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Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
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🟡 Changes recommended
Unresolved walkthrough errors can produce invalid SQL and failed recovery through incorrect BACPAC restore instructions, incomplete TDE key exports, and missing replica configuration and storage prerequisites.
5 open issues
What changed in this PR
Adds a documentation-only appendix to the Azure Arc-enabled Kubernetes Challenge 04 walkthrough, explaining how Arc-enabled SQL Managed Instance differs from standalone SQL Server. The previously merged dashboard/template changes remain outside this PR.
Changes:
- Explains contained availability groups and instance-level configuration through port forwarding.
- Adds SQL configuration examples and Windows client guidance.
- Documents storage, recovery, and TDE behavior with Microsoft Learn references.
| File | Description |
|---|---|
03-Azure/01-03-Infrastructure/03_Hybrid_Azure_Arc_Kubernetes/walkthrough/challenge-04/solution-04.md |
Adds the platform-differences appendix while preserving challenge navigation. |
Review effort: Balanced
| > **Windows / PowerShell jump box notes** | ||
| > * If `sqlcmd` is missing, install go-sqlcmd with `winget install sqlcmd` and open a **new** shell so the updated `PATH` is picked up (or call it via its full path, e.g. `& "C:\Program Files\sqlcmd\sqlcmd.exe" ...`). | ||
| > * The legacy .NET Framework `System.Data.SqlClient` may fail the TLS pre-login handshake against SQL Server on Linux. Use **go-sqlcmd** (`-C` to trust the self-signed certificate) or the **VS Code mssql extension** (ODBC Driver 18) with **Trust Server Certificate = Yes** — connect it to `127.0.0.1,15330` through the same tunnel. | ||
| > * When creating `config.sql` from PowerShell, use a **double-quoted here-string** (`@" ... "@ | Set-Content -Encoding ascii`) so the single quotes in `N'...'` stay intact. A single-quoted here-string requires doubling every SQL quote (`''`) and, if written to the file un-collapsed, produces `Msg 102 Incorrect syntax near 'show'`. |
| ```bash | ||
| kubectl delete pod ${sqlmi_name}-0 -n $namespace # the operator recreates it automatically | ||
| ``` | ||
| * These settings are stored in the instance and persist across pod restarts/failover, but **not** across deleting and re-creating the SQL MI. For reproducible environments, keep `config.sql` as a post-deployment step. |
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| Because the system databases are platform-managed, you **cannot back up or restore `master` / `model` / `msdb`** yourself (no on-prem style `RESTORE DATABASE master`). Two failure scenarios matter: | ||
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| 1. **Pod / node failure (most common) → automatic recovery, no action.** Kubernetes starts a new pod that **re-attaches to the same persistent volumes**, including `master.mdf`. System DBs, logins and instance config survive. (*"a new SQL Managed Instance will start up and re-attach to the persistent volume containing your data"* — see [features](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/azure-arc/data/managed-instance-features).) |
| Important restore caveat for scenario 2: | ||
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| * Point-in-time restore (PITR) **only restores to the same Arc-enabled SQL MI** where the backups were taken — it can't restore to a *new* instance (see [limitations](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/azure-arc/data/limitations-managed-instance)). | ||
| * To move user DBs to a new instance, keep your **own native backups** (`BACKUP ... TO URL` to Azure Blob, `COPY_ONLY`) or BACPACs, and `RESTORE FROM URL` there. |
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| Backup/restore caveats: | ||
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| * **Back up the TDE certificate** (`BACKUP CERTIFICATE ... TO FILE` in `master`, then `kubectl cp` it out of the pod) — otherwise encrypted backups can't be restored elsewhere. |
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Summary
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Context
The original dashboard/template fix from this branch was already merged in #353. This branch has been rebased onto current upstream main; this PR contains only the new documentation appendix.