February 3, 2009 at 9:41 am
I previously tried to configure transactional replication between two back-end SS2K5 servers to replicate SharePoint content databases, but ran into an issue where some of the required tables won’t replicate because they do not have primary keys defined.
In the paragraph below Figure G. in this article, How do I… Configure transactional replication between two SQL Server 2005 systems? (http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/howdoi/?p=123) it indicates that “You can replicate data only from tables that have a primary key. If you data does not have a primary key, you will need to create one before this step.”
As an alternative to transactional replication, I was told to use database mirroing instead.
So, I followed this article to try to setup database mirroring...
Using Database Mirroring with Office SharePoint Server and Windows SharePoint Services
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83725&clcid=0x409)
However, I am getting an error message indicating that database mirroring is disabled by default and is currently provided for evaluation purposes only and is not to be used in a production environment
Should I enable database mirroring in SS2K5 for a production environment? Of course, I am thinking no based on this warning. Is anyone using it reliably in a production environment?
Ultimately, by using only two back-end SS2K5 servers (non-clustered at the OS level, without the use of a quorum/witness, and without third party software), what is the best way to handle replication or database mirroring of SharePoint (MOSS2K7) content databases between back-end SQL servers? We want to use high-safety mode without auto failover.
Thanks in advance.
February 3, 2009 at 9:48 am
From what i understand the warning about Database mirroring not ready for production was fixed in SP2.
February 3, 2009 at 9:52 am
Looks like you are still running SQL Server 2005 RTM. Database mirroring was enabled in SP 1. FYI, SP 3 was recently released.
As I stated in your other thread, I'd use database mirroring, not replication for what you are attempting. I'd be reluctant to add primary keys to SharePoint tables that didn't already have them. I'd be afraid I'd break something in WSS/MOSS.
February 3, 2009 at 9:56 am
I'll give SP3 a try.
Thanks to all for the speedy responses.
February 3, 2009 at 10:09 am
It will all depend on your availability requirements.
Mirroring has an intrinsic "limitation" and it is that if you plan on doing automated failovers and you use a multiple DB solution any views or objects that expect to find a cross DB destination may fail!
LogShipping can perform a time-controlled failover at the expense of extra downtime.
Replication can keep both on-line but it does requires PK on every table!
Good Luck
* Noel
February 3, 2009 at 10:12 am
Thinking about some more, you may also consider clustering the SQL Server systems that support your WSS/MOSS environment.
February 3, 2009 at 10:18 am
Lynn Pettis (2/3/2009)
Thinking about some more, you may also consider clustering the SQL Server systems that support your WSS/MOSS environment.
Clustering is the other HA that I didn't mentioned but it makes sense to use with WSS/MOSS but It will *cost* you unless you go to SQL 2008 which removed the need for "full SQL Certified Systems".
* Noel
February 3, 2009 at 10:21 am
Pardon my ignorance, but what are "full SQL Certified Systems" ?
February 3, 2009 at 10:35 am
noeld,
If we use high-safety mode database replication with manual fail-overs, would you expect that we would run into issues with views or objects failing if we are only mirroring SP content databases?
You refer to "...multiple DB solution with views/objects referrenced a cross a DB destination", does that typically come into play with MOSS databases?
I know that with our custom developed SP app, we pull contact info from a CRM database on a completely different SQL 2000 server, does this sound like it would be an issue with views/objects being referenced across a DB destination?
I know it's probably difficult to say, but if you had to "ball-park" guess, does it sound like it would be an issue.
February 3, 2009 at 10:56 am
Pardon my ignorance, but what are "full SQL Certified Systems" ?
For SQL Server Clusters MS had a policy that requires Not only The Server but The SAN/Fiber Channel Drives, Network etc...
("Entire System") be Certified as SQL Server Cluster approved solution. So you cannot just get a couple of servers and setup a cluster if you expected some support from MS!
Pat_B (2/3/2009)
noeld,If we use high-safety mode database replication with manual fail-overs, would you expect that we would run into issues with views or objects failing if we are only mirroring SP content databases?
You refer to "...multiple DB solution with views/objects referrenced a cross a DB destination", does that typically come into play with MOSS databases?
I know that with our custom developed SP app, we pull contact info from a CRM database on a completely different SQL 2000 server, does this sound like it would be an issue with views/objects being referenced across a DB destination?
I know it's probably difficult to say, but if you had to "ball-park" guess, does it sound like it would be an issue.
I have no clue about the "internals" of WSS/MOSS I just know that it uses "multiple" databases and that there is nothing in the documentation (that I know of) that says they don't have any dependency in their client-side or server-side code that is cross database.
Suppose you have one of those DB corrupted or offline or whatever else. In that case a *single* DB will failover and not the rest. Is that supported? Does WSS/MOSS would work like that? I don't really know.
So far, I have seen third-party solutions to handle the failover and at work I use logShipping because I can control the Point-in-time of the last logRestored for *all* Logshipped DBs.
Just my $0.02
* Noel
February 3, 2009 at 11:16 am
I see what you are saying about a single database failing over (and possibly not being in sync with other SP dbases).
I'm going to research the Log Shipping method. Thanks for the info.
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