The IT Nerd

DH2i today announced it will host a live webinar titled, “High Availability, Simplified: What’s New in DxEnterprise v26 & DxOperator v2.” This demo-driven event is intended to provide IT teams with a practical, real-world look at how to simplify and strengthen Microsoft SQL Server high availability across increasingly complex, multi-platform environments.

When: April 16 at 12:00 pm Eastern Time / 9:00 am Pacific Time

What: IT teams are under pressure to support more platforms, protect against increasingly diverse security threats, and fulfill higher uptime expectations for SQL Server – and they are often forced to do it with a complex patchwork of platform-limited solutions.

DH2i has unveiled the latest iteration of its high availability software and SQL Server operator for Kubernetes with DxEnterprise v26 and DxOperator v2. This all-in-one software solution introduces brand new capabilities and enhancements to simplify HA management for your most critical workloads, ensure robust network security against modern threats, and streamline cluster management across Windows, Linux, containers, and the cloud.

Join DH2i for this fast-paced session where they will walk through how its latest software release easily layers right on top of any mix of existing infrastructure to enable:

• SQL Server K8s scale-up AND scale-down automation
• Granular database-level monitoring with more predictable and reliable failover
• Seamless integration with K8s StatefulSets for streamlined pod management
• Optimized security & performance for heterogeneous environments

Featured Speaker: Sasindu Wickramasingha Gamachchige, Sr. Technical Engineer, DH2i 

Sasindu Wickramasingha Gamachchige is DH2i’s behind-the-scenes superhero. By day, a Sr. Technical Support Engineer, by night… still a Sr. Technical Support Engineer (because high availability never sleeps). Armed with deep expertise in complex IT environments and superhuman troubleshooting instincts, he protects mission-critical systems from chaos and downtime. Gamachchige brings calm confidence to even the most stubborn clusters. 

Learn more and register here: https://dh2i.com/webinar-simplified-high-availability-solution/ 

DH2i today announced the general availability (GA) launch of DxEnterprise v26.0 and DxOperator v2, featuring significant high availability (HA), disaster recovery (DR), and operational resilience capabilities enhancements for SQL Server deployments across Windows, Linux, and Kubernetes environments. Together, the releases introduce meaningful advances in availability group (AG) protection, security controls, observability, and automation for both traditional and containerized SQL Server deployments.

In today’s enterprises, a perfect storm has emerged where applications have become direct revenue channels, infrastructure complexity has increased while IT staffing has not, modernization initiatives are no longer optional, security and compliance requirements are tightening, and software update velocity has accelerated. Together, these forces expose the limits of traditional HA approaches. What once worked for small, static clusters no longer scales when SQL Server deployments span hybrid, multi-platform, and containerized environments that demand continuous availability, stronger safeguards, and higher levels of automation. DxEnterprise v26.0 and DxOperator v2 address these challenges head-on.

DxEnterprise v26.0 focuses on improving cluster resilience, visibility, and administrative confidence through enhanced monitoring, stronger safeguards against split-brain scenarios, expanded credential support, and platform modernization. DxOperator v2 extends those capabilities into Kubernetes environments, giving users greater control over scale, updates, and network configuration for SQL Server AGs running in containers.

What’s New in DxEnterprise v26.0

Deeper SQL Server and Availability Group Intelligence

• Database-level health monitoring is now enabled by default, allowing faster detection of issues affecting individual databases within an AG
• Split-brain scenarios are prevented via automatic per-availability-group quorum enforcement by demoting or shutting down replicas when quorum requirements are not met
• Improved replica connectivity alerts provide real-time notification when replicas disconnect or when SQL Server replica configurations diverge from expected cluster state
  
  

Improved Security and Credential Resilience

• Support for secondary SQL Server backup credentials enables automatic fallback if primary authentication fails, reducing downtime caused by credential changes or expirations
• Administrative sessions are automatically disconnected when the cluster passkey changes, ensuring only authorized users with current credentials retain access
• The DxAdmin user interface now includes clearer prompts, stronger validation, and improved feedback for passkey configuration
  
