Does SQL Clone support create clones against an AlwaysOn Availability Group

RyanDailey

We're looking into potentially setting up one of our non-production environments to be in an AlwaysOn Availability Group.  We'd like to be able to create clones in this AG environment.  The images would be from production backups.  It looks like there is some competing information on whether this setup would work or not.

The FAQ page says: "Can clones participate in availability groups?

 A clone could act as a primary AG replica, but secondary replicas will use the full amount of disk space. Clones cannot be secondary AG replicas."
The Limitations page says: "Clones cannot be created into failover clusters or availability groups, or inside containers."

Some clarification on this would be much appreciated.  

Eddie D

Hi,
Thank you for your forum post. 

It does appear that the FAQ information contradicts the Limitations page and I will need to discuss this with colleagues.

For me, the Limitations page is the document of truth and I have always advised SQL Clone users, that Clones cannot be created on failover clusters or availability groups and inside containers.

The key word in the FAQ page  is COULD.  A clone could act as a primary AG replica, but secondary replicas will use the full amount of disk space. Clones cannot be secondary AG replicas."

I suspect that some testing may have occurred in the past, where a Primary AG replica was created successfully as a clone. But the Secondary replicas could not be created or if created, were no longer clones but normal databases.  Which somewhat negates the use of having a Cloned database.

Many Thanks
Eddie