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Difficulty: MediumBlob, File, and Disk Storage Solutions

An enterprise is designing a high-availability SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance (FCI) on Azure Virtual Machines. The virtual machines are distributed across two Availability Zones within a single region. The database requires a shared storage volume that supports SCSI Persistent Reservations. The storage solution must sustain high IOPS with low latency for transactional workloads and must remain online even if a single datacenter zone experiences an outage. Which storage solution should you recommend?

  1. Premium SSD managed disks configured with Zone-Redundant Storage (ZRS) and Shared Disks enabledAnswer
  2. B
    Ultra Disk managed disks with Shared Disks enabled
  3. C
    Standard SSD managed disks configured with Zone-Redundant Storage (ZRS) and Shared Disks enabled
  4. D
    A Premium Azure Files share mounted using the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol

Answer

Premium SSD managed disks configured with Zone-Redundant Storage (ZRS) and Shared Disks enabled
The correct answer is the option recommending Premium SSD managed disks configured with Zone-Redundant Storage (ZRS) and Shared Disks enabled. This configuration satisfies the block-storage requirement for SCSI-3 Persistent Reservations, provides the low latency needed for database workloads, and replicates data synchronously across three availability zones to handle zone outages.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the protocol and access requirement for the clustered database workload.
The requirement specifies SCSI Persistent Reservations, which requires a block storage solution with Shared Disks enabled rather than file-level storage.
Traditional SQL Server Failover Cluster Instances (FCI) rely on shared block storage volumes that support SCSI-3 persistent reservations to coordinate access between active and passive nodes.
2
Determine the availability and zone-resiliency requirements.
The system must survive a single availability zone failure, meaning the storage must support Zone-Redundant Storage (ZRS). Locally Redundant Storage (LRS) is insufficient.
ZRS replicates data synchronously across three availability zones in the primary region, ensuring data remains accessible during a zone outage.
3
Evaluate disk type compatibility for Shared Disks and ZRS.
Only Premium SSD managed disks support both Shared Disks and Zone-Redundant Storage (ZRS) while meeting the low latency and high IOPS demands.
Ultra Disks only support LRS, and Standard SSDs do not support ZRS in combination with Shared Disks, nor do they meet the performance requirements for database transaction logs.

Key Concept

Azure Shared Disks enable sharing a managed disk across multiple VMs, with Premium SSD supporting both ZRS and the SCSI persistent reservations needed for cluster configurations.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Blob, File, and Disk Storage Solutions

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