5 reasons to outsource your SQL DBA services

Do you really want to spend your time and resources giving your database the 24/7 attention it requires, if not, here are 5 reasons to outsource your SQL DBA services.

Managing a database is a full time job

Managing databases is a full time job that requires careful, round-the-clock attention from highly paid technical staff. SQL database administrators ensure that your information is kept clean and neatly organized, as well as adapting your database to the needs of your business as it continues to grow.
Databases are likely to breakdown from hardware, network or human failure, cyber-attacks and power outages. Downtime on a database can have serious business implications, cause operational losses, reputational damage, breaches in security, and customer dissatisfaction.
If your business grows fast enough, your database needs might become too much for one person to handle. With an in-house team, that means you will need to spend time and energy to hire and train a new employee, distracting you from the more important issue of growing your business.

Here are 5 reasons why you can’t ignore your database, and why outsourcing is your best option.

5 reasons to outsource the management of your SQL database

  1. Increased productivity
    Chances are that your business is not in database management. Rather than spending effort in recruiting and replacing DBAs, you can hand over your SQL DBA to those with specialized skills while you focus on optimizing your business.
    You can focus on the tasks that your business is an expert in while you raise your productivity and drive forward business goals rather than worrying about hiring DBAs.
  2. Data security
    Databases require the best security to prevent being hacked, and they are often under threat.
    Outsourcing your SQL database security means that you will have the most up-to-date best practices for your database security, ensuring your data is kept secure. It will also:
    • Ensure patches are installed the minute they’re released
    • Ensure backups are always updated and verified to be working
    • Detect hiccups in the infrastructure that may lead to an impending crash, hardware failure, or a database corruption.
  3. Continuous monitoring
    Your SQL database is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and on public holidays. This ensures that if anything unexpected happens to your database, it is resolved immediately. This keeps any downtime and disruption to a minimum. Outsourcing the management of your database means that it is supported by skilled people, who are always on standby.
    Having this kind of around the clock support is easy when you outsource it, but difficult if you use an in-house DBA. To fill any temporary gaps in support, particularly when the DBA is on leave, is difficult and expensive.
  4. Access to experts
    You have access to highly skilled DBAs that are up to date with the latest developments in the field.
    Using an outsourcing company makes sense when you are struggling to find the right talent with the appropriate qualifications and certifications.
    With the right outsource company you get full DBA support for important systems and databases without having to get costly full-time DBA expertise on site.
    Because of the constantly changing database administration technologies, it is almost impossible for an in-house team to acquire the latest skills. By outsourcing DBA, you have the chance to work with DBAs that possess a much wider range of skills.
  5. Saving
    A bonus reason to outsource your SQL DBA is to save money. Your business will benefit from an overall reduction in costs, from a personnel and technological standpoint.
    You don’t have to worry about employing DBA, who are expensive. In addition to saving on the expense of recruiting DBA (of which you will need more than one), you don’t have to worry about a salary, or the constant training requirements to stay up to date on the DBA changes. The fees you pay to an outsourcing company are a fraction of the expense of managing your databases in-house.
    You will also save on technology. Outsource companies will always have the latest technology that you can leverage off. You will benefit from having up to date systems without the cost involved.

Outsourcing your SQL DBA to Xpedia

Xpedia’s team of Microsoft Certified Technology Specialists provide the kind of data security and performance improvements that have a direct impact on the availability and performance of your business applications and will deliver these benefits to you.

Xpedia’s Database Administration Services are available on ad hoc basis or as a fully outsourced service.

These services typically include proactive database and server monitoring, early warning notifications and alerting, routine database maintenance, performance tuning, security audits, data replication and/or mirroring, data migration, backup and disaster recovery.

Reasons why you need Xpedia’s DBA services:

• Peace of mind knowing that data is secure and stable
• SQL Database performance improvements
• Reduced system downtime
• Early warning of potential database problems

Read more about the data administration and why companies need it here http://www.xpedia.co.za/database-administration-companies-need/.

Xpedia provides the following database administration services:

  • Evaluate SQL server setup to ensure it conforms to the Microsoft best practice standards.
  • With the use of Redgate SQL monitoring, we can monitor the SQL servers for any failures, servers running out of disk space, databases that are down, and also report on the health of the server.
  • Maintenance on the database to ensure database integrity and database is in good condition.
  • Create backup plan to ensure the database can be recovered in case of server failure, or possible data losses.
  • Encryption of database, to ensure the security of the data.
  • Provide database failover, to ensure database service is always available.
  • Assist with database optimization to ensure the database performs well.

Time to give your SQL DBA the attention it deserves

Many companies have started to outsource their DBA. While cost saving is usually the popular reason, there are many other benefits besides the savings. The decision to outsource their DBA is often a strategic move rather than an economic-based decision.

When hiring the right outsourcing company you will be able to add to your existing skillset. An outsourcing company has DBAs with different skill levels that can handle all the DBA requirements.
Outsourcing, rather being a way to remove your in-house talent, should be seen as a way to enhance it.

Sources
• www.mssqltips.com
• www.linkedin.com