  

Greater Stability and Observability

• Core monitoring services, including DxLMonitor, DxCMonitor, DxStorMonitor, and DxHealthMonitor, have received reliability and stability improvements to reduce unexpected restarts and improve overall cluster resilience
• Basic anonymous telemetry is now available to help improve product quality and diagnostics, with opt-out configuration for customers who prefer not to participate
  
  

Platform and Usability Enhancements

• DxEnterprise’s Linux version now runs on the .NET 8.0 runtime, delivering improved performance, security, and long-term support alignment
• Virtual hosts can now be renamed using a new rename-vhost command, simplifying cluster management and reorganization
• Additional safeguards prevent accidental overwriting of existing data stores during SQL Server high availability virtualization
• Enhancements to DxCLI and DxPS improve command-line usability, including human-readable XML output and new PowerShell cmdlets
• The DxCollect utility now includes expanded command-line options for more targeted diagnostics and log collection.
  
  

What’s New in DxOperator v2

Flexible Scaling Up and Down

• Availability group clusters can now be expanded or reduced dynamically
• Unlike the previous version, DxOperator v2 can safely de-configure and remove replicas from a running cluster, enabling true scale-down operations
  
  

Automated Rolling Updates

• Administrators can automate rolling updates of SQL Server or DxEnterprise container images, allowing pods to be updated one at a time without manual intervention
• Updates can also be performed manually when desired, giving operators full control over rollout strategy
• DxOperator does not automatically check for new container versions, ensuring that administrators remain in control of when and how updates are applied
  
  

Advanced Network and Service Configuration

• Flexible service templates allow load balancers and other network services to be fully specified and automatically deployed per availability group replica
• This enables more consistent connectivity across different Kubernetes environments and cloud providers
  
  

Redesigned Custom Resource and StatefulSet Adoption

• The custom resource definition has been redesigned for greater flexibility and now leverages Kubernetes StatefulSets
• By delegating pod creation, storage allocation, and rolling upgrades to Kubernetes, DxOperator v2 simplifies internal logic while benefiting from native Kubernetes reliability and lifecycle management
  
  

DH2i’s DxEnterprise v26.0 and DxOperator v2 are now generally available

Today I have Don Boxley, CEO and Co-Founder of DH2i speaking about his three top 2026 Predictions. They are as follows:

Prediction 1: AI Outages Become the New “Ransomware Moment” 

“In 2026, the biggest wake-up call for enterprises will be unexpected AI outages. As more organizations rely on AI systems for customer service, fraud detection, claims processing, supply chain routing, and decision automation, even a few minutes of downtime will create real-world business disruption. We’re moving into an era where AI is fully embedded into workflows, which means the databases, pipelines, and connections behind those AI systems must be architected for continuous availability. The companies that treat AI like a traditional app are going to run into the same wall we saw with ransomware years ago: you don’t realize how fragile the architecture is until it breaks.

What I’m seeing going into 2026 is a shift from ‘How do we deploy AI?’ to ‘How do we keep AI running, resilient, and trustworthy every second?’ The winners will be the companies that build durable foundations – resilient failover, airtight DR strategies, and secure, persistent connections between every environment where the data and compute live. AI will only be as reliable as the infrastructure supporting it. Businesses have to treat availability and security as non-negotiable if they want AI to successfully transform outcomes.”

Prediction 2: Multi-Cloud Fragmentation Becomes a Crisis

“Whether they planned it or not… by 2026, nearly every enterprise will be operating in a patchwork of public cloud, private cloud, containers, and edge environments. When apps need to talk to each other securely, or when data must move quickly and reliably to support analytics and AI, that fragmentation will become a real liability. Teams are already discovering that traditional networking and legacy failover approaches simply don’t work at multi-cloud scale. The complexity isn’t slowing down – so the resiliency architecture and network connectivity has to evolve to match the world we’re deploying into.

