SQL Server 2012 AlwaysOn Availability Group, always connect to primary server

Question

I have configured an AlwaysOn Availability Group without any problem.

The database is mirrored synchronously and both SQL Server works correctly.

I have created an Availavility Group Listener and configured the primary server to accept only ReadWrite connections and secondary to accept only ReadOnly connections.

With .NET Framework 4.5 I use SqlClient.SqlConnection to connect to the Listener, this is the connection string:

Server=tcp:SQLListen.domain-name.com, 1435;Database=TestData;User id=user;Password=password;MultiSubnetFailover=True;ApplicationIntent=ReadOnly

Microsoft documentation says that with this ConnectionString, when I use ReadOnly, the connection will be made to Seconday Server and ReadWrite connection will be made to Primary Server, buy I always get connect to primary one.

When using ReadOnly I receive an error because primary server doesn't accept ReadOnly connections.

And when I connect with ReadWrite I alsa connect to primary server, as it should do.

I have tried connecting to domain name and also to direct availavility group listener IP address.

Could anybode tell me what I'm doing wrong?.

Thank you.

Answer 1

I've found the solution.

What I'm trying to do is called Read-Only Routing List.

To configure you should assign a new URL to any server with the command:

ALTER AVAILABILITY GROUP [Availavility Group]
MODIFY REPLICA ON N'Replica Node' WITH (SECONDARY_ROLE(READ_ONLY_ROUTING_URL=N'tcp://route:1433'))

and then assign to the primary node a list of routing to secondaries:

ALTER AVAILABILITY GROUP [<your availabiliry group>]
MODIFY REPLICA ON N'<your availability group replica>' WITH (PRIMARY_ROLE(READ_ONLY_ROUTING_LIST = (N'<first preference replica>', N'<second preference replica>')))

All information found here:

http://scottless.com/blog/archive/2012/01/25/sql-server-2012-configuring-alwayson-read-only-routing.aspx