Online disaster recovery between SQL Server 2022 and SQL Managed Instance - Preview

[Update October 2024: Online disaster recovery between SQL Server 2022 and Azure SQL Managed Instance is now GA]

We’re excited to announce a major new capability of the Managed Instance link feature that now supports two-way failover between SQL Server 2022 and Azure SQL Managed Instance. Now in preview, this capability of the link feature enables an easy and cost-effective hybrid disaster recovery solution for workloads running in SQL Server 2022 and provides a convenient way for creating a near real-time replica of SQL Managed Instance database outside of Azure.

At the same time, the new release of SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) brings new wizards for creating links both from SQL Server and from SQL Managed Instance, and for performing failovers in both directions to further simplify the entire experience.

Along with previously introduced capability to create a link from SQL Server to SQL Managed Instance (generally available for SQL Server 2016, 2019 and 2022), the link feature now offers an ultimate freedom of data movement between SQL Server 2022 and SQL Managed Instance by introducing new capabilities enabling bi-directional data replication and bi-directional Disaster Recovery.

Let’s take a closer look into these exciting new capabilities and usage scenarios they unlock.

Bi-directional failover between SQL Server 2022 and SQL Managed Instance

For a link established between SQL Managed Instance and SQL Server 2022, failover now can be performed in both directions, as many times as needed. You can choose between planned manual failover without data loss, and forced failover typically used if one of the participants in the link is not available. The other choice available is whether the link should be deleted after failover, or it should remain with reverse direction of data replication.

Bi-directional failover between SQL Server 2022 and SQL Managed Instance

For more information on DR to SQL Server 2022 or SQL Managed Instance using the link feature, please visit Overview of the Managed Instance link feature | Disaster recovery.

Creating the link from Azure SQL Managed Instance to SQL Server 2022

This new capability enables customers running workloads on Azure SQL Managed Instance to copy databases with minimum downtime to SQL Server hosted on-premises, in Azure SQL Virtual Machine, or in other cloud. This is a very convenient way for providing up-to-date copy of the database to end customers or eligible third parties, and important functionality for industries and geographies with strict regulatory requirements related to business continuity.

Creating the link from Azure SQL Managed Instance to SQL Server 2022

For more information on creating the link between SQL Server 2022 and SQL Managed Instance in either direction, please visit Overview of the Managed Instance link feature.

New SSMS wizards for the link feature

SSMS 19.2 brings support for the new link capabilities, but it also improves the overall user experience with the link feature through redesigned wizards and better integration with SSMS Object Explorer.

Here are the most important changes:

• Established links are now visible under “Always On High Availability” object of both SQL Server instance and SQL Managed Instance in SSMS Object Explorer.
  Established links are now visible under “Always On High Availability” object in SSMS
• The wizard for creating new Managed Instance link can now be started from “Always On High Availability” object on either SQL Server 2022 instance, or SQL Managed Instance, with consistent experience regardless of the direction of the link.
  The wizard for creating new Managed Instance link can now be started from “Always On High Availability” object in SSMS
• The failover wizard for an existing Managed Instance link can now be started via the link’s context menu in “Always On High Availability” section on either SQL Server instance or SQL Managed Instance.
  The failover wizard for an existing Managed Instance link can now be started via the link’s context menu in “Always On High Availability” object in SSMS
• The failover wizard for an existing Managed Instance link now provides the option of either deleting the link or keeping it and reversing the direction of data replication after failover.The failover wizard for an existing Managed Instance link now provides the option of either deleting the link or keeping it and reversing the direction of data replication after failover
• The wizard for testing bi-directional network connectivity between SQL Server instance and SQL Managed Instance can now be invoked from the link creation wizard and supports creating a temporary test mirroring endpoint on SQL Server if no existing endpoint is detected.
  
  The wizard for testing bi-directional network connectivity between SQL Server instance and SQL Managed Instance can now be invoked from the link creation wizard

Next steps

• For more information on new capabilities and to start using the link feature, please visit Overview of the Managed Instance link feature.
• Learn how to remove SQL licensing costs on Azure SQL Managed Instance used as a passive DR replica by leveraging new Hybrid failover rights benefit.
• Learn how to seamlessly route client connections to the primary database replica after failovers by leveraging listener endpoint.
• Your feedback is valuable for future product development. Please consider dedicating a minute to filling out a short survey: Feedback for Managed Instance Link feature.
• Read about other Azure SQL Managed Instance product updates in 2023: A summary of Azure SQL Managed Instance product updates in 2023.