What I expect to see in 2026 is a massive shift toward secure, lightweight, point-to-point connectivity models built on zero-trust principles. Companies need a way to ensure constant uptime, fast recovery, and secure movement of data across clouds without wrestling with brittle tunnels or static network overlays. High availability isn’t just about servers anymore – it’s about the entire distributed fabric staying resilient. Businesses will choose solutions that let them seamlessly failover across clouds, maintain jurisdictional control, and securely reach any resource from anywhere. That’s the only way to operate confidently in a multi-cloud world.”

Prediction 3: Disaster Recovery Moves From “Backup Plan” to “Active Architecture” 

“For years, disaster recovery has been the fire extinguisher in the hallway – something everyone pays for but hopes they’ll never have to touch. That thinking won’t make it through 2026. Regulators are tightening the screws in finance, healthcare, and government. Cloud regions are going dark without warning. Geopolitical tensions and climate disasters are taking entire data centers offline. The idea that a single cloud or region can keep you safe is becoming a dangerous illusion. Disruption isn’t the exception anymore. It’s the operating environment.

The companies that don’t get caught flat-footed will treat resilience as a living, breathing part of their architecture – not an afterthought. Cross-region and cross-cloud failover will shift from “nice to have” to the only sane way to run a business. And whether critical apps come back online fast enough will depend on secure, low-latency connections that don’t crumble under pressure. In 2026, resilience becomes a board-level concern. The organizations that invest in it now will be the ones still delivering uninterrupted services when everyone else is scrambling to recover.”

 DH2i today announced DH2i CTO OJ Ngo will join with Microsoft Principal Product Manager Amit Khandelwal to present a series of sessions on: SQL Server modernization; building highly available, production AI apps with Azure AI and Microsoft SQL Server 2025; and achieving SQL Server scalability and cost-efficiency with containers in the cloud at the upcoming PASS Data Community Summit 2025, taking place November 17-21. 

In addition, DH2i and some of its technology partners will also feature a diverse array of demos at booth #204 during the event. Topics include: 

1. How to unlock clustering/failover flexibility for SQL Server 2025 Availability Groups
2. Migrating on-prem SQL Server workloads to Elastic Kubernetes Service
3. Clustering Windows and Linux SQL Server together
4. Mixed Kubernetes cloud AG deployments containing AKS, EKS, & GKE
5. Setting up DR frameworks between on-prem, Azure, and EC2

Details on the joint DH2i and Microsoft expert-led sessions are as follows: 

Session Title: 

How to Migrate SQL Server Workloads to Red Hat OpenShift with DxEnterprise

When & Where: 

November 19, 10:15 AM-10:45 AM, Room 442

Session Abstract: 

As organizations seek to modernize their infrastructure and improve SQL Server scalability, many are turning to containerization and orchestration platforms like Red Hat OpenShift. Migrating existing SQL Server workloads to these new environments can be complex and daunting, especially when the task at-hand involves migrating cross-platform from Windows to Linux for the first time. 

In this step-by-step demonstration, we’ll show you how you can deploy a secure, cross-platform SQL Server Availability Group (AG) that seamlessly spans from an on-premises Windows Server node to a newly created OpenShift cluster in Azure. We’ll automate the deployment of this unique AG using DxEnterprise’s SQL Server Operator for Kubernetes, and be sure to demonstrate: 

• AG customization – The ability to control # of replicas, async or sync replication, etc. 
• The speedy workload migration from Windows to OpenShift using AG  
• Fully automatic, database-level HA for the new OpenShift workload with DxEnterprise 

If your organization has any SQL Server modernization ambitions at all and is eyeing OpenShift as a potential hub for virtualization and container orchestration, make this session a priority. You’ll leave with an actionable understanding of an easy, secure, and highly available approach to OpenShift migration.

