Overview of PowerShell Cmdlets for Always On Availability Groups

Article
03/03/2023

Applies to: SQL Server

Microsoft PowerShell is a task-based command-line shell and scripting language designed especially for system administration. Always On availability groups provides a set of PowerShell cmdlets in SQL Server that enable you to deploy, manage, and monitor availability groups, availability replicas, and availability databases.

Note

A PowerShell cmdlet can complete by successfully initiating an action. This does not indicate that the intended work, such as the fail over of an availability group, has completed. When scripting a sequence of actions, you might have to check the status of actions, and wait for them to complete.

Note

For a list of topics in SQL Server Books Online that describe how to use cmdlets to perform Always On availability groups tasks, see the "Related Tasks" section of Overview of Always On Availability Groups (SQL Server).

Configuring a Server Instance for Always On Availability Groups

Cmdlets	Description	Supported on
Disable-SqlAlwaysOn	Disables the Always On availability groups feature on a server instance.	The server instance that is specified by the Path, InputObject, or Name parameter. (Must be an edition of SQL Server that supports Always On availability groups.)
Enable-SqlAlwaysOn	Enables Always On availability groups on an instance of SQL Server that supports the Always On availability groups feature. For information about support for Always On availability groups, see Prerequisites, Restrictions, and Recommendations for Always On Availability Groups (SQL Server).	Any edition of SQL Server that supports Always On availability groups.
New-SqlHadrEndPoint	Creates a new database mirroring endpoint on a server instance. This endpoint is required for data movement between primary and secondary databases.	Any instance of SQL Server
Set-SqlHadrEndpoint	Changes the properties of an existing database mirroring endpoint, such as the name, state, or authentication properties.	A server instance that supports Always On availability groups and lacks a database mirroring endpoint

Backing Up and Restoring Databases and Transaction Logs

Cmdlets	Description	Supported on
Backup-SqlDatabase	Creates a data or log backup.	Any online database (for Always On availability groups, a database on the server instance that hosts the primary replica)
Restore-SqlDatabase	Restores a backup.	Any instance of SQL Server (for Always On availability groups, a server instance that hosts a secondary replica)

Important

When preparing a secondary database, you must use the -NoRecovery parameter in every Restore-SqlDatabase command.

For information about using these cmdlets to prepare a secondary database, see Manually Prepare a Secondary Database for an Availability Group (SQL Server).

Creating and Managing an Availability Group

Cmdlets	Description	Supported on
New-SqlAvailabilityGroup	Creates a new availability group.	Server instance to host primary replica
Remove-SqlAvailabilityGroup	Deletes availability group.	HADR-enabled server instance
Set-SqlAvailabilityGroup	Sets the properties of an availability group; take an availability group online/offline	Server instance that hosts primary replica
Switch-SqlAvailabilityGroup	Initiates one of the following forms of failover: A forced failover of an availability group (with possible data loss). A manual failover of an availability group.	Server instance that hosts target secondary replica

Creating and Managing an Availability Group Listener

Cmdlet	Description	Supported on
New-SqlAvailabilityGroupListener	Creates a new availability group listener and attaches it to an existing availability group.	Server instance that hosts primary replica
Set-SqlAvailabilityGroupListener	Modifies the port setting on an existing availability group listener.	Server instance that hosts primary replica
Add-SqlAvailabilityGroupListenerStaticIp	Adds a static IP address to an existing availability group listener configuration. The IP address can be an IPv4 address with subnet, or an IPv6 address.	Server instance that hosts primary replica

Creating and Managing an Availability Replica

Cmdlets	Description	Supported on
New-SqlAvailabilityReplica	Creates a new availability replica. You can Use the -AsTemplate parameter to create an in-memory availability-replica object for each new availability replica.	Server instance that hosts primary replica
Join-SqlAvailabilityGroup	Joins a secondary replica to the availability group.	Server instance that hosts secondary replica
Remove-SqlAvailabilityReplica	Deletes an availability replica.	Server instance that hosts primary replica
Set-SqlAvailabilityReplica	Sets the properties of an availability replica.	Server instance that hosts primary replica

Adding and Managing an Availability Database

Cmdlets	Description	Supported on
Add-SqlAvailabilityDatabase	On the primary replica, adds a database to an availability group. On a secondary replica, joins a secondary database to an availability group.	Any server instance that hosts an availability replica (behavior differs for primary and secondary replicas)
Remove-SqlAvailabilityDatabase	On the primary replica, removes the database from the availability group. On a secondary replica, removes the local secondary database from the local secondary replica.	Any server instance that hosts an availability replica (behavior differs for primary and secondary replicas)
Resume-SqlAvailabilityDatabase	Resumes the data movement for a suspended availability database.	The server instance on which the database was suspended.
Suspend-SqlAvailabilityDatabase	Suspends the data movement for an availability database.	Any server instance that hosts an availability replica.

Monitoring Availability Group Health

The following SQL Server cmdlets enable you to monitor the health of an availability group and its replicas and databases.

Important

You must have CONNECT, VIEW SERVER STATE, and VIEW ANY DEFINITION permissions to execute these cmdlets.

Cmdlet	Description	Supported on
Test-SqlAvailabilityGroup	Assesses the health of an availability group by evaluating SQL Server policy based management (PBM) policies.	Any server instance that hosts an availability replica.*
Test-SqlAvailabilityReplica	Assesses the health of availability replicas by evaluating SQL Server policy based management (PBM) policies.	Any server instance that hosts an availability replica.*
Test-SqlDatabaseReplicaState	Assesses the health of an availability database on all joined availability replicas by evaluating SQL Server policy based management (PBM) policies.	Any server instance that hosts an availability replica.*

*To view information about all of the availability replicas in an availability group, use to the server instance that hosts the primary replica.

For more information, see Use Always On Policies to View the Health of an Availability Group (SQL Server).