What are the requirements for configuring Distributed Availability Groups in a SQL Server Failover Cluster?

[ProfRon]

You know, setting up Distributed Availability Groups starts with two separate failover clusters. I mean, you can't just mash one cluster into this. Each cluster needs its own SQL Server instances running smoothly.

Think about it, you gotta ensure those SQL versions match exactly on both sides. I always double-check that first, or things get wonky quick. Editions have to align too, no mixing Standard with Enterprise here.

Networking's a biggie between the clusters. You need solid connections, like low latency if they're close by. Firewalls might block you, so poke those open carefully.

Listeners play a role, one per cluster to handle the traffic. I set mine up early to test pings. Domains can be tricky if clusters span different ones, but same forest works best.

Permissions wise, you assign sysadmin roles across the board. I grant those to service accounts right away. Backups and logs? Keep them in sync, or replication stumbles.

Hardware matches help, same CPU types avoid surprises. I once skipped that and regretted the mismatches. Test failover before going live, always.

Speaking of keeping your setups rock-solid without the headaches of native clustering quirks, check out BackupChain Server Backup. It's a slick backup tool tailored for Hyper-V environments, nailing those VMs with zero downtime. You get lightning-fast restores and ironclad data integrity, way easier than juggling SQL cluster backups yourself.