• One Domain Controller
• Two Database Servers
• A Storage that will play the File Share Witness (Witness Quorum)

All Server must be updated with the latest windows updates.

Virtual Machines IPs

Windows Firewall Rules

Domain Controller

Install the required roles

In Server Manager we select Manage – Add Roles and Features and in the Server Roles tab we select Active Directory Domain Services, DNS Server

Server Configuration as Domain Controller

At the top right of the Server Manager, a warning message appears to promote the Server as a Domain Controller.

For more details, please follow the links:

• https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/canitpro/2017/02/22/step-by-step-setting-up-active-directory-in-windows-server-2016/ 
• https://www.petenetlive.com/KB/Article/0001262 
• https://www.tactig.com/promote-windows-server-domain-controller/ 

SQL Server

Install the required roles

In Server Manager select Manage – Add Roles and Features and in the Server Roles tab, select Failover Clustering

Configuring the Failover Cluster on the Server

In Server Manager, select Tools – Failover Cluster Manager.In the left pane, right-click Failover Cluster Manager – Create a Cluster

In the Create Cluster Wizard, create a cluster node with the parameters shown in the following table:

Once the above steps are completed, then go to Failover Cluster Manager, in the Cluster Core Resources field, right-click Server Name “SQLCluster” – properties.

In the new form that opens, we change the value in the Static IP Address field to 10.2.1.15 and OK.

Then right-click on SQL Cluster and choose to Bring Online.

In the next step, right-click Nodes – Add Node …

To add the 2nd Node (SQL Server VM), follow the steps of the Add Node Wizard with the settings shown in the table below.

Add clustered quorum file share

To add a quorum file share cluster, follow these steps:

From Server Manager – Tools, we open Computer Management

Click on Shared Folders, right-click on Shares – New Share …

We create a new shared folder and give Full Control permissions to the SQL Cluster user

Quorum cluster customization

In Failover Cluster Manager, right-click on the cluster, More Actions – Configure Cluster Quorum Settings …

In the Configure Cluster Quorum Wizard, follow these steps,

Once the above steps (and for the 2 SQL Serves) have been completed, we need to have the following image in Failover Cluster Manager:

Enable Availability Groups in the SQL Server service

We open SQL Server Configuration Manager, right-click the SQL Server service, Properties.

Click on the Always Οn High Availability tab and check Enable Always Οn Availability Groups {The same step will be on the 2nd SQL Server}

Create Availability Group on SQL Server

We open the SSMS SQL Server Management Studio and right-click on the Always Οn High Availability list – New Availability Group Wizard …

Once the above steps have been completed, we almost have done.

Create Availability Group Listener

Initially, we need to create an Azure Load Balancer by following these steps:

Create Azure Load Balancer

Azure backend pool Configuration

Azure Health Probe Customization

Create Azure Load balancing rules

Configure the Cluster to use the Load Balancer IP

Right-click on the cluster, Add Resource – the Client Access Point

And the New Resource Wizard records the following:

Once the Wizard finishes, right-click the listener and choose Bring Online.

Parameters on the Cluster via PowerShell

Execute the following PowerShell script on one of the 2 database servers.

$ClusterNetworkName = "Cluster Network 1"# the cluster network name (Use Get-ClusterNetwork on Windows Server 2012 of higher to find the name)
 
$IPResourceName = "IP Address 10.2.1.14"# the IP Address resource name
 
$ILBIP = “10.2.1.14” # the IP Address of the Internal Load Balancer (ILB). This isthe staticIP address forthe load balancer you configured inthe Azure portal.
 
[int]$ProbePort = 59999
 
Import-Module FailoverClusters
 
Get-ClusterResource $IPResourceName | Set-ClusterParameter -Multiple @{"Address"="$ILBIP";"ProbePort"=$ProbePort;"SubnetMask"="255.255.255.255";"Network"="$ClusterNetworkName";"EnableDhcp"=0}