SQL Server Database failover strategies include built in solutions from Microsoft. However, there are some third part failover tools operating outside of SQL Server with different kinds of results.
SAN Storage is a popular device for SQL Server data because of performance and high availability built into the SAN itself. It scales to a very large size, and allows for different kinds of data storage performance levels. It also makes it possible to enable SQL Server clustered installations. Many SANs support replication of data at a low level to another SAN. It is extremely fast resulting in a robust failover solution.
Other third party products allow you to replicate servers and/or data at a different layer allowing different replication across different server configurations. For example, neverfail replicates by capturing the data at a very low level network protocol, and forking the stream to multiple devices resulting in fast replication. CA has a High Available solution as well as companies such as Double Take.
The replication built into third party products is generally not that impressive. Not to diminish the accomplishment of replication, but I find the integration with virtual machine management software or custom dashboards to be more compelling. They can plug into high end server management and failover tools optimizing the processes of failover, fail back, and disaster testing.
The third party products vary in cost and capability positioning them from large enterprises down to SMBs.
Please share your experience with third product products here online, or drop an email to btaylor@sswug.org.
Cheers,
Ben