An international logistics enterprise is designing the cloud architecture to host its core tracking and shipping application on Azure. The application's backend consists of three highly interdependent databases that perform cross-database transactions and rely on SQL Server Agent for scheduled ETL jobs. Additionally, the application requires SQL Server FILESTREAM to read and write unstructured shipping documents directly to the local file system. The proposed architecture must ensure these databases are deployed in a private network environment and support automatic failover with a recovery time objective (RTO) of under 10 seconds. Which Azure SQL deployment option should you recommend to meet these requirements?
- AAzure SQL Managed Instance in the Business Critical tier
- SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines configured with an Always On Availability GroupAnswer
- CAzure SQL Database single database in the Business Critical tier
- DAzure SQL Database Elastic Pool in the Premium tier
Answer
SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines configured with an Always On Availability Group
SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines configured with an Always On Availability Group is the only deployment option that supports all the specified requirements. SQL Server on Azure VMs supports the full feature set of SQL Server, including FILESTREAM (which requires local OS file system access), SQL Server Agent, and cross-database transactions. Configuring it with an Always On Availability Group inside a virtual network meets both the network isolation and the sub-10 second RTO requirements.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
SQL Server feature compatibility across Azure SQL deployment options, specifically regarding FILESTREAM and administrative capabilities.
Estimated Time:3m 0s