SQL Server Versions and Platforms

Xtivia supports the most recent versions of Microsoft SQL Server

We will work with any supported versions of the operating system that are appropriate for the version.

SQL Server Active & Passive Clustering:

Do you need to protect against hardware failures interrupting business?  Consider using SQL Server on Microsoft Cluster Services. In a Cluster the system automatically fails over to a secondary server in case of a failure.  In a cluster the servers share disk resources so we recommend a SAN or RAID array with a high level of hardware redundancy. We can help you choose the right type of Cluster as well as recommend storage solutions.  We’ll help you from the design phase through installation and provide ongoing support to maintain performance and uptime.

SQL Server Database Mirroring:

Database mirroring is another way to protect your data and provide high levels of uptime. Database mirroring is available on SQL 2005 and SQL 2008.  There are multiple types of database mirroring some of which are available only on SQL Server Enterprise edition. We can help you choose and implement the right type of mirroring based on your business needs, version of SQL Server, and hardware capabilities.

SQL Server Replication:

SQL Server Replication can be very useful for setting up a reporting database, a test database or even a High Availability fail-over database.  Replication works well in situations where there is a good connection between servers and is a good option for moving data from different versions of SQL Server. We can help you gather requirements, implement, and manage your replication solution.

Log Shipping

Log shipping can be a valuable strategy for High availability and disaster recovery in situations where a moderate amount of time to recovery is acceptable, a small amount of data loss is not critical and the locations and versions of SQL Server make database mirroring or clustering impractical. We can assist you with all aspects of Log Shipping.

SQL Server Performance Tuning

SQL Server performance can degrade for many reasons. We see issues where data sizes increase, applications change, hardware fails and a host of other problems. We have the experience and training to diagnose and fix performance problems.

SQL Server hardware and configuration problems

Is your Memory configured correctly?  Is your database configured to get the maximum performance from your CPU and disk system?  We have extensive experience in finding and removing performance bottlenecks.  We have helped many Companies determine such things as:

• Do I have enough memory?
• Is my CPU fast enough and do I have as many as I need?
• Why is my disk so busy and what can I do about it?
• I have good hardware – why is my system so slow?

SQL Server Query Tuning

Are your queries performing as well as they should? We can assist you in the design and optimization of queries and stored procedures. In addition we help find the reasons behind:

• Why does this query that used to run quickly now takes forever?
• Why am I seeing so much blocking?
• What’s causing this error?
• Should I rebuild my indexes?
• Should I update statistics?

Patches and Service Packs

Applying patches and service packs can be confusing.  We have the expertise to help you determine the appropriate patches and Service packs and get them installed with a minimum of disruption.  Once a service pack is installed we can help you to take advantage of any new features that may now be available.

SQL Server Health Checks

Do you wonder if your SQL Server is performing at its best?  We can make an in-depth analysis of your system and provide you with a “Plain English” SQL Server Health Check document that gives you an overview of your system and provides suggestions for improvements. We have experienced dba’s look at all aspects of your system from configuration to performance to availability to security.

Upgrades and Migrations

Upgrading your SQLSERVER instance from 2000 to 2005 or 2008?  Whichever versions you work with, migrating to a new version of SQL Server takes planning and experience.  We can help you set up a test environment to test your application against the new version of SQL Server.  We can also help you decide if this is the right time to move from a 32 bit version of SQL Server to a more scalable 64 bit version. We’ll show you where a 64 bit system would provide advantages and add the ability to handle a growing database.

Are you ready to move from MS Access to SQL Server? Are you considering moving from another database to SQL Server?  We can help you with your migration needs. We have moved databases from many other platforms and databases to SQL Server.

Security

The safety and security of your data is vital. We can provide a security audit tailored to your needs. We will help you determine vulnerabilities and suggest the appropriate patches and procedures to improve your security.

Backup and Recovery

Does your backup strategy match your business needs? Are you backing up frequently enough to prevent a large data loss? We can help you design a backup and recovery strategy that matches your needs to protect your data as well as providing you recovery with minimum downtime.

SQL Server Development

Do your developers need help in writing efficient SQL?  We work with the development teams of many clients, either in the developer, DBA or architect roles.  We can help with SQL writing and tuning, reviews of data models, performance, and general best practices. 

Do you need to create a test environment with sensitive data removed?  We can help to design a process to safely alter sensitive data.

Do you need assistance rolling out changes from development and staging to your production database?  We can help by designing procedures or by suggesting state of the art tools and providing training in their use.

Do you need help debugging DTS or SSIS packages?  We can help with troubleshooting and implementation.