Session Title: 

How to Build a Secure & Resilient Data Estate for SQL Server-Backed AI Apps

When & Where: 

November 20, 10:15 AM-11:15 AM, Rooms 347-348

Session Abstract: 

The impending release of SQL Server 2025 and its support for vector databases unlocks a brand-new pathway into the ‘Age of AI’ for organizations across countless verticals. In the same way, it provides a robust and reliable database alternative for organizations that have already endeavored into the creation of their own AI applications. Regardless of the chosen technology, only AI databases architected with a keen focus on scalability, security, and resilience will meet the dynamic needs of modern enterprises. 

Join this demo-centric presentation to be shown step-by-step how your organization can leverage Azure AI, Microsoft SQL Server 2025, and DH2i to build a comprehensive solution for deploying enterprise AI at scale. We’ll show you how you can use a SQL Server Operator to automate the deployment of an Availability Group in Kubernetes, providing an optimally scalable, secure, and highly available database backbone for your AI applications. Additionally, we’ll demonstrate fully automatic failover of an AI workload between Kubernetes replicas—a non-negotiable capability for achieving maximum resiliency. 

Attendees will leave with a full, actionable framework for building highly available, production AI apps with Azure AI, Microsoft SQL Server 2025, and DH2i.

Session Title: 

How to Provision a SQL Server Availability Group Cluster in AKS/EKS

When & Where:

November 21, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, Rooms 347-348

Session Abstract: 

The path to true high availability for critical SQL Server workloads in the cloud has never been for the faint of heart. For organizations pursuing further modernization by deploying containers in the cloud, the complexity is dialed up even further. Until now…

Join this presentation for a step-by-step demonstration showing you two different approaches your organization can employ to drastically simplify the deployment of secure and highly available SQL Server containers in the cloud:

• Approach 1: Use a DxEnterprise Helm chart and StatefulSets to deploy a 3-replica AG in AKS/EKS.
• Approach 2: Use DxEnterprise’s SQL Server Operator to automate the deployment of a customized Availability Group (AG) containing three replicas in AKS/EKS.

Both approaches to SQL Server container deployment in EKS/AKS are executable in minutes, and they integrate powerful proprietary benefits like:

• SQL Server sidecar containers to avoid custom image/support headaches
• Fully automatic failover for SQL Server Availability Groups in Kubernetes
• Zero trust network access tunnels to securely connect any replica, anywhere

A clear path has been paved to peak SQL Server scalability and cost-efficiency with containers in the cloud. Join this session to see how you can get there without sacrificing network security and high availability.

About the Speakers: 

OJ Ngo, CTO, DH2i 

With over two decades of experience in IT, Thanh “OJ” Ngo is a seasoned technologist and inventor dedicated to streamlining processes and finding creative solutions to everyday technical problems. As co-founder and principal architect of DH2i Company’s core technology, OJ brings his unique blend of technical expertise and innovative thinking to the development of groundbreaking solutions that transform the way organizations approach IT challenges.

Amit Khandelwal, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft

Amit Khandelwal is a Principal Product Manager at Microsoft with over 15 years of experience. He has played a key role in the development of SQL Server on Linux, contributing significantly to Microsoft’s cross-platform solutions. Currently, he oversees SQL Server on Linux and containers. With over a decade of database experience, he has designed SQL Server-based data platforms for Tier 1 customers across diverse business segments.

 DH2i today announced the release of a new hands-on tutorial titled, “Build a Test Lab for SQL Server 2025 on Kubernetes Using Minikube” that provides developers, database professionals, and other IT professionals with a practical, self-paced tool for experimenting, testing, and learning about Kubernetes and DH2i’s DxOperator technology.

In DH2i’s new tutorial, minikube serves as the foundation for building a personal, hands-on Kubernetes lab environment – right on the user’s own personal laptop, and in doing so, it provides:

– Accessible learning environment:

• Users can explore Kubernetes concepts without needing access to a corporate or cloud cluster
• It spins up a single-node Kubernetes cluster locally, so users can experiment freely without risking production systems

– Skills development & other practical applications:

• Users naturally gain familiarity with Kubernetes fundamentals as they create clusters, deploy containers, and execute kubectl commands
• These same skills are also directly applicable when managing enterprise-scale clusters on platforms like Amazon EKS and Azure Kubernetes Service

Tutorial Resources:

Video: https://dh2i.com/deploy-sql-server-ag-dxoperator-minikube/

Blog: https://dh2i.com/blog/build-sql-server-kubernetes-test-lab-minikube/

 DH2i today announced two major Red Hat certifications that solidify its position as the gold standard for SQL Server high availability across hybrid infrastructure.

