America North Central US South Central US
North America East US West US
North America US East 2 US Central
North America West US 2 West Central US
Europe North Europe West Europe
Asia South East Asia East Asia
China East China North China
Japan Japan East Japan West
Brazil Brazil South (1) South Central US
Australia Australia East Australia Southeast
US Government US Gov Iowa US Gov Virginia
India Central India South India
Canada Canada Central Canada East
UK UK West UK South

8. Azure SQL Database - Part 4 - Business Continuity
Azure SQL Database Business Continuity – Active geo-replication
• One on more redundant copies of the database are maintained and updated on a continuous basis
• Analogues on SQL AlwaysOn feature in MS SQL Server
• Can be used as a DR or HA solution
• Available for all Tiers
• Configure up to 4 readable secondary databases in the same or different data center locations (regions)
• When Active Geo-Replication is configured, a secondary database is created on the specified server. Secondary
can only be created in a different Azure SQL Database server
• The original database becomes the primary database
• The primary database asynchronously replicates committed transactions to each of the secondary databases
• Only full transactions are replicated
• While at any given point, the secondary database might be slightly behind the primary database, the
secondary data is guaranteed to never have partial transactions
• Secondary database is fully readable

9. Training Site: http://www.cloudranger.net/azure-training
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Azure SQL Database - Part 4 - Business Continuity