Simplified High Availability for SQL Server on RHEL 9.6 with DxEnterprise
Near-Zero Downtime on Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Organizations are increasingly running Microsoft SQL Server on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9.6 to benefit from the security, scalability, flexibility, and performance of the most feature-rich Linux platform to-date. Specifically, this RHEL release introduces some key features and enhancements like:
- Expanded FIPS 140-3 cryptography support, improved SELinux policy tools
- Updated Podman for OCI-compliant container management, improved Kubernetes integration
- Optimized NVMe storage performance, enhanced database ecosystem support
- Ansible-core 2.16, streamlined system roles for configuration
RHEL 9.6 provides a robust foundation for high availability in mission-critical SQL Server environments. As these workloads grow in complexity, managing Availability Groups, failover clusters, and disaster recovery demands greater simplification and automation.
Key Challenges
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Cluster setup and management — This platform provides a strong foundation for SQL Server high availability, but configuring and maintaining complex FCI or AG environments can still require time-intensive manual work.
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Cross-site resiliency — The built-in HA framework is highly effective for local protection. However, extending SQL Server availability seamlessly across multiple sites or cloud platforms can present additional challenges.
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Operational efficiency — Coordinating HA and DR processes between SQL Server and Linux administration teams can be intricate, occasionally leading to inefficiencies or inconsistent policy enforcement.
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Failover performance — This platform provides dependable recovery mechanisms, but certain scenarios may still involve manual steps or longer recovery times during failover events.
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Resource optimization — Traditional HA designs often reserve standby nodes solely for failover purposes, leaving valuable compute capacity underutilized.
Solution: DxEnterprise Clustering on RHEL 9.6
DxEnterprise, now Red Hat-certified on RHEL 9.6, represents next-generation high availability for SQL Server. It is a standalone software solution that integrates seamlessly with SQL Server running on RHEL 9.6 to deliver enterprise-grade HA and cluster management. Combining automated failover, zero trust networking, and cross-platform flexibility, it ensures enterprises can run critical workloads securely, reliably, and at scale on Red Hat Enterprise Linux— along with any mix of platforms, instances, and containers that they choose. Capabilities include:
1. Simplified SQL Server Clustering
DxEnterprise leverages Vhost technology to enable SQL Server instances to be clustered with just a few commands, eliminating intricate Linux HA configuration.
2. Smarter Failover & Recovery
DxE automates SQL Server failover between RHEL 9.6 nodes using policy-based logic (priority, affinity, service dependencies). This minimizes downtime and ensures predictable recovery.
3. Cross-Site HA & Disaster Recovery
DxEnterprise enables stretched clusters across multiple RHEL 9.6 environments — on-premises, cloud, or hybrid. SQL Server workloads can easily failover between sites with near-zero downtime for both planned maintenance and unplanned outages.
4. Built-In Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP)
DxEnterprise comes fully outfitted with zero trust network access tunneling capability to securely connect cluster nodes from anywhere, to anywhere.
5. Centralized Management
DBAs and Linux admins manage SQL Server HA/DR through a single, unified DxEnterprise interface — reducing silos, drift, and administrative burden.
6. Proactive Resilience
Integrated monitoring, health checks, and auto-remediation allow DxEnterprise to detect SQL Server service degradation on RHEL 9.6 and heal issues before they become outages.
Cross-Industry Impact
DxEnterprise on RHEL 9.6 delivers consistent HA, automation, and security while reducing overall complexity. This empowers enterprises to modernize SQL Server deployments confidently across diverse industries:
- Finance: Reduces downtime risk, ensures transactional reliability
- Healthcare: Protects sensitive patient data and meets compliance mandates
- Retail: Maintains uninterrupted sales processing and inventory management
- Manufacturing: Enables continuous production monitoring and IoT integration
Benefits of DxEnterprise Clustering for RHEL 9.6
Maximized Uptime – Advanced monitoring minimizes risk while automated healing with intelligent failover/failback across RHEL 9.6 clusters and sites ensures near-zero downtime
Operational Efficiency – A single unified HA solution to manage your comprehensive SQL Server environment across RHEL 9.6 and any other mix of platforms you choose
Infrastructure Flexibility – Supports any physical, virtual, hybrid cloud and multi-site RHEL 9.6 deployments
Secure & Performant Networks – Users can securely connect all RHEL 9.6 cluster nodes (and any other platforms) across any infrastructure with up to 40% higher network throughput than alternative technologies like VPN
Cost Savings – Eliminates wasted standby resources and allows organizations to maximize server utilization