DxEnterprise Certified for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9.6

DH2i’s flagship high availability (HA) platform DxEnterprise® is now officially certified for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9.6, enabling organizations to deploy and cluster SQL Server across bare metal and virtual machines (VMs) with Red Hat-validated confidence.

With this certification, now visible in the Red Hat Ecosystem Catalog, organizations gain:

• Certified HA automation across physical and virtual environments

Fully automatic failover, intelligent load balancing, and integrated monitoring

• Built-in Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) with Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP) tunneling

Eliminates the need for VPNs and locks down workloads at the application level

• Freedom to mix SQL Server versions and OS platforms

Cluster Windows and RHEL-based SQL Server instances under one HA framework

DxOperator Now Certified for Red Hat OpenShift

DH2i’s DxOperator, its SQL Server operator bundled with DxEnterprise and preferred by Microsoft for Kubernetes deployments, is now officially certified for Red Hat OpenShift. You can find it in the Red Hat Ecosystem Catalog here.

This certification enables customers to:

• Streamline SQL Server container deployment on OpenShift within DxEnterprise’s HA framework

Including fully automated failover for SQL Server Availability Groups in OpenShift, a capability no other high availability solution delivers

• Deploy SQL Server containers in a sidecar configuration (one container image for DxEnterprise, and a separate container image for SQL Server within the same pod) No custom image support headaches to deal with
  
• Stretch SQL Server OpenShift clusters across clouds, regions, and sites using secure SDP tunnels

Unified HA Across Bare Metal, VMs, and Containers

With DxEnterprise certified for RHEL 9.6 and DxOperator certified for OpenShift, DH2i unlocks the unparalleled ability to mix and match instances, containers, platforms, and infrastructure for organizations.

In other words, Red Hat users leveraging DH2i’s technology can cluster RHEL 9.6 nodes alongside SQL Server containers in OpenShift – all within a single unified HA framework managed from one control plane.

Quick Start Resources

• DxEnterprise Installation on RHEL 9.6: https://support.dh2i.com/docs/guides/dxenterprise/installation/dxe-linux-qsg/
  
• Deploying DxOperator on OpenShift: https://support.dh2i.com/dxoperator/guides/dxesqlag-openshift/

 DH2i® recently announced the upcoming release of its flagship DxEnterprise software’s full readiness for public preview release of Microsoft SQL Server 2025. Designed with today’s and the future’s AI-driven, dynamic businesses in mind, this update gives both customers and channel partners the power to tackle next-gen workloads with unmatched flexibility, reliability, and ease.

With this release, DxEnterprise not only continues its tradition of seamless high availability and disaster recovery (HA/DR) across Windows, Linux, and Kubernetes, but also delivers full readiness for public preview release of SQL Server 2025 including advanced AI and scalability features. This includes maintaining high availability for databases support embeddings and function as vector stores. This ideally positions DH2i channel partners to guide customers through modernization initiatives, deploy end-to-end resilient infrastructures, and elevate their standing as strategic advisors offering the most innovative data management solutions available.

With DxEnterprise’s support for the public preview release of SQL Server 2025, enterprise end customers can now confidently build and run AI apps in development environments across any mix of infrastructure, including on-prem, cloud, hybrid, and Kubernetes environments. Once SQL Server 2025 is GA, customers will be able to take this capability straight to their mission-critical production environments. This release removes longstanding roadblocks related to deploying SQL Server Availability Groups (AGs) in containers, maintaining HA for vector databases, and scaling securely with the latest platform innovations. It enables organizations to embrace modern workloads like Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and operational AI with the assurance of continuous uptime, simplified failover, and seamless integration with their existing HA/DR strategies. In short, enterprises can now modernize faster, innovate more freely, and meet aggressive AI and digital transformation goals, while maintaining the rock-solid reliability their businesses demand.

