SQL Server AlwaysOn Read-only Replica and ArcGIS Server

[AnthonyBurgon]

Hi

We are working within Emergency Services, and are moving from ArcGIS 10.0/SQLServer 2008 to ArcGIS 10.1/SQL Server 2012

A key need is high availability, with large hit counts on our servers. We are looking to use the AlwaysOn feature that comes with SQLServer 2012.

One approach that we are looking at is to create a Read Only replica using AlwaysOn to support our Read Only End Users Asynchronous Commit - Services would then be published from this Read-only Replica. In this case, we won't be using ArcGIS Replication - it will be using the SQL Server to create the AlwaysOn copy.

The parent Geodatabase will be read-write via Feature Services and ETL updates. The data volumes are not massive. Our hit rate is pretty large (hence why we want to isolate our read-write operational users from our view only users).

Has anyone found any limitations in using a Read Only replica? Is this a supported pattern from Esri for HA ArcGIS Server?

Another option is to go with a FGDB approach for the read-only end users (this is our first option - but wanted to investigate other ideas out there).

Thanks

Anthony

[ShannonShields]

Anthony,

we don't fully support AlwaysOn at 10.1. At 10.1 you can connect to a read-only database, not a geodatabase. The ability to connect to a read-only geodatabase will be part of the 10.2 release. The ability to do read-only routing via the Listener using the APPLICATIONINTENT connection parameter will be available in the following release.

-Shannon

[AnthonyBurgon]

Hey Shannon - just as an FYI - we have been using 10.2 (and now 10.2.2) with AlwaysOn - and it pretty much rocks.

Reasons:

- very reliable, well over 100 million REST requests that require SQL server data, and the Always on replica has not skipped a beat, with 90% of that during our fire season (Dec-March)

- easy to setup

- performance is amazing - at our highest peak load - the AlwaysOn replica never got over 9% CPU usage.

-Anthony

[MarcoBoeringa]

Anthony,

we don't fully support AlwaysOn at 10.1. At 10.1 you can connect to a read-only database, not a geodatabase. The ability to connect to a read-only geodatabase will be part of the 10.2 release. The ability to do read-only routing via the Listener using the APPLICATIONINTENT connection parameter will be available in the following release.

-Shannon

For those of you like me who wanted to know more about this and what for example the ApplicationIntent keyword means, see this Microsoft link and especially the video (switch to HD and full screen to get a better view of the demos):
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/solutions-technologies/mission-critical-operations/high-ava...

[JoeBorgione]

Thanks for the link and vid Marco!

[AnthonyBurgon]

Anthony,

we don't fully support AlwaysOn at 10.1. At 10.1 you can connect to a read-only database, not a geodatabase. The ability to connect to a read-only geodatabase will be part of the 10.2 release. The ability to do read-only routing via the Listener using the APPLICATIONINTENT connection parameter will be available in the following release.

-Shannon

Hi Shannon,

Thanks for the info. Look forward to 10.2 coming out.

Cheers - Anthony

[RobHudson]

Anthony,

we don't fully support AlwaysOn at 10.1. At 10.1 you can connect to a read-only database, not a geodatabase. The ability to connect to a read-only geodatabase will be part of the 10.2 release. The ability to do read-only routing via the Listener using the APPLICATIONINTENT connection parameter will be available in the following release.

-Shannon

Shannon, do you happen to know if there has been any status update regarding ApplicationIntent?  Was that included in 10.2, or is it inticipated in 10.3?

I would *love* to have our Address Locators and Map service offloaded to our read only replica!

[ShannonShields]

Rob,

the ApplicationIntent connection parameter did not make it into 10.2 - it will come in a following release.

-Shannon

[YeongLin]

Hi Shannon,

       Since we cannot use the applicationIntent=READONLY, Is it possible make direct connect to AlwaysOn READ ONLY replica in ArcGIS Desktop 10.2.2 ?

Thanks much,

Yeong Lin

[TarunPunetha1]

Hi

What's the SQL Server AlwaysOn compatibility with ArcGIS server, ArcSDE and ArcFM.

1. What would be Esri Recommendation for read-only users
2. Major difference between FGDB & SQL Server alwayson?

How replication happens in alwayson, does it support geometric Network, geoprocessing task, how it handles network traffic?

Thanks,

Tarun Punetha