App-V 5 uses two Microsoft SQL databases. One to store information about virtual applications, users, configuration settings, etc. And another to store Reporting information.
There are two common ways to create the databases:
– Run the App-V setup on the SQL server;
– Extract the SQL scripts, modify the content and run the scripts on the SQL server;
The second method is also possible in combination with Falko’s PowerShell scripts to modify the SQL script. More info here.
When the database is created, it is possible to make this database high available using the options within SQL server.
There are two options to make the database high available:
– Mirroring
– AlwaysOn
Pros and Cons of SQL of SQL High Available options:
| Mirroring | AlwaysOn | |
| Feature of SQL Standard | ✓ | – |
| Feature of SQL Enterprise | ✓ | ✓ |
| Requires Windows Cluster | – | ✓ |
| Creates DNS record | – | ✓ |
| Creates computer account | – | ✓ |
| Group failover (multiple databases at once) | – | ✓ |
| Accessible replica (for backup, reports, etc) | – | ✓ |
| Preferred by Microsoft | – | ✓ |
I prefer to use AlwaysOn even if it requires the Enterprise edition of SQL and a Windows Cluster is required (more complex). Shared storage is not necessary for the cluster and you can use Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard.
This post describes the complete installation of the cluster, SQL Server 2012 Enterprise and the configuration of SQL AlwaysOn. If you are only interested in AlwaysOn, skip to step 3.
The following steps will be described:
1) Create a Windows 2012 R2 Cluster
2) Set up SQL 2012 R2
3) Create a High Available AlwaysOn database
Step 1 – Create a Windows cluster
| Start Server Manager and click on Add Role
Click Next |
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| Click Next |  |
| Click Next |  |
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| Click Next |  |
| Select Failover Clustering |  |
| Click Add Features |  |
| Click Next |  |
| Click Install |  |
| Click Close |  |
Repeat the steps above for the second (and perhaps more) server(s).
Make sure the drive letters are identical.
When the Windows Cluster role is installed on all servers, open the Windows Cluster Manager on the first server.
Configure the Windows cluster
| Right click on Fail Over Cluster Click on Create Cluster |
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| Click Next |  |
| Add all the computer objects that will be part of the cluster
Click Next |
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| Click Next |  |
| Click Next |  |
| Click Next |  |
| Click Next |  |
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| Click Finish |  |
| Specify the cluster name and the IP address where clients will connect to.
Click Next |
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| Click Next |  |
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| Click Finish |  |
The cluster is now created with (in my case) two nodes.
Step 2 – Set up SQL 2012 R2
| Mount the SQL 2012 R2 Enterprise ISO
Click on New SQL Server Stand-Alone installation (no need to click on SQL Server Failover Cluster!) |
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| Click Ok |  |
| Click Next |  |
| Click Next |  |
| No connection to Windows Update
Click Next |
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| Click Install |  |
| Click Next |  |
| Click Next |  |
| I installed the minimal required components for the App-V AlwaysOn configuration. And Reporting for future usage.
Click Next |
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| Optional change the values.
Click Next |
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| Click Next |  |
| Optional: Change the Service Accounts |  |
| Click Next |  |
| Optional: Change the Authentication Modes |  |
| In my configuration I have two additional disks. One for the databases and backup (D:\) and one for the Logs (E:\)
I modified the directories to these disks. |
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| Click Next |  |
| I will not configure reporting at this moment.
Click Next |
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| Click Next |  |
| Click Next |  |
| Click Install |  |
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| Click Close |  |
Service Pack 1 Update
| Click Next |  |
| Click Next |  |
| Click Next |  |
| Click Next |  |
| Click Next |  |
| Click Update |  |
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| Click Close |  |
Enable AlwaysOn
AlwaysOn is disable by default, this must be enabled before this feature can be used.
| Open the SQL Server configuration manager Open the properties of the SQL Server service |
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| Enable Enable AlwaysOn Availability Groups
Click Ok |
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Step 3 – Create a High Available AlwaysOn database
Now that all the pre-requisites are in place, it is possible to start with the set-up of the AlwaysOn configuration.
| Open the properties of the App-V databases
Change the recovery model to Full |
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| Create a backup of the database |  |
| Create a new Availability Group |  |
| Click Next |  |
| Select both database
(group members will failover at the same time) Click Next |
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| Click Connect |  |
| Select Automation Failover for both databases.
Select Synchronous Commit for both databases (this makes transactions a bit slower but availability higher) Select Readable Secondary for the Secondary database Click Next |
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| Click Next |  |
| Click Next |  |
| Enter the IP address of the Listener |  |
| Enter the DNS name of the Listener
Click Next |
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| Enter the path of the network folder. This folder will be used initially to synchronize the database. Afterwards it can be deleted.
Click Next |
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| Click Next |  |
| Click Finish |  |
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| The database is now in sync with the secondary on the second server. |  |
After the database is synchronized, the wizard has also created:
– A computer account in Active Directory with the Listener name;
– A DNS record with the name of the Listener;
– The Role within the Windows Cluster;
– Added the Listener IP address to the active node.
Using the Windows Cluster is it possible to failover de App-V database between two (or more) servers. It will do this automatically if a server is unavailable.
Modify the database connection afterwards
If the management server is already installed, it is possible to point to the AlwaysOn database by modifying the following registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\AppV\Server\ManagementService
Modify:
– MANAGEMENT_DB_SQL_INSTANCE (default MSSQLSERVER)
– MANAGEMENT_DB_SQL_SERVER_NAME (change to Listner DNS name)
Check if MANAGEMENT_DB_NAME (AppvManagement) is still correct.
Restart the App-V
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