---
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.
ms.custom: seo-lt-2019
author: VanMSFT
ms.author: vanto
ms.reviewer: vanto
ms.date: 01/09/2019
ms.topic: conceptual
ms.prod: sql
ms.technology: linux
---
# Configure a SQL Server Availability Group for read-scale on Linux

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

You can configure a SQL Server Always On Availability Group (AG) for read-scale workloads on Linux. There are two types of architectures for AGs. A architecture for high availability uses a cluster manager to provide improved business continuity. This architecture also can include read-scale replicas. 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). The other architecture supports only read-scale workloads. This article explains how to create an AG without a cluster manager for read-scale workloads. This architecture provides read-scale only. It doesn't provide high availability.

> [!NOTE]
> An availability group with `CLUSTER_TYPE = NONE` can include replicas hosted on different operating system platforms. It cannot support high availability. 

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

## Create the AG

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 Servers 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/ss-linux-cluster-availability-group-create-post.md)]

This AG isn't a high-availability configuration. If you need high availability, follow the instructions at [Configure an Always On Availability Group for SQL Server 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). 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.

* [Readable secondary replicas](../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 Availability Group

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

## Next steps

* [Configure a distributed Availability Group](../database-engine/availability-groups/windows/distributed-availability-groups.md)
* [Learn more about availability groups](../database-engine/availability-groups/windows/overview-of-always-on-availability-groups-sql-server.md)
* [Perform a forced manual failover](../database-engine/availability-groups/windows/perform-a-forced-manual-failover-of-an-availability-group-sql-server.md)