Create an availability group

You can now create a sample database bookshelf, include it in a new availability group named bookshelf-ag and configure high availability.

Create a database

Create a new database using the following steps. For the purpose of this tutorial, the database doesn't need to contain any data.

1. Return to the Remote Desktop session on node-1.
2. Open the SQL Server Management Studio.
3. In the Connect to server dialog, verify the server name is set to node-1 and select Connect.
4. In the menu, select File > New > Query with current connection.

5. Paste the following SQL script into the editor.

   -- Create a sample database
   CREATE DATABASE bookshelf ON PRIMARY (
     NAME = 'bookshelf',
     FILENAME='d:\Data\bookshelf.mdf',
     SIZE = 256MB,
     MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED,
     FILEGROWTH = 256MB)
   LOG ON (
     NAME = 'bookshelf_log',
     FILENAME='d:\Logs\bookshelf.ldf',
     SIZE = 256MB,
     MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED,
     FILEGROWTH = 256MB)
   GO
   
   USE [bookshelf]
   SET ANSI_NULLS ON
   SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
   GO
   
   -- Create sample table
   CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Books] (
     [Id] [bigint] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,
     [Title] [nvarchar](max) NOT NULL,
     [Author] [nvarchar](max) NULL,
     [PublishedDate] [datetime] NULL,
     [ImageUrl] [nvarchar](max) NULL,
     [Description] [nvarchar](max) NULL,
     [CreatedById] [nvarchar](max) NULL,
     CONSTRAINT [PK_dbo.Books] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED ([Id] ASC) WITH (
       PAD_INDEX = OFF,
       STATISTICS_NORECOMPUTE = OFF,
       IGNORE_DUP_KEY = OFF,
       ALLOW_ROW_LOCKS = ON,
       ALLOW_PAGE_LOCKS = ON) ON [PRIMARY]
   ) ON [PRIMARY] TEXTIMAGE_ON [PRIMARY]
   GO
   
   -- Create a backup
   EXEC dbo.sp_changedbowner @loginame = 'sa', @map = false;
     ALTER DATABASE [bookshelf] SET RECOVERY FULL;
     GO
     BACKUP DATABASE bookshelf to disk = '\\witness\Backup\bookshelf.bak' WITH INIT
   GO
   

   The script creates a new database with a single table and performs an initial backup to witness.

6. Select Execute to run the SQL script.