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Data & Analytics · Advanced

Failover Cluster Instance (FCI)

A SQL Server instance installed across clustered nodes with shared storage, so the entire instance fails over to another node.

Definition

An FCI protects against server failure but uses one copy of the data on shared storage, so storage is a single point of failure. Unlike availability groups, it covers instance-level objects such as logins and Agent jobs automatically.

Exam tip

An FCI has one copy of the data (shared storage); availability groups have multiple copies.

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