In today’s competitive business environment, the need for reliable, accessible,
mission-critical data is paramount. Data helps organizations develop business
plans, increase sales revenue, better serve
customers, and measure performance.
Conversely, the consequences of data
unavailability, data loss, data inaccuracy,
and lack of data integrity are quite severe.
In some cases, even temporary loss of data
can cause an organization irreparable
harm. For that reason, many companies
are now considering remote database
administration (remote DBA) service
providers not only for supplemental database support but also for complete database administration outsourcing.
Smart Business spoke with Angie Gleim,
business development manager for
Perpetual Technologies, about how remote
database administration can help businesses succeed.
What is remote DBA?
Remote database administration is a
service provided by a third-party vendor, in
which a client’s database environment is
monitored and managed from a remote
location. Although there are variations in
the depth of services provided by remote
DBA vendors, many make use of monitoring tools or proprietary scripts to ensure
data availability and database health.
Service levels include supplemental vacation coverage, after-hours support, or complete database outsourcing.
What benefits can be offered by remote DBA
service providers?
The major advantages of remote DBA
support are cost savings and increased
quality of support.
When an organization chooses remote
DBA support, the remote database support
company takes on the task of recruiting
and maintaining DBA staff, funding
employee benefits, office space, equipment, employee training, and other related
costs of having an employee. Small to mid-size businesses may also experience a cost
savings by not staffing a full-time DBA for part-time DBA work.
In addition to cost savings, a remote DBA
service provider is ideally staffed with
DBAs who possess depth and diverse database knowledge. This team of experts can
provide around-the-clock support to
ensure that the coverage is continuous and
not subject to interruptions due to sickness, vacation, or resignation.
What are the key criteria to look for in a
remote DBA service provider?
When choosing a remote DBA service
provider, obvious items such as price and
service offerings are well known and heavily reviewed but are not the only criteria to
consider. Five additional areas that play a
key role in insuring the correct service
provider for your environment are technical experience, security, communication,
financial status, and references.
A good remote database service provider
can attract and retain excellent, certified
DBAs. Service providers can pay a premium for DBA talent, because a good DBA
can support multiple clients. Permanent
employee DBAs can only support one
client, the employer. However, assuming
this to be the case can prove to be a huge
mistake. Do not hesitate to ask for and review rsums and qualifications of the
remote DBA team. Schedule a technical
interview to make certain you evaluate the
credentials remote DBA team.
In addition to a qualified technical team,
remote DBA service providers should be
prepared to share and review their security policies with you as well as learn more
about your security requirements. If a
remote DBA company cannot guarantee
secure connectivity and data protection,
outsourcing remote DBA support should
not be considered. Items to consider
include secure connectivity, authentication, background checks and clearances,
and site and physical security.
Another issue often overlooked when
choosing a remote DBA service provider is
communication. Learn as much as you can
about the remote DBA’s communication
plan. How will the service provider’s DBA
team be notified of emergency after-hours
issues? How often will status reports be
delivered to your team? Will status reports
be delivered on-site, via e-mail, Web meeting, or conference call? How can you
schedule a project-based task with the
remote DBA team? It is essential to select
a provider who offers a forum to understand your needs as well as a plan to communicate its actions.
When choosing a remote DBA service
provider, financial status should also be
reviewed. Analyzing financial reports
might help to forecast the company’s ability to attract and retain qualified staff. The
ability to guarantee continuity and reliability of service should be of key importance
to your selection.
Reviewing a remote DBA service
provider’s client reference list and past performance is another important consideration. When asking for references, make
sure you inquire about current clients
whose needs are as similar to yours as possible. Set up a convenient allotted time to
speak with these references, and have a
structured question list prepared in
advance.
ANGIE GLEIM is the business development manager for
Perpetual Technologies. Reach her at [email protected] or
(317) 824-0393.