An error occurred while attempting to access availability replica when specifying only node name

[shurick81]

Details of the scenario you tried and the problem that is occurring:
Just trying to build an availability group.
When I create a replica, I have to specify name in 'server\instance` format. Otherwise I get the following error:

VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Preferred module SqlServer found.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Importing PowerShell module SqlServer.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Connected to SQL instance
'FKV04SPDB\SPIntra01'.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]: LCM:  [ End    Test     ]  [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica]  in 0.6550 seconds.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]: LCM:  [ Start  Set      ]  [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica]
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Preferred module SqlServer found.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Importing PowerShell module SqlServer.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Preferred module SqlServer found.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Importing PowerShell module SqlServer.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Connected to SQL instance
'FKV04SPDB\SPIntra01'.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Getting the effective permissions for
the login 'NT SERVICE\ClusSvc' on 'SPINTRA01'.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Preferred module SqlServer found.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Importing PowerShell module SqlServer.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Connected to SQL instance
'FKV04SPDB\SPINTRA01'.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] The cluster login 'NT SERVICE\ClusSvc'
has the required permissions.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Preferred module SqlServer found.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Importing PowerShell module SqlServer.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] Connected to SQL instance
'fkv03spdb\SPIntra01'.
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]:                            [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica] ALTER AVAILABILITY GROUP [AG01] JOIN;
VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]: LCM:  [ End    Set      ]  [[SqlAGReplica]SecondReplica]  in 1.5420 seconds.
PowerShell DSC resource MSFT_SqlAGReplica  failed to execute Set-TargetResource functionality with error message:
Failed to join the availability group replica 'FKV04SPDB'. InnerException: An error occurred while attempting to
access availability replica 'FKV04SPDB\SPINTRA01' in availability group 'AG01'.  The availability replica is not found
in the availability group configuration.  Verify that the availability group and availability replica names are
correct, then retry the command.
Failed to join local availability replica to availability group 'AG01'.  The operation encountered SQL Server error
41167 and has been rolled back.  Check the SQL Server error log for more details.  When the cause of the error has
been resolved, retry the ALTER AVAILABILITY GROUP JOIN command.
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [], CimException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ProviderOperationExecutionFailure
    + PSComputerName        : fkv04spdb

VERBOSE: [FKV04SPDB]: LCM:  [ End    Set      ]
The SendConfigurationApply function did not succeed.
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (root/Microsoft/...gurationManager:String) [], CimException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : MI RESULT 1
    + PSComputerName        : fkv04spdb

It might be 'by design' but then probably worth to mention in documentation.

The DSC configuration that is using the resource (as detailed as possible):
Not working:

            SqlAGReplica SecondReplica
            {
                Ensure                      = 'Present'
                Name                        = "$nodeName"
                AvailabilityGroupName       = $SQLAGName
                ServerName                  = $nodeName
                InstanceName                = $SQLInstanceName
                PrimaryReplicaServerName    = $SQLWSFCFirstNode
                PrimaryReplicaInstanceName  = $SQLInstanceName
                ProcessOnlyOnActiveNode     = $true
                PsDscRunAsCredential        = $SPInstallAccountCredential
                DependsOn                   = '[WaitForAll]WaitForAG'
            }

Working:

            SqlAGReplica SecondReplica
            {
                Ensure                      = 'Present'
                Name                        = "$nodeName\$SQLInstanceName"
                AvailabilityGroupName       = $SQLAGName
                ServerName                  = $nodeName
                InstanceName                = $SQLInstanceName
                PrimaryReplicaServerName    = $SQLWSFCFirstNode
                PrimaryReplicaInstanceName  = $SQLInstanceName
                ProcessOnlyOnActiveNode     = $true
                PsDscRunAsCredential        = $SPInstallAccountCredential
                DependsOn                   = '[WaitForAll]WaitForAG'
            }

Version of the Operating System, SQL Server and PowerShell the DSC Target Node is running:
Windows Server 2016
WMF 5.1
What module (SqlServer or SQLPS) and which version of the module the DSC Target Node is running:
SqlServer 21.0.17199

Version of the DSC module you're using, or 'dev' if you're using current dev branch:
10.0.0.0

[johlju]

I think this is already documented on the parameter Name here; https://github.com/PowerShell/SqlServerDsc#sqlagreplica

The name of the availability group replica. For named instances this must be in the following format SQLServer\InstanceName.

[johlju]

Although, maybe we should change 'SQLServer\InstanceName' to 'ServerName\InstanceName' since that is the naming convention we are using now for those parameters.

[johlju]

Let's keep this open and track the update to the description in this issue. I will send in a PR fixing this and it will auto-close this issue once merged. 😄