---
title: "Configure a Read-Scale Availability Group (SQL Server on Linux)"
description: Learn about configuring a SQL Server Always On Availability Group (AG) for read-scale workloads on Linux.
author: rwestMSFT
ms.author: randolphwest
ms.reviewer: vanto
ms.date: 07/03/2025
ms.service: sql
ms.subservice: linux
ms.topic: how-to
ms.custom:
  - linux-related-content
---
# Configure a SQL Server Availability Group for read-scale on Linux

[!INCLUDE [SQL Server - Linux](../includes/applies-to-version/sql-linux.md)]

This article explains how to create a SQL Server Always On Availability Group (AG) on Linux *without* a cluster manager. This architecture provides read-scale only. It *doesn't* provide high availability.

There are two types of architectures for availability groups. An architecture for *high availability* uses a *cluster manager* to provide improved business continuity. To create the high-availability architecture, see [Configure SQL Server Always On Availability Group for high availability on Linux](sql-server-linux-availability-group-configure-ha.md).

An availability group with `CLUSTER_TYPE = NONE` can include replicas hosted on different operating system platforms. It can't support high availability.

[!INCLUDE [Create prerequisites](includes/cluster-availability-group-create-prereq.md)]

## Create the availability group

Create the AG. Set `CLUSTER_TYPE = NONE`. In addition, set each replica with `FAILOVER_MODE = MANUAL`. Client applications running analytics or reporting workloads can directly connect to the secondary databases. You also can create a read-only routing list. Connections to the primary replica forward read connection requests to each of the secondary replicas from the routing list in a round-robin fashion.

The following Transact-SQL script creates an AG named `ag1`. The script configures the AG replicas with `SEEDING_MODE = AUTOMATIC`. This setting causes SQL Server to automatically create the database on each secondary server after it is added to the AG. Update the following script for your environment. Replace the `<node1>` and `<node2>` values with the names of the SQL Server instances that host the replicas. Replace the `<5022>` value with the port you set for the endpoint. Run the following Transact-SQL script on the primary SQL Server replica:

```sql
CREATE AVAILABILITY GROUP [ag1]
    WITH (CLUSTER_TYPE = NONE)
    FOR REPLICA ON
        N'<node1>' WITH (
            ENDPOINT_URL = N'tcp://<node1>:<5022>',
            AVAILABILITY_MODE = ASYNCHRONOUS_COMMIT,
            FAILOVER_MODE = MANUAL,
            SEEDING_MODE = AUTOMATIC,
                    SECONDARY_ROLE (ALLOW_CONNECTIONS = ALL)
        ),
        N'<node2>' WITH (
            ENDPOINT_URL = N'tcp://<node2>:<5022>',
            AVAILABILITY_MODE = ASYNCHRONOUS_COMMIT,
            FAILOVER_MODE = MANUAL,
            SEEDING_MODE = AUTOMATIC,
            SECONDARY_ROLE (ALLOW_CONNECTIONS = ALL)
        );

ALTER AVAILABILITY GROUP [ag1] GRANT CREATE ANY DATABASE;
```

### Join secondary SQL Server instances to the AG

The following Transact-SQL script joins a server to an AG named `ag1`. Update the script for your environment. On each secondary SQL Server replica, run the following Transact-SQL script to join the AG:

```sql
ALTER AVAILABILITY GROUP [ag1] JOIN WITH (CLUSTER_TYPE = NONE);

ALTER AVAILABILITY GROUP [ag1] GRANT CREATE ANY DATABASE;
```

[!INCLUDE [Create post](includes/cluster-availability-group-create-post.md)]

This AG isn't a high-availability configuration. If you need high availability, follow the instructions at [Configure SQL Server Always On Availability Group for high availability on Linux](sql-server-linux-availability-group-configure-ha.md). Specifically, create the AG with `CLUSTER_TYPE=WSFC` (in Windows) or `CLUSTER_TYPE=EXTERNAL` (in Linux). You can then integrate with a cluster manager, by using either Windows Server failover clustering on Windows, or Pacemaker on Linux.

## Connect to read-only secondary replicas

There are two ways to connect to read-only secondary replicas. Applications can connect directly to the SQL Server instance that hosts the secondary replica and query the databases. They also can use read-only routing, which requires a listener.

- [Offload read-only workload to secondary replica of an Always On availability group](../database-engine/availability-groups/windows/active-secondaries-readable-secondary-replicas-always-on-availability-groups.md)
- [Read-only routing](../database-engine/availability-groups/windows/listeners-client-connectivity-application-failover.md#ConnectToSecondary)

## Fail over the primary replica on a read-scale AG

[!INCLUDE [Force failover](../includes/ss-force-failover-read-scale-out.md)]

## Related content

- [Distributed availability groups](../database-engine/availability-groups/windows/distributed-availability-groups.md)
- [What is an Always On availability group?](../database-engine/availability-groups/windows/overview-of-always-on-availability-groups-sql-server.md)
- [Perform a Forced Manual Failover of an Always On Availability Group (SQL Server)](../database-engine/availability-groups/windows/perform-a-forced-manual-failover-of-an-availability-group-sql-server.md)