Failover clustering is no longer the default option for making database servers highly available.  The benefits of Availability Groups coupled with the limitations of cloud platforms mean some systems can’t use failover cluster instances or need more than they can offer.  To complicate designing a solution even more, SQL Server 2016 introduces Basic Availability Groups in the standard edition that arguably could see failover clusters heading for extinction.   This session will compare Microsoft’s options for deploying highly available SQL Server data platforms in mid-2016.  It will use examples of solution designs to help data professionals understand each feature’s strengths and capabilities whether they’re deployed in on-premises data centres or using Microsoft Azure services.