Frequently Asked Questions
We realize that you may have questions about our Oracle Database Administration and Microsoft SQL Server Database Administration Services and have answered some of these questions below. If you have additional questions, please don't hesitate to email us at sales@ntirety.com .
- What are the requirements associated with Ntirety's Database Administration as a Service®?
- What is the process for deploying the Database Administration as a Service® and how long does it take until Ntirety is on the job?
- Can you perform these remote services without compromising security?
- What is the process for deploying the Database Administration as a Service® and how long does it take until Ntirety is on the job?
- Will I deal with the same people the majority of the time?
- What if my database fails and I need help outside my coverage window?
- What if my system fails and I need help outside my coverage window?
- How do I get in touch with Ntirety if I have an emergency?
- What will Ntirety's Database Administration as a Service® Monitor?
- Will Ntirety's Database Administration as a Service® offer any Proactive Maintenance?
- Does Ntirety's network infrastructure support site-to-site VPN?
What are the requirements associated with Ntirety's Database Administration as a Service®?
- Our Oracle Customers must have an Oracle support agreement in place with a valid Oracle Customer Service ID (CSI). If you do not have an active Oracle Service Agreement, we can still support you in many ways. It will prevent us from being able to provide you with Oracle software upgrades and patches.
- Our Oracle Customers must provide us with DBA level access to the Database
- Our Microsoft SQL Server customers must provide us with SA level privileges on the Servers we support
- The Database Appliance we provide you must be given the ability to send out Internet email.
- Ntirety must be allowed to place a Database Appliance on your site.
- Ntirety requires DBA-level privileges for supported databases.
- Ntirety requires operating system privileges. (For Unix, this is non-root level privilege; for Windows, Administrator privilege on server.)
- (Ntirety will provide customers with a Site Review to assist the customer in meeting stated requirements.)
What is the process for deploying the Database Administration as a Service® and how long does it take until Ntirety is on the job?
Ntirety can begin to provide database support within 24 hours. Once service is ordered, it typically takes 3-5 days for us to provide you with the Ntrust™ Appliance and for us to begin the process of full implementation and proactive service.
Can you perform these remote services without compromising security?
Security, in today's world, is an endless discussion point – rightfully so. Each of Ntirety's clients is concerned about security, and they are clearly satisfied that Ntirety Remote Services does not compromise their security requirements. With this in mind, here are some points of information to remember about Ntirety Remote Services.
- We provide you with the Ntrust™ Database Appliance onsite to store all your performance data. This means your proprietary information never leaves your site.
- The web connections we use to work remotely are always done through an encrypted session.
- Ntirety performs quarterly security audits to verify that all aspects of the service remain up-to-date, compliant and secure.
What is the process for deploying the Database Administration as a Service® and how long does it take until Ntirety is on the job?
Assuming that initial environment requirements as stated above are met, most remote server management customers can be up and running as soon as Ntirety installs and configures our software (listeners) on our clients' server and database. It generally takes under 40 hours to complete the installation and configuration.
Will I deal with the same people the majority of the time?
Yes. This is one key advantage of working with Ntirety. Each customer is assigned a support team. A team configuration consists of a minimum of 3 members, with a Technical Account Manager, Primary and Secondary DBA clearly identified. Your Primary DBA will be the main point of contact with Ntirety. If your database(s) require help at 3 A.M or 3 P.M., the Ntirety person who responds will be familiar with your account.
What if my database fails and I need help outside my coverage window?
A customer can always declare an emergency and request remote DBA services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We will be there when you need us. We have a number of ways you can declare an emergency, including a 24 hour support line and a customer portal.
What if my system fails and I need help outside my coverage window?
All production databases can be covered 7 X 24 X 365. We want to be there when you need us.
How do I get in touch with Ntirety if I have an emergency?
It's as simple as sending an email, making a phone call or accessing the customer portal. Customers are told a keyword to send to us that signals they need emergency assistance. Once that keyword is received by our system, your Ntirety team is alerted with the distress request. Since we track the on-call rotation for your team, we can contact the team member. You can also activate an emergency request through our phone system. In addition the web site contains instructions and the access location for our customer portal.
What will Ntirety's Remote DBA service Monitor?
| Category | What's Monitored |
|---|---|
| Storage Management | Tablespace Free Space |
| Rollback Segments | |
| Extent Management | |
| Autoextend Management | |
| Flat file space used to support logs, dumps, and exports | |
| Proactive Performance Monitoring | System resource usage |
| Basic CPU utilization | |
| Disk I/O | |
| Basic Network I/O | |
| Memory utilization including SGA and shared pool | |
| Inefficient SQL | |
| Sorting Efficiency | |
| Hit ratios including buffer cache and shared pool | |
| Analyze objects Detection | |
| Archiving | |
| In-doubt transactions | |
| Temporary Tablespace usage | |
| Job Queue Analysis | |
| Lock & Latch Analysis | |
| Proactive Performance Monitoring | Alert Log Errors |
| Database Availability | |
| Listener Availability | |
| Low Disk Space/Archive Logs | |
| Blocking Locks | |
| Core Dumps | |
| Backup & Recovery | Monitor backups for successful completion |
| Flat file space used to support archive logs | |
| Monitor Exports for successful completion | |
| Data Management | Monitor object fragmentation |
| Invalid objects | |
| Extent failure detection |
Will Ntirety's Remote DBA offer any Proactive Maintenance?
| Category | Proactive Service |
|---|---|
| Storage Management | Create/Reallocate DB Files |
| Create/Reallocate Tables, Indexes | |
| Create/Reallocate Rollback Segments & other Database Objects | |
| Database Management | New database creation |
| Database networking configuration | |
| Determine/Adhere to guidelines for database structures and file layout | |
| Review Scripts & Procedures | |
| User Management & Security | Manage users, roles, and profiles |
| Manage schema security | |
| Problem Detection & Resolution | Problem resolution or assistance |
| TAR Management | |
| Patch Assistance | |
| Backup & Recovery | Define backup procedures |
| Database recovery assistance | |
| Object-level recovery assistance | |
| Data Management | Manage schema objects |
Does Ntirety's network infrastructure support a site-to-site VPN?
The answer to this question is yes, but Ntirety's Ntrust™ Appliance and our access techniques take VPN security to a new level. At Ntirety we are very proud of the fact we are making the investments needed to insure our clients' networks and data are kept secure at all times. We encourage our customers to talk to us about their security concerns. We consider the steps we take to secure our clients' data a real differentiator for us in the marketplace.