SQL Server Always On Availability Groups vs Log Shipping

Developers should learn and use SQL Server Always On Availability Groups when building mission-critical applications that require high availability, minimal downtime, and data protection against server failures or disasters meets developers should learn log shipping when building or maintaining mission-critical applications that require robust data protection and minimal downtime, such as financial systems, e-commerce platforms, or healthcare databases. Here's our take.

SQL Server Always On Availability Groups

Nice Pick

Developers should learn and use SQL Server Always On Availability Groups when building mission-critical applications that require high availability, minimal downtime, and data protection against server failures or disasters

Pros

• It is particularly useful in enterprise environments where database uptime is crucial, such as financial systems, e-commerce platforms, and healthcare applications, as it ensures continuous access to data and supports load balancing for read operations
• Related to: sql-server, high-availability

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Log Shipping

Developers should learn Log Shipping when building or maintaining mission-critical applications that require robust data protection and minimal downtime, such as financial systems, e-commerce platforms, or healthcare databases

Pros

• It is particularly useful for scenarios where real-time synchronization is not mandatory but near-real-time data availability is needed for disaster recovery, as it provides a cost-effective alternative to more complex solutions like database mirroring or Always On Availability Groups
• Related to: sql-server, database-backup

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. SQL Server Always On Availability Groups is a database while Log Shipping is a methodology. We picked SQL Server Always On Availability Groups based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

SQL Server Always On Availability Groups wins

Based on overall popularity. SQL Server Always On Availability Groups is more widely used, but Log Shipping excels in its own space.