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The highest level of SQL Server, Oracle and MySQL database administration services available from Ntirety, OptimizeDB™, is designed to do exactly what its name implies: maximize the performance, efficiency and overall effectiveness of your database environment. OptimizeDB is the full-service Remote DBA option from Ntirety with Monitoring, Maintenance and database performance tuning as well as the implementation of major system upgrades.
The OptimizeDB service is ideal for clients looking to hand the in-depth management of their critical data to a third party, or to relieve in-house staff by subscribing to Ntirety’s most proactive database management and optimization service.
Ntrust™ Database Appliance
Ntrust™ is the proprietary database appliance platform that is unique to Ntirety’s Database Administration as a Service®. Ntrust comes equipped with a database tool suite that Ntirety's team of Database Administrators have created over time including a heart beat process; log analyzers, Backup Assurance and many other tools. Ntrust also incorporates best-of-breed database tools developed by leading software vendors.
Ntrust comes equipped with a suite of tools that Ntirety teams of Database Administrators have created over time and also incorporates best-of-breed tools developed by leading software vendors.
The Ntrust Database Appliance offers a number of advantages for Ntirety clients over the traditional way vendors deploy their services:
- Safe, secure connectivity with full support for SOX, HIPAA, PCI and other industry compliance standards
- Minimizes the need to install software on our clients’ database servers
- Ensures that client proprietary data stays proprietary
- Quicker deployment cycle
- Ensures that Performance Monitoring, Management and Optimization do not steal valuable CPU cycles from Customer production systems
Ntirety has designed its Ntrust Database Appliance with flexibility and deployment options in mind. Specifically, Ntrust is available in physical (1U rack-mounted configuration) and virtual (VMware ESX or Citrix XenServer container) configurations, both of which have been engineered at Ntirety to facilitate our monitoring and managing of our clients’ database environments in an optimal manner.
24x7 - Monitoring System
The Ntrust Database Appliance monitors the client database environment and relays status of the key database health attributes with the Ntirety Database Operation Center. Among these attributes are:
- Database Availability
- System Resource Usage
- Physical Memory
- Virtual Memory (Swap)
- Disk Space
- CPU Utilization
- Disk I/O
- Network I/O
- Buffer Cache
- Database Error Log
Based on pre-defined thresholds, the Database Operations Center can automatically “self-heal” numerous database error conditions. In fact, Ntirety currently self-heals close to 50% of all system alerts. Alerts that are not resolved through self-healing are automatically passed through to the Ntirety Service Desk.
24x7 Database Service Desk
The Tier One Database Service Desk operation, staffed 24x7 by DBAs in-training, provides resources who are equipped to:
- Categorize Service Requests and/or Incidents
- Classify and Prioritize Service Requests
- Locate applicable resolution procedure
- Troubleshoot incident, Run/Rerun jobs
- Escalate per necessary per customer-defined procedures
Ntirety’s monitoring system is integrated with a web-based ticketing system that alerts Ntirety systems and employees to client database issues. As described above, all tickets that are not cleared through the self-healing automation are triaged by first level support Ntirety Service Desk employees. Service Desk employees will attempt to resolve all issues they receive and may or may not interact directly with client DBAs through Email or phone. If the issue cannot be solved by first level support, it is escalated to the attention and care of a DBA, who further troubleshoots the issue and resolves it with or without direct interaction with the client.
Clients have access to Ntirety’s trouble ticketing system via the Client Access web portal and via Email. In the web portal, clients also have the option to manage their own tickets, contacts, and knowledge bases as they desire.
At Ntirety, we have Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that describe our commitment to provide consistent remote database administration to their servers. The Service Level Agreements are categorized according to incident—or ticket—priority and are assigned corresponding time values for response, notification, and resolution.
Database Patching
As part of the OptimizeDB service, Ntirety will ensure that essential database patches are applied. The Ntirety Patch Management process includes Investigating, Testing, Applying and Documenting Patches. Patch Management includes Oracle’s quarterly Critical Patch Updates and Dot Releases or Microsoft’s SQL Service Packs, for example.
Backup & Restore
Under the OptimizeDB service level, Ntirety’s experts will perform checks and diagnostics on client systems to determine the viability of current backup and restore procedures. Once a proper backup and restore process is established, Ntirety provides ‘Backup Assurance”, confirming that 1) the backup jobs ran as scheduled, and, 2) that backups ran to either Success or Failure.
On a periodic basis, Ntirety will revalidate the proper setup of backup and test restore capability.
Database Maintenance
In addition to our Backup & Restore program, OptimizeDB includes the implementation of Ntirety’s hands-on database maintenance plans. The ManageDB service level ensures that our experts take the initiative to actively analyze and maintain your database. Database maintenance includes, but is not limited to, the management of space, data tables, and indexes to streamline and maximize the power of your database.
Database Tuning
Database Tuning to maximize overall performance is an integral part of the OptimizeDB service package.
Major Upgrades
Taking advantage of the performance and stability gains the database vendors provide through their major upgrades is another key component of OptimizeDB. Ntirety coordinates and performs the full upgrade cycle with our OptimizeDB clients, from planning through execution across Development/Test and Production databases. Finally, we confirm and document the successful upgrade.
Reporting
Ntirety provides customers with a base set of reports on a monthly basis, including:
- Capacity Planning Report
- Notification Summary Report
- Technical Summary Report
- Utilization Comparison Report
- Service Metrics Report
Emergency Database Remediation
Any Database Emergency, whether detected by the Ntirety Monitoring System or declared by the Client, will trigger escalation to an Ntirety Database Administrator. Furthermore, Ntirety’s SLA guarantees response within 15 minutes for all Database Emergencies. The DBA is responsible for working the Emergency issue through to resolution. This Emergency Remediation service, part of OptimizeDB, is available 24/7.
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