Log Shipping - Backup Database 1

[RobertT687]

My organization is looking at Log Shipping as a possible solution to disaster recovery and reporting issues.
In order to keep long-running queries off the primary server, the plan is to establish a 'warm' backup server ,use log shipping to keep the two instances in near syncronization and run all queries off the backup instance.
First, is this a viable strategy?
Next, is it permitted to have additional indexes on tables (to optimize reporting) on the backup instance that do not exist on the primary instance?
Part of the disaster recovery scenario is to drop the additional indexes if the backup server becomes the primary.
Thanks in advance.

 

[JayKusch]

It is a VERY viable solution. Here is a great link to help you set it up correctly.

Having different indexes on the stand-by server is not going to cause you any issues.

The catch is that you need to create the indexes on the stand-by server BEFORE you start log shipping. Make sure that if you use the Log Shipping Wizard and you come to the "Add Destination Database" screen, you click on the "Use Existing Database (No Initialization) to enable this. That way you retain your indexes on the stand-by server.

When you do need to fail over to the stand-by server in test or real life emergency ... you do not have to worry about dropping those indexes.

Thanks

J. Kusch

 

[RobertT687]

That's great news!
But there was no link in you message.

Thanks!

 

[JayKusch]

Sorry about that!!! Here ya go!!!

http://www.sql-server-performance.com/sql_server_log_shipping.asp

Thanks

J. Kusch