Design and deploy SAP workloads into availability sets and availability zones

To pass the AZ-120 Planning and Administering Azure for SAP Workloads exam, one must have a clear understanding of how to design and deploy SAP workloads into availability sets and availability zones. This article walks through the basics and some key differences between these two offerings.

Availability Sets

An Availability Set is a logical grouping of VMs (Virtual Machines) that allow Azure to understand how applications are built to provide redundancy and availability. They are designed to keep your applications available during host upgrades, network failures, and unplanned downtimes. It utilizes two fundamental Azure features: fault domains (FD) and update domains (UD).

Fault domains define the physical separation of a server and network switch to minimize localized hardware failures from impacting your service. On the other hand, update domains are used during the planned maintenance windows. They assure that at least one instance of your application remains running as Azure proceeds with these operations.

Therefore, for SAP NetWeaver-based systems running in Azure VM, a minimum of two VMs should be placed within an availability set.

An example of such set up would be as follows:

var availabilitySet = new Microsoft.Azure.Management.Compute.Models.AvailabilitySet
{
Location = location,
PlatformFaultDomainCount = faultDomainCount,
PlatformUpdateDomainCount = updateDomainCount
};

Availability Zones

Availability Zones, on the other hand, are unique physical locations within an Azure region. Each zone is made up of one or more data centres with independent power, cooling, and networking. This offers an added layer of protection, in case of data centre failure. Couple this with Azure platform’s automatic replication, and your SAP applications can run uninterrupted in the face of most failures.

The following example code illustrates how to create a VM in an availability zone:

var vmParams = new VirtualMachine
{
Location = location,
AvailabilitySet = new SubResource { Id = availabilitySetId },
HardwareProfile = new HardwareProfile { VmSize = size },
NetworkProfile = networkProfile,
StorageProfile = storageProfile,
OsProfile = osProfile
};

Availability Sets vs Zones

While both availability sets and availability zones offer redundancy and high availability, their scope and use cases do differ.

To put it in simple terms, availability sets ensure your applications survive machine and rack-level failures. On the other hand, availability zones guard your apps against entire data centre failures.

For SAP deployments on Azure, both strategies could be utilized depending on the architecture and projected use.

It is important to decide upfront whether to use availability sets or availability zones since the change from one to another requires recreation of the VM. Therefore, understanding these concepts thoroughly is essential to ensure efficient and resilient deployment of SAP workloads on Azure and for mastering the AZ-120 Exam.

Practice Test

True or False: SAP workloads can be deployed into Availability Sets in Azure.

• True
• False

Answer: True

Explanation: Azure Availability Sets are a way to ensure that your application is available during planned or unplanned maintenance. They are an essential strategy for the successful deployment of SAP workloads into Azure.

Which of the following can be used to design and deploy SAP workloads in Azure?

• a. Availability Sets
• b. Availability Zones
• c. Both Availability Sets and Availability Zones
• d. Neither Availability Sets nor Availability Zones

Answer: c. Both Availability Sets and Availability Zones

Explanation: These two are fault-tolerant virtual machine placement strategies that Azure provides to ensure high availability and disaster recovery protection for SAP deployments in Azure.

True or False: You cannot use both Availability Sets and Availability Zones together.

• True
• False

Answer: False

Explanation: While you cannot add a VM to both an Availability Zone and an Availability Set, you can design a setup where some parts use an Availability Zone and others use an Availability Set.

Which of the following are created automatically when deploying SAP workloads in Azure?

• a. Availability Zones
• b. Availability Sets
• c. Both
• d. Neither

Answer: a. Availability Zones

Explanation: Availability zones are physical locations within an Azure region, they already exist and are not created during deployment.

True or False: Availability Sets in Azure help to decrease downtime during planned and unplanned events.

• True
• False

Answer: True

Explanation: Availability Sets manage the update and fault domains of the VMs, ensuring that at least one instance of your application remains accessible during such events.

