Have you heard about the SQL Server Always-On Solution Reviewed Program?
Published Jan 15 2019 10:42 AM 219 Views
Microsoft
First published on MSDN on Nov 27, 2006

Over a year ago the SQL Server development and PSS staff joined together to create the criteria for the SQL Server Always-On Solution reviewed program (SSAOSRP).   To be clear this is not a certification program but it is a very thorough review of the solution for key developers and support professionals at Microsoft.

The requirements are a combined list of attributes and traits the I/O subsystem must maintain in order to safely meet the needs of the SQL Server ACID properties.  Each vendor has to submit a detailed whitepaper to a review board at Microsoft (made up of development and PSS individual such as myself) addressing the requirements and any of 20+ additional recommendations.

This whitepaper generates an exchange between Microsoft and the I/O vendor going over the various details of their caching, WAL protocol maintenance and other aspects of the system.   Many of these submittals result in various conference calls between the team at Microsoft and the vendor to make sure the systems are designed to support the SQL Server requirements.

Once all members of the Microsoft review team sign-off on the vendors design and capabilities the vendors solution is cross linked at: http://www.microsoft.com/sql/AlwaysOn

You may be familiar with them but the ‘SQL  I/O Basics’ whitepaper series is a key review element of the SSAOSRP.  The latest chapter is located at:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/f/8/4f8f2dc9-a9a7-4b68-98cb-163482c95e0b/SQLIOBasicsCh...

Ongoing vendor approvals continue, I am reviewing one such submittal today.

Bob Dorr
Senior SQL Server Escalation Engineer


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