Adding SQL AG database error

Sergey Tunnik

Mar 28, 2016 • 1 min read

Using wizard 'Add Database to Availability Group' you may receive next error message:

Failed to join the database '<db-name>' to the availability group '<ag-name>' on the availability replica '<secondary-sql-server>'. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo)

Availability-group DDL operations are permitted only when you are using the master database.  Run the USE MASTER command, and retry your availability-group DDL command. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 35208)

It fails on executing last step of configuring database on secondary replica(s). It turned out that wizard doesn't add 'use [master]' statement into its script. Logical question is why don't we on master DB? Okay. Basically there are two options: in login properties of user and directly in SSMS connection properties.
SQL Server Login Properties Default database
In my case someone of our DBAs has changed 'Connect to database'. I changed it back to <default> which solved the problem.
SSMS 2014 Connect to database