Understanding SLA in Terms of RPO and RTO in SQL Server 2022 -Part I

SQL Server 2022 introduces new features and enhancements that provide improved performance, high availability, and disaster recovery capabilities. Below, we explore four different scenarios where SQL Server 2022 meets various RPO and RTO requirements, leveraging its advanced mechanics.

Scenario 1: Zero Data Loss & Instant Recovery (Stock Trading System – Mission-Critical)

Business Requirement: A stock trading platform requires real-time data protection and near-instant failover. Any data loss could lead to significant financial losses, and the system must be always available.

SQL Server 2022 Solution:

Always On Availability Groups with Synchronous Commit & Automatic Failover:

Real-time transaction replication ensures zero data loss.
Automatic failover allows seamless transition to a secondary replica in case of failure.

Contained Availability Groups:
Introduced in SQL Server 2022, this ensures authentication objects (logins, users, etc.) are replicated along with the database, reducing recovery complexity.

Hybrid Cloud Disaster Recovery with Managed Instance Link:
SQL Server 2022 enables seamless replication to Azure SQL Managed Instance for business continuity.

RPO: 0 seconds (synchronous replication prevents any data loss).

RTO: A few seconds (automatic failover ensures near-instant recovery).

This setup provides the highest level of resilience for mission-critical systems, eliminating data loss risks while ensuring uninterrupted availability.

Scenario 2: Minimal Data Loss & Fast Recovery (E-Commerce Platform – Business-Critical)

Business Requirement: An online marketplace must ensure continuous order processing with minimal downtime. Some data loss is acceptable (a few minutes), but the system should recover quickly.

SQL Server 2022 Solution:

Always On Availability Groups with Asynchronous Commit & Manual Failover:
Near real-time data replication with a slight risk of data loss if failover occurs before full synchronization.

Accelerated Database Recovery (ADR):
SQL Server 2022 includes enhancements in ADR, significantly reducing database recovery time after a crash or unplanned shutdown.

Differential and Transaction Log Backups:
Transaction log backups every 10 minutes.
Differential backups every 2 hours and full backups every 12 hours.

RPO: Up to 10 minutes (data loss depends on the last transaction log backup).

RTO: Under 5 minutes (manual failover and ADR speed up recovery).
This solution balances cost and efficiency, ensuring minimal downtime for an active online business.