I am wanting to restore a database to SQL 2014/2016.
Can you remove all user databases from a AG group and still have a viable AG group?
In others words, can we readd database to an empty AG group?
Also trying to figure out what is the best way to restore a database which is in an AG group which is three SQL nodes.
SQL server 1 = test db (primary)
SQL server 2 = test db (replica 1) backups occurring on this replica
SQL server 3= test db (replica 2)
If we want to do a restore do we need to remove all three test db from the AG,... before we restore all three test db? Is this AG still viable when we remove all the databases from the AG Group? ( no data bases left in the AG group ). We then restore the databases on three replicas then readd to the AG? we would restore on the primary SQL server 1 then readd all three servers to the AG group,... will SQL server 2 and SQL server 3 just synchronize.
Or can do we remove the test db (primary) from the AG while making both replica 1 and replica 2 not synchronizing (Is there an option not to synchronize?)? Next restore test db (primary) since it is removed from the AG. Replica 1 and Replica 2 are set not to synch ( is this an option ) while still in the AG. test db (primary) which has been restored is added back to the AG then all three servers are set to synch.
Or can we remove test db (primary ) from the AG. Next remove from the AG and delete both test db (replica 1) and test db (replica 2). We now have an empty AG ( no servers ). Do a restore on test db (primary) then add to the AG. Will both SQL server 2 (replica 1) and SQL server 2 (replica 2) automatically recreate both these replicas if set to synchronize?
What is the best way to do the above?? Please provide detailed steps.
And if we have a AG which stretches across the WAN ( two different data centers ), how do we do a restore. If data center A is primary and data center B is the DR how do we do a restore? Please provide detailed steps. Replication is asynch between the data centers.
dsk