Key updates include:

• SQL Server 2025 Ready – Ensures compatibility with the AI-ready, mission-critical RDBMS reimagined for the cloud and fabric era
• Vector Database HA Support – Unlocks reliable deployment of AI applications with embedded semantic search, vector indexes, and RAG pipelines
• DH2i DxOperator Enhancements – One of the most efficient Kubernetes-native SQL Server Availability Group deployment methods – now fully aligned with SQL Server 2025’s peak performance ambitions
• AG HA for Kubernetes – This solution provides fully automated failover for SQL Server AGs on Kubernetes

With AI workloads becoming the new norm and the push toward containerization and hybrid infrastructure accelerating, DxEnterprise’s new capabilities will empower organizations to not only keep up, but lead.

 DH2i recently announced the upcoming release of its flagship DxEnterprise software’s full readiness for public preview release of Microsoft SQL Server 2025. Designed with today’s and the future’s AI-driven, dynamic businesses in mind, this update gives both customers and channel partners the power to tackle next-gen workloads with unmatched flexibility, reliability, and ease.

With this release, DxEnterprise not only continues its tradition of seamless high availability and disaster recovery (HA/DR) across Windows, Linux, and Kubernetes, but also delivers full readiness for public preview release of SQL Server 2025 including advanced AI and scalability features. This includes maintaining high availability for databases support embeddings and function as vector stores. This ideally positions DH2i channel partners to guide customers through modernization initiatives, deploy end-to-end resilient infrastructures, and elevate their standing as strategic advisors offering the most innovative data management solutions available.

With DxEnterprise’s support for the public preview release of SQL Server 2025, enterprise end customers can now confidently build and run AI apps in development environments across any mix of infrastructure, including on-prem, cloud, hybrid, and Kubernetes environments. Once SQL Server 2025 is GA, customers will be able to take this capability straight to their mission-critical production environments. This release removes longstanding roadblocks related to deploying SQL Server Availability Groups (AGs) in containers, maintaining HA for vector databases, and scaling securely with the latest platform innovations. It enables organizations to embrace modern workloads like Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and operational AI with the assurance of continuous uptime, simplified failover, and seamless integration with their existing HA/DR strategies. In short, enterprises can now modernize faster, innovate more freely, and meet aggressive AI and digital transformation goals, while maintaining the rock-solid reliability their businesses demand.

Key updates include:

• SQL Server 2025 Ready – Ensures compatibility with the AI-ready, mission-critical RDBMS reimagined for the cloud and fabric era
• Vector Database HA Support – Unlocks reliable deployment of AI applications with embedded semantic search, vector indexes, and RAG pipelines
• DH2i DxOperator Enhancements – One of the most efficient Kubernetes-native SQL Server Availability Group deployment methods – now fully aligned with SQL Server 2025’s peak performance ambitions
• AG HA for Kubernetes – This solution provides fully automated failover for SQL Server AGs on Kubernetes

With AI workloads becoming the new norm and the push toward containerization and hybrid infrastructure accelerating, DxEnterprise’s new capabilities will empower organizations to not only keep up, but lead.

DH2i has announced its participation in SUSECON 2025, taking place March 10-14 in Orlando, Florida. DH2i, alongside technology leaders from Microsoft and SUSE, will present two sessions focused on building secure, resilient data platforms. The first, an in-person breakout session at the conference, will showcase how to optimize SQL Server 2025 and SUSE Rancher to create a unified, scalable data platform across containers, physical, and virtual machines (VMs) with DH2i’s DxEnterprise. The second, a pre-recorded session made available at the conclusion of the conference, will provide a step-by-step guide to deploying highly available AI applications using SUSE AI & BCI, Microsoft SQL Server, and DH2i DxEnterprise.

