Configuring SQL Server
To ensure that SQL Server is properly configured for Administration Service replication, ensure that the SQL Server Agent service is started and configured properly.
The SQL Server Agent service must be up and running on SQL Server that holds the role of the Publisher database server (Publisher SQL Server). One Identity recommends that the startup type for this service be set to Automatic.
The SQL Server Agent service should be configured to log on with a domain user account. The service logon account must have sufficient rights to connect to the Publisher SQL Server and to the Subscriber SQL Server. For more information, see Replication Agent permissions in the Active Roles Quick Start Guide.
Configuring replication
Active Roles uses the replication functionality of Microsoft SQL Server to copy and distribute configuration data from one Administration Service database to another, and to synchronize data among the databases for consistency.
Administration Service database servers synchronized by using the SQL Server replication function are referred to as replication partners. Each replication partner maintains a writable copy of the Service’s configuration and Management History data. Whenever changes are made to one replication partner, the changes are propagated to the other replication partners.
About replication groups
The Publisher and its Subscribers constitute a replication group. Every replication group must include a single Publisher and it can include any number of Subscribers. The members of a replication group are referred to as replication partners.
Each member of a replication group (replication partner) maintains a separate, writable copy of the Administration Service’s configuration and management history data. Replication copies and distributes data from one member database to another, and synchronizes data between the databases for consistency. When changes are made on the Publisher, the Publisher replicates these changes to each Subscriber. When data changes are made on a Subscriber, the Subscriber propagates the changes to the Publisher, which in turn replicates them to the other Subscribers.
This replication process ensures the same configuration for all Administration Services that use the database servers belonging to the replication group.
When it is initially set up, the Administration Service database server is configured as a standalone database. That is, it does not have replication partners and does not belong to any replication group. The Administration Service that uses a standalone database server is referred to as standalone Administration Service.
It is possible to add a standalone database server to any replication group that already exists. When you do that, the database server becomes a Subscriber. Each Administration Service database server can belong to only one replication group. Once removed from a replication group, it can be added to a different group.
To create a new replication group, you must designate a standalone database server as the Publisher. The new replication group will then have a single member—the Publisher. Later, you can add Subscribers to the group.
If there are any replication failures in Active Roles, the Active Roles Console provides a visual indication of this issue by modifying the icon of the Server Configuration and Configuration Databases containers in the Console tree: a label with the exclamation point appears next to each of the containers. This allows the administrator to detect a replication failure without examining individual replication partners.
Creating a replication group
To create a replication group, designate a standalone Administration Service database server as the Publisher. You can do that by using the Active Roles Console
To create a replication group
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Connect to a standalone Administration Service.
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Promote the Administration Service database server to Publisher.
For more information on how to connect to the Administration Service, see Connecting to the Administration Service.
Once connected to the Administration Service, perform the following steps to promote the Administration Service database server to Publisher.
To promote the Administration Service databse server to Publisher
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In the Console tree, navigate to the Configuration/Server Configuration/Configuration Databases container.
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In the details pane, right-click the database and click Promote.
NOTE: The Promote command is only displayed if the Administration Service uses a standalone database server, that is, a database server that does not belong to any replication group.
After you click Promote, it takes several minutes to complete the operation. When the operation is completed, the new replication group has a single member—the Publisher. Once the replication group has been created, you can add replication partners—Subscribers.
After the Promote operation is completed, both the configuration and Management History databases are replicated.
If Active Roles does not have sufficient rights to perform the Promote operation on SQL Server, then the Active Roles Console prompts you to supply an alternative account for that operation. For more information, see “Permissions for creating or removing the Publisher” in the Active Roles Quick Start Guide.