Performance Tuning Days

How it works - 2-Day Audit

• Pre-Engagement
  • DBAaaS sends you a script to run against your SQL server
  • The script outputs an Excel Spreadsheet of data
  • You check out the spreadsheet, redact anything you want or need to
  • Send us the spreadsheet, noting anything you have redacted
• Day 1 - AM
  • We have a discussion over the phone or video chat
  • We talk through your stress areas and aims for the engagement
  • We confirm the rules of engagement
  • We confirm engagement prerequisites
    • Backups
    • DBCC CHECKDB
    • etc.
• Day 1 - PM
  • DBAaaS analyzes the data in your spreadsheet and compiles a report
• Day 2 - AM
  • Query/Index tuning
  • In production if possible, in test or in theory as a last resort
  • Via screen-sharing where possible
  • Report compilation completed
• Day 2 - PM
  • We regroup over the phone or video chat
  • We walk through the report, ensuring you understand each recommendation
  • We confirm the recommendations meet your engagement aims
  • We confirm if you are happy to implement the recommended changes or if you would like DBAaaS to assist

If you opt for the 3-day audit or any of the repetitive/discounted options days 2 and 3 look slightly different:

• Day 2 - AM
  • Security audit
  • Catch up call to discuss iterim findings
  • Agree query tuning targets
• Day 2 - PM
  • Query/Index tuning
  • In production if possible, in test or in theory as a last resort
  • Via screen-sharing where possible
• Day 3 - AM
  • Query/Index tuning continues
  • Report compilation completed
• Day 3 - PM
  • We regroup over the phone or video chat
  • We walk through the report, ensuring you understand each recommendation
  • We confirm the recommendations meet your engagement aims
  • We confirm if you are happy to implement the recommended changes or if you would like DBAaaS to assist

Prerequisites

For DBAaaS to work on your servers, there are a few things we like to have in place.

• SQL Backups
  • Our scripts check for SQL backups of all databases within the last 2 weeks
  • DBAaaS will not take backups prior to starting work, but will check the last backup date of each database. It is your responsibility to ensure you have recent backups
  • This includes User databases and System databases
  • DBAaaS won't be held responsible if you do not have a recent backup prior to us starting work
  • If you can't get backups working, we can help out
• Recent DBCC CHECKDB
  • DBCC CHECKDB scans your databases for corruption
  • Corruption happens at a low level and may not surface for users for weeks or months. Checking your databases regularly is very important
  • We would rather not work on your system knowing there is an outstanding corruption issue that could bite us
  • We will check the last DBCC CHECKDB ran after your last recent backup and came back clear for each User and System database
  • If you do have corruption in one or more of your databases, we can help
• We are happy to sign an NDA if you need us to
  • Our reputation relies on our discression and integrity, we're happy to sign to say the same
• Engagement Agreement
  • Nope, not the hand of your oldest daughter for marridge
  • This details what we will do, what we won't do, what you will and won't do and the success criteria for the engagement
  • We will ask an authorised person in your organisation to DocuSign the Engagement Agreement before we start work
• Completion Agreement
  • Not a prerequisite as such, but we will also ask you to DocuSign a Completion Agreement, confirming you're happy with the service

Want us to make the changes?

If you're confident in making the changes we've recommended, feel free to use the information we've provided to bring joy to your users

If you would like a helping hand, or would just prefer someone to get the job done, DBAaaS can implement any or all of the recommendations

DBAaaS will follow a strict change control procedure to implement the changes at an appropriate time

You can ask us to make the changes as part of the same engagement, or decide later, after you've seen the recommendations

FAQ