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SQL Compliance Manager provides auditing of the AlwaysOn-configured database and audits the events on the alwayson AlwaysOn database along with the failovers.

How AlwaysOn integrates with SQL

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Compliance Manager

There are two scenarios of how SQL Compliance Manager can work with AlwaysOn availability group databases:

• Listener. Use this scenario when you want to audit a listener (virtual SQL server instance) that works only with a node in the PRIMARY role.
• Nodes. Use this scenario when you want to audit every node that can be in PRIMARY or SECONDARY roles. Note that the secondary role is read-only.

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Understanding the Listener scenario

Configuring the Listener scenario

The Listener scenario is recommended for users who want to audit ONLY ALWAYS ON databases on PRIMARY node over LISTENER. In case if users need to audit read-only SECONDARY nodes, they should choose ‘Nodes’ Scenario.

Users must follow these steps for all nodes involved into always on group before adding listener to SQL CM console application for auditing:

1. Run the IderaSQLcmInstallationKit*.exe setup file.
2. Extract the SQL Compliance Manager installation kit to the specified directory, and then launch it. SQL CM displays the product Quick Start window.
3. In the Quick Start window, click Cluster Configuration Console. SQL CM displays the Cluster Configuration Setup Wizard.
4. Follow the steps in the Setup Wizard to configure for cluster support.
5. to see the Cluster Configuration Console is running:
6. Press ‘Add Service’ button to specify the listener (Virtual SQL instance name, in this case it is ‘aoaglistener’) for ‘SQL Server’ and press ‘Next >’ button.

NOTE: Press ‘Yes’ button if below dialog window appears. Doing this users confirm that SQL Server instance will be hosted on Windows Failover Cluster. For always on configuration of listener this is the correct behavior:

1. Specify ‘Collection Server computer’ (where SQL CM product is installed) and left click ‘Next >’ button:

1. Specify an account with Administrator privileges that a cluster agent service will be run with. It is recommended to use the same account which a collection service is run with on the ‘Collection Server computer’. Left click ‘Next >‘ button:

1. Specify ‘Trace Directory’ for the cluster agent service. Be sure that the administrator account, specified for the cluster agent service, has read/write permissions for this folder. Left click ‘Next >‘ button:

1. Specify ‘Assembly Directory’ for the cluster agent service. Be sure that the administrator account, specified for the cluster agent service, has read/write permissions for this folder. Left click ‘Next >‘ button:

1. Left click ‘Finish’ button:

NOTE: Press ‘Yes’ button if below dialog window appears. Doing this users confirm that SQL Server instance will be hosted on Windows Failover Cluster. For always on configuration of listener this is the correct behavior:

1. The following dialog window message notes to do the above steps for all nodes involved into the always on availability groups and register the cluster service agent as a shared resource. Left click ‘OK’ button and repeat the steps from 1 to 9 for the rest nodes:

1. The added listener is shown below:

1. After cluster agent services were installed on all nodes, run ‘Failover Cluster Manager’ and select the cluster service group created for cluster agent service (see the screenshot below, in this case it is ‘AGroup01’):

1. Select the resource of the cluster service group in ‘Server Name’ section (in this case it is ‘aoaglistener’). Left click the ‘Properties’ item from the context menu. In the opened window, click the ‘Dependencies’ tab.  Ensure the resource listener ‘IP Address’ dependency is added (see the screenshot below):

1. Select the resource of the cluster service group in ‘Other Resources’ section (in this case it is ‘AGroup01’). Left click the ‘Properties’ item from the context menu. In the opened window, click the ‘Dependencies’ tab. Ensure the resource listener ‘Name’ dependency is added (see the screenshot below):

1. 15.   Left click the ‘Add a resource’ | ‘4 – Generic Service’ item from the context menu of the cluster service group created for cluster agent service:

1. In the opened ‘Select Service’ page of the ‘New Resource’ wizard select the cluster service agent. Cluster service name should be displayed like ‘SQLcomplianceAgent$[listener name]’ where [listener name] is a virtual SQL server name. In this case it is ‘SQLcomplianceAgent$AOAGLISTENER’. Left click ‘Next >’ button.

1. Left click ‘Next >’ button, until ‘Summary’ page of the ‘New Resource’ wizard will be opened.

1. Left click ‘Finish’ button to close the ‘New Resource’ wizard.

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Review the following links to configure AlwaysOn Availability Groups:

Configuring Listener scenario:

1. Install cluster agent services on all Listener nodes using the SQL Compliance Manager Cluster Configuration Console
2. Install cluster agent services on all Listener nodes using the Failover Cluster Manager
3. Add the Listener to SQL Compliance Manager 

Configuring Nodes scenario: 

• Manually deploy the SQL Compliance Manager Agent

Ensure to review additional information to start working with AlwaysOn Availability Groups:

• Removing a Listener from SQL Compliance Manager 
• Exporting/importing audit settings for all AlwaysOn nodes
• Removing an AlwaysOn node from SQL Compliance Manager 

1. The ‘SQLcomplianceAgent$[listener name]’ cluster service need to be online (see the screenshot below):

1. Select the ‘SQLcomplianceAgent$[listener name]’ cluster service (in this case it is ‘SQLcomplianceAgent$AOAGLISTENER’) in the ‘Other Resources’ section. Left click the ‘Properties’ item from the context menu. In the opened window, click the ‘Dependencies’ tab. Ensure the resource ‘Agroup01’ dependency is added (see the screenshot below):

1. Go to the ‘Registry Replication’ tab and click the ‘Add’ button. Specify ‘SOFTWARE\Idera\SQLcompliance’ registry key value. Press ‘OK’ button.

1. Press ‘OK’ button to close the ‘Properties’ of ‘SQLcomplianceAgent$[listener name]’ cluster service.

1. Run SQLCM console application and open ‘Add Server’ wizard for [listener name] (virtual SQL server name, in this case ‘AOAGLISTENER’). Click ‘Next’ button.

1. Check ‘This SQL Server instance is hosted by a Microsoft SQL Server Cluster virtual server.’ check-box. This makes a [listener name] (in this case ‘AOAGLISTENER’) to be a virtual SQL server name. Press ‘Next’ button:

1. Ensure the ‘Manually Deploy’ radio button is chosen (it is available for virtual SQL servers). Press ‘Next’ button.

1. Select always on database (in this case ‘TestBase’). Press ‘Next’ button.

1. Users should see the information about all nodes where always on database will be replicated (see the screenshot below). If database is not always on, this screen will be skipped.

1. Choose audit collection level and follow all necessary steps.

1. Ensure that all permissions checks are passed (see the screenshot below).

1. Press ‘Finish’ button to finish the server adding.

1. The added SQL server with database like on the screenshot below need to be seen.

1. Make all necessary audit settings for listener and always on databases, then update configuration and collect data. It is recommended to update configuration before collecting data because users don’t know which node is primary at the moment of use. This can be done by clicking the ‘Refresh’ item from the node context menu.

SQL Compliance Manager audits all activity on your server. Learn more > >

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