22-25 April 2026 
Build Your Own SQL Server HADR Test Lab (on your Laptop!)
2017TL; DR
This demo rich pre-conference will explain how you can build your own SQL HADR environment in the safety of your own laptop, home or work test network. Starting from zero we'll configure your lab from ground up and then play with it to destruction.
Session Details
Are you struggling to understand SQL Server High Availability?
Would you like to build your own test environment?
Would you like to practice fail-overs, adding or removing Availability Group Replicas, Cluster Storage Migrations or play with Hybrid deployments -all from the comfort of your own arm-chair?
Have no fear, for in this demo rich pre-conference I will explain how you can build your own "High Availability" environment in the safety of your own laptop *1, home network or work test network.
We will start from nothing and configure your lab from the ground up until we have a fully functional working Virtualized Domain, Availability Group Replicas and even a multi-instance SQL Server Failover Cluster and then start playing with them to destruction.
By the end of the day you will not only learn the fundamentals of SQL Server High Availability, but will also understand more advanced topics such as:
Take aways:
Attendees to this session will receive access to a set of scripts, notes and a pre-built Hyper-V time-limited virtual lab for your own testing and enjoyment.
Audience:
Attendees will not be expected to have prior knowledge of High Availability, Virtualization, and Operating System configuration and Networking, but a basic understanding of these concepts will lessen the learning curve when we come to implement those things.
Would you like to build your own test environment?
Would you like to practice fail-overs, adding or removing Availability Group Replicas, Cluster Storage Migrations or play with Hybrid deployments -all from the comfort of your own arm-chair?
Have no fear, for in this demo rich pre-conference I will explain how you can build your own "High Availability" environment in the safety of your own laptop *1, home network or work test network.
We will start from nothing and configure your lab from the ground up until we have a fully functional working Virtualized Domain, Availability Group Replicas and even a multi-instance SQL Server Failover Cluster and then start playing with them to destruction.
By the end of the day you will not only learn the fundamentals of SQL Server High Availability, but will also understand more advanced topics such as:
- Deployment and builds
- Cluster troubleshooting.
- Hybrid deployments and Interoperability.
- Availability Group Monitoring and Performance.
- Virtualization for High Availability.
- New features in Windows 2016/ SQL 2016
Take aways:
Attendees to this session will receive access to a set of scripts, notes and a pre-built Hyper-V time-limited virtual lab for your own testing and enjoyment.
Audience:
Attendees will not be expected to have prior knowledge of High Availability, Virtualization, and Operating System configuration and Networking, but a basic understanding of these concepts will lessen the learning curve when we come to implement those things.
3 things you'll get out of this session
Speakers
Mark Broadbent's previous sessions
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