In-Person Breakout Session:

• Date/Time: Thursday, March 13th, 11:00 am – 11:50 am ET
• Presenters:
• OJ Ngo, CTO and Co-Founder, DH2i
• Abduallah Mamun, Senior Product Manager | Azure Data, Microsoft
• Terry L. Smith Director, Global Alliances Solutions, Suse
• Session Title: “Harnessing SQL Server 2025 and SUSE Rancher for a Unified Data Platform Across Containers, Physical, and Virtual Machines with DH2i’s DxOperator”
• Abstract: Build a data environment that is cross-platform, spanning across virtual machines, physical machines, and containers in different environments. In this session, we will deploy SQL Server containers across Azure Kubernetes Service and other Kubernetes platforms using the DH2i Operator, managing the entire deployment with SUSE’s Rancher. With the release of SQL Server 2025, we will also showcase the vector search capability, enabling semantic search natively for your databases. If you are a database developer, engineer, or administrator looking to modernize your data estate, this session is for you. We will highlight new developer features in SQL Server 2025, making it easier to work with JSON, Parquet, and traditional relational data within the same environment. Additionally, we will cover how SUSE Rancher can be used to manage and administer Kubernetes clusters, ensuring efficient and streamlined operations in an all-Kubernetes environment. Join us to discover best practices, tips, and tools for optimizing your SQL Server container deployments in a hybrid cloud landscape.

Pre-Recorded Session (Viewable after SUSECON):

• Presenters:
• OJ Ngo, CTO and Co-Founder, DH2i
• Amit Khandelwal, Principal Product Manager | Data Platform – SQL Server, Microsoft
• Terry L. Smith Director, Global Alliances Solutions, Suse
• Session Title: “How to Build a Secure and Resilient Production Environment for Your AI Applications”
• Abstract: In today’s AI-driven world, swift and seamless transitions from development to enterprise deployment are essential, along with reliable high availability (HA) for databases supporting AI apps. In this demo-packed session, Ngo, Khandelwal, and Smith will guide IT teams step-by-step in building a comprehensive solution architecture for deploying enterprise AI at scale. They will use SUSE AI & Base Container Image (BCI) for a secure, feature-rich foundation, Microsoft SQL Server as a flexible and secure database backbone, and DH2i DxEnterprise for infrastructure-agnostic HA/DR. Attendees will leave with an actionable framework for building highly available, production AI apps on the SUSE platform using Microsoft SQL Server and DH2i, and an understanding of the benefits of SUSE tools like Rancher, NeuVector, and StackState.

SUSECON, taking place from March 10-14 in Orlando, promises to be a must-attend event for IT professionals, developers, and business leaders eager to explore the latest advancements in open-source solutions. With a focus on innovation, collaboration, and the future of enterprise technology, the conference will feature a dynamic lineup of keynote speakers, hands-on workshops, and engaging breakout sessions. Attendees will gain insights into topics such as cloud-native transformation, edge computing, and containerization while networking with industry leaders and peers. To learn more, please visit: https://www.suse.com/susecon/.

By Josh Achtemeier

Our collaborations with technology partners over the years have been critical in engineering the most flexible and impactful software solutions for our customers. 

DH2i has worked in different capacities with Microsoft for years. We’ve maintained a collaborative, mutually-beneficial relationship that has fostered some massive advances in SQL Server high availability technology, especially in the Linux space. E.g. DH2i’s groundbreaking SQL Server Operator for Kubernetes has become Microsoft’s officially recommended SQL Server Operator, even receiving dedicated documentation articles within their SQL Server resource library. 

Over the last couple years, we have started working closely with the fantastic team over at SUSE as well—pioneering some powerful new solutions to facilitate SQL Server modernization with unparalleled ease. E.g. Take a look at this demo video featuring DxOperator and Rancher Prime to facilitate the easiest possible approach to a SQL Server Kubernetes deployment in AKS.  

