SQL Server Build Validation

Let's make sure it was built right!

If you've had a server built by a vendor, a developer or if you've built it yourself, how do you know it was built right? Were all the best practices followed, are you likely to see performance or security issues soon or in the future?

Do you just want someone to jump on and give it a 'quick once-over'?

In this 1-day workshop, we'll give you peace of mind that you have a server that will function as expected and will be reliable and secure.

Much like an MOT for SQL servers, we will:

• Talk to you to understand your workloads and goals
• Run through a thorough checklist, identifying common setup issues and ensuring best practice
• Produce a management/non-technical report in an easy to follow Red, Amber, Green format. You'll be able to gauge the overall status at a glance
• Produce a technical report with any devaiations that can be handed to the build engineer with guidance and scripting to follow to bring the SQL server up to scratch
• Offer advice and time to resolve any issues you want DBAaaS to resolve

Prerequisites

As with any engagement, there are a few things we like to have in place before we begin:

• 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 or are able to hand them back to the vendor who did the install, 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 for your business.

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

Costs