Which of the following protects from failures that could affect the entire data center in Azure?

• a. Availability Sets
• b. Availability Zones
• c. Both
• d. Neither

Answer: b. Availability Zones

Explanation: Availability Zones are separate physical locations within an Azure region. Each zone is made up of one or more data centers, providing redundant power, cooling, and networking.

You can assign a VM to both an Availability Set and Availability Zone simultaneously.

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: b. False

Explanation: You cannot add a virtual machine to both an Availability Set and Availability Zone. They’re mutually exclusive.

Is it beneficial to deploy SAP workloads across multiple availability zones for redundancy?

• a. True
• b. False

Answer: a. True

Explanation: Deploying SAP workloads across multiple availability zones ensures that if one zone fails, the workload can continue running in another, ensuring high availability and business continuity.

True or False: SAP workloads cannot be deployed into Availability Sets if they are distributed across more than one Azure region.

• True
• False

Answer: False

Explanation: The deployment of SAP workloads into Availability Sets is not dependent on the number of Azure regions. However, deploying across multiple regions can provide added data resilience and disaster recovery capabilities.

Which Azure feature can be utilized for a geographic distribution of SAP workloads?

• a. Geo-redundant storage
• b. Resource groups
• c. Traffic Manager
• d. Both a & c

Answer: d. Both a & c

Explanation: Both Geo-redundant storage and Traffic Manager can be utilized for geographic distribution. It allows for replication of data to a secondary region and directs user traffic to the region that provides the fastest performance.

Interview Questions

What are Availability Sets and how do they help in ensuring high availability for SAP workloads in Azure?

Availability Sets are a way to ensure that VM instances are placed in different physical hardware to protect against failures and help maintain performance during planned maintenance events.

How do Availability Zones contribute to ensuring resilience for SAP workloads in Azure?

Availability Zones are physically separate and distinct locations within an Azure region, each with its own independent power, cooling, and networking. By deploying SAP workloads across multiple Availability Zones, users can achieve high availability and resiliency against regional outages.

Can an SAP workload be deployed across multiple Availability Zones within the same region?

Yes, SAP workloads can be deployed across multiple Availability Zones within the same region to provide redundancy and fault tolerance for critical applications.

What is the primary goal of deploying SAP workloads across Availability Zones in Azure?

The primary goal is to ensure high availability and resilience for SAP applications, minimizing downtime and offering fault tolerance in case of failures.

How can you design a network configuration to accommodate SAP workloads across Availability Zones for optimal performance in Azure?

By configuring network security groups, load balancers, and ExpressRoute connections across Availability Zones, you can ensure seamless communication and performance for SAP workloads.

What is the recommended approach for designing network security for SAP workloads across Availability Zones in Azure?

Implementing network security groups, firewalls, and implementing Azure DDoS Protection are recommended to safeguard SAP workloads from potential threats and vulnerabilities.

Can you explain how to monitor SAP workloads deployed across multiple Availability Zones in Azure?

Using Azure Monitor and Azure Security Center, you can keep track of the performance, availability, and security of SAP workloads deployed across multiple Availability Zones.

What are the key considerations for disaster recovery planning when deploying SAP workloads across Availability Zones in Azure?

Setting up geo-redundant backups, implementing cross-region replication, and regularly testing failover procedures are key considerations for disaster recovery planning when deploying SAP workloads across Availability Zones in Azure.

How can you ensure compliance with regulatory requirements while deploying SAP workloads across Availability Zones in Azure?

By leveraging Azure Policy, Azure Security Center, and Azure Blueprint, you can ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and security standards when deploying SAP workloads across Availability Zones.

What are the benefits of leveraging Azure Site Recovery for SAP workloads across Availability Zones in Azure?

Azure Site Recovery provides automated protection and replication, ensuring that SAP workloads across Availability Zones are backed up and can be quickly recovered in case of disasters or outages.