From robust, certified platforms to meticulously developed Kubernetes orchestration and security technologies, SUSE provides perfectly complementary capabilities to enhance our existing solution stories with Microsoft. The functional possibilities and applications of our combined solution portfolios are wide-ranging, but this blog will focus on the ability of our three companies to unlock easy deployment of highly available SQL Server in the cloud with Microsoft Azure, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES), and DxEnterprise. 

A Full Suite of Services and Security for Cloud Databases 

Microsoft Azure: Azure is Microsoft’s public cloud platform, which provides a wide range of services, including computing, storage, networking, and database management. Azure supports various operating systems, including SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES). 

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server: SUSE is an open-source software company that offers a range of products, including the SLES operating system. SLES is a popular choice for enterprise environments due to its stability, security, and scalability. 

DxEnterprise: DxEnterprise is Smart High Availability Clustering software developed by DH2i, which provides an easy-to-mange, flexible, secure, and highly available clustering framework for managing SQL Server databases on Windows, Linux, and Kubernetes.  

When used together, Azure, SLES, and DxEnterprise can provide a robust solution for deploying and managing highly available databases in the cloud. Here’s how they work together: 

1. Azure as the cloud platform: Azure provides the underlying infrastructure for deploying and running SLES virtual machines (VMs) or containers. 
2. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server: SLES is installed on Azure VMs or used as a container runtime, providing a stable and secure operating system environment for running databases. 
3. DxEnterprise: DxEnterprise is deployed on top of SLES, providing a high availability framework that can manage multiple database instances across the Azure (and any mix of) infrastructure. 

The benefits of using Azure, SUSE, and DxEnterprise together include: 

1. Scalability: Azure provides a scalable cloud infrastructure that can be effortlessly integrated with the DxEnterprise HA management framework, regardless of region or Availability Zone. 
2. High availability: DxEnterprise ensures high availability of databases by providing real-time monitoring, load balancing, and automatic failover (for instances AND containers) to ensure that workloads are always running in their respective best execution venues. 
3. Security: SLES provides a secure operating system environment, while DxEnterprise offers the additional capability of encrypted, app-level zero trust network access connections across any mix of clouds and infrastructure. 
4. Simplified management: DxEnterprise simplifies high availability management by providing a unified platform for managing multiple database instances across Azure and any mix of infrastructure or platforms. 

Use Cases for the Azure, SLES, & DxEnterprise Solution Stack 

Some possible use cases for using Azure, SUSE, and DxEnterprise together include: 

1. Database consolidation: Consolidate multiple databases into a single DxEnterprise high availability cluster running on SLES in Azure.
2. Easy Multi-Site DR in the Cloud: If organizations need the real-time replication provided by Always-On Availability Groups (AGs), DxEnterprise can be used to easily stretch the AG across multiple Azure regions or availability zones, ensuring high availability and disaster recovery capabilities between sites.
3. Cloud migration: Migrate on-premises databases to Azure using DxEnterprise and SLES, taking advantage of proprietary tools like DxEnterprise’s SQL Server Operator for Kubernetes.

For organizations looking to deploy highly available SQL Server in the cloud, it’s impossible to outdo the benefits provided by Azure cloud infrastructure and its tight, out-of-the-box integration with SQL Server. Microsoft and SUSE’s longstanding partnership has culminated in an incredibly stable and secure operating system environment with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. And SLES provides a cost-effective platform that is inherently optimized for SQL Server workloads. Lastly, DxEnterprise delivers the perfect high availability solution to manage all your workloads across Azure—instances or containers—and easily unifies mixed infrastructure and multi-site deployments for disaster recovery. 

Together, Azure, SLES, and DxEnterprise provide the go-to solution stack for deploying and managing SQL Server databases in the cloud. Their close integration and robust management capabilities stand head and shoulders above the competition in terms of scalability, high availability, and security.

Check out other resources detailing Microsoft, SUSE, and DH2i’s continued collaborations below:

• SUSE Blog: Unlock the Easiest Path to HA SQL Server in Kubernetes
• Joint Webinar: Unlock Fast and Secure Container Deployment with the SQL Server Operator for Kubernetes