SQL Server Performance Tuning
Q: How much will the performance of my server be increased?
A: In most cases we can improve overall performance by 30% or more. Our main target however is to fix whatever performance problem you are having.
Q: Will any confidential data be collected from my server?
A: Absolutely not! we do not collect data from your user databases. The only data we collect is configuration and performance data. We do collect security data in order to identify security vulnerabilities but passwords and logins are not collected.
Q: What guarantees do I have that performance will be improved?
A: After you run our IDC tool we will review your server details and put together a performance improvement plan. At this point we will already be able to give you an idea of how much we can improve performance on your server. If you decide at that point that you do not wish to proceed we will give you a full refund.
Q: How do you measure performance improvement?
A: We measure performance improvement by the total duration of queries executed during the monitoring session. We exclude from this any queries used by our monitoring tool.
Q: Will you be able to roll back any changes on my server?
A: Yes, whenever we create a script to make a change we simultaneously create a script to roll back that change.
Q: How long will it be before I see an improvement in performance?
A: Generally it does not take more than one to three days to improve performance. Although in some cases it can take up to a week. If it is very urgent we can work faster but please contact us to check availability.
SQL Server Tune Up
Q: What is the difference between the SQL Server tune up and the SQL Server performance Tuning service?
A: The SQL Server tune up is more general and applies best practices to your server on all levels: security, backups, alerting, and maintenance. The performance tuning service is focused specifically at improving performance. It is possible that the SQL Server tune up will also fix performance problems because of the index maintenance jobs that are set up.
Q: How long will the SQL Server tune up process take?
A: You will receive your report and our recommendations within 24 hrs. The fixes will be applied within 48 hrs. after that.
Q: Will you be able to roll back any changes on my server?
A: Yes, whenever we create a script to make a change we simultaneously create a script to roll back that change.
Database Migration
Q: How much lead time do you require for a database migration?
A: Generally we need at least a week to prepare everything and give you an accurate estimate of the amount of down-time you can expect.
Q: Will you fix any code which is not compliant ?
A: No, the database migration service does not include re-writing code such as stored procedures or views. This must either be handled by your developers or can be done by us at an hourly rate of $100.
Q: How long does it generally take to migrate a database?
A: We do our best to keep the “down-time” to a minimum by preparing, and if possibly doing a test-run of the migration ahead of time. The amount of “down-time” is determined by the size of your database and the bandwidth between the source and destination.
Q: Why do I need to run your monitoring (IDC) tool for a database migration?
A: Our monitoring tool collects various data from your database which we will need to get started like the size of your database. It will also tell us if there are any issues with the database like performance bottlenecks. After the migration, the monitoring data will be compared to a monitoring session on the new environment to ensure that performance is the same or better than before.
SQL Server Baseline
Q: How long will my uploaded data be available?
A: Your data will be available up to one year after your last baseline was run.
Q: If I pay for a baseline and later decide that I need performance tuning help, do I get a credit?
A: Yes, if you have paid for a baseline and decide to use our performance tuning or tune-up service, the cost of a single baseline will be deducted from the performance tuning or tune-up price.
Q: How will I be able to view the instaSQLAudit and MeasureImprove report?
A: We will send you a login and password and you will be able to view your reports through your browser. All reports can be exported to Excel, Word, or PDF formats.
General
Q: Will you make any changes on my server without me knowing about them?
A: Absolutely not, we will never make any changes on your server without receiving your prior written consent.
Q: Do you provide any other SQL Server / database administration services?
A: Yes we also provide other services such as high availability / disaster recovery planning and database development. We also provide development services for SQL Server Integration Services, SQL Server Analysis Services, SQL Server Reporting Services, and Excel PowerPivot.
Q: What is your rate for hourly work?
A: Our rate for hourly work is $65.
Baseline / instaDBA Data Collection Tool (IDC)
Q: Why do I need to run this on my server?
A: By using our baseline tool we save time and you don’t need to give us permissions to log on to your SQL Server. Doing a SQL Server review or taking a proper baseline can be very time consuming. Performance monitor has to be set up to collect the appropriate counters, SQL Profiler needs to be set up to capture the relevant events, and various diagnostic SQL queries need to be run on the SQL Server DMVs. When the monitoring is complete, all the information needs to be uploaded to our server for analysis. The complete process takes about 2 hours if done manually.
Q: What are the instructions?
A: Once you have downloaded instaDBA_Setup.exe, double click it to extract the files and run instaDBAIDC.exe to start data collection.
When data collection is complete you will be prompted to upload your files to our servers for analysis.
Q: Do I need to run the tool with an account that has administrator permissions?
A: Yes, you must run the tool with an account that has both windows administrator and SQL Server SYSADMIN permissions.
Q: How long should I run the data collection tool?
A: It should be run from 30 minutes to 6 hrs. If you are interested in identifying specific performance problems it is important that you run it while the problem is happening or while the server is experiencing normal use.
Q: Where should the data collection files be put?
A: Ideally, the files should be located on a disk that is not shared with your database data or transaction log files. The disk should also have at least 20GB of space available. The IDC is configured to stop collecting data when a disk has less than 10% free space.
Q: Will any confidential data be collected from my server?
A: Absolutely not! we do not collect data from your user databases. The only data we collect is configuration and performance data. We do collect security data in order to identify security vulnerabilities but passwords and logins are not collected.
Q: Will this tool install software on my server?
A: No, the tool consists of a lightweight executable that runs diagnostics tools that are already installed on every SQL Server out of the box.
Q: Are there any pre-requisites to using the tool?
A: You may need to install .NET Framework 3.5 if you are using Windows Server 2003/2008. It can be downloaded here