Question

  Asked: Mar 11 2008   10:04 PM GMT
  Asked by: SQL Server Ask the Experts


Setting up database mirroring for disaster recovery in SQL Server


SQL Server 2005, Disaster Recovery, High Availability, SQL Server 2000, Database mirroring

I am a SQL Server DBA and in the process of upgrading our SQL Server 2000 to SQL Server 2005. I’ll be using database mirroring for the disaster recovery in SQL Server. One question I have is once I failover to the mirror server and use it as a principal for a couple of days, how do I make sure the original principal is up to date after I failback? Another question I have is once I set up database mirroring, can I switch between high-protection and high-performance modes?

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When you fail over to the mirror, once the primary server is back online SQL will automatically being feeding the transactions back. When you look at the databases in the UI it will say if it's mirroring or synchronized. If it says that it is synchronized then there are no pending transactions to be sent.

You won't be able to initiate the failback until all transactions have been replicated otherwise your databases will be out of sync. Think of mirroring like it's log shipping as that's basically what it is. The difference is that with Log Shipping you are backing up the logs on a schedule where with Mirroring you are moving the data in real time or near real time.

Yes you can change the safty mode from synchronous to asynchronous mode by using the ALTER DATABASE command.

ALTER DATABASE YourDatabase SET PARTNER SAFETY FULL
ALTER DATABASE YourDatabase SET PARTNER SAFETY OFF
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Mrdenny  |   Mar 12 2008  7:00AM GMT

Check out my SQL Server blog “SQL Server with Mr Denny” for more SQL Server information.