Database management is a costly and challenging endeavor. It requires a lot of care and vigilance by qualified technicians. Databases are prone to cyber attacks, human errors, hardware breakdowns, and power outages. A reliable DBA (Database Administrator) is costly to hire, but you cannot afford to compromise your business.
Database failure may result in serious impacts like operational losses, data breaches, reputational damage, customer dissatisfaction, and non-compliance penalties. For this matter, you should consider hiring a third-party DBA. Outsourcing DBA enables you to maximize database reliability and security while saving a lot of time and expenses. Here are more reasons to choose this plan.
1. Save money with Outsourced DBA Services
Did you know that a typical DBA can cost your company more than $106,000 per year? Not to mention that they only work 220 days a year, which is around 20% of the full coverage you need in 365 days. If you want to support your database on a 24/7 basis, you need at least 3 DBAs, meaning that you’ll spend $318,000 per year in addition to recruitment costs, training expenses, and other allowances.
But when you outsource a database management specialist, you can remove most of the expenses involved in employing traditional DBAs. In the end, you will be paying a fraction of the cost of managing a database in an in-house setting. You can negotiate the fees with a third-party DBA. You will pay an upfront cost and then receive monthly or annual bills. It will be easier to plan your budget while keeping the IT costs controlled.
2. Database design and modeling
A third-party DBA is highly skilled in the collection and analysis of the user requirements using logical and conceptual models. This is more challenging than it looks. A conceptual data model highlights database requirements at the extreme levels, while a logical database model gives in-depth detail of the type of data and their cardinality, relationships, and scope.
Third-party DBAs regulate the techniques that deliver sound models to highlight business data requirements.
3. Quick response DBA Services
Emergencies require quick responses in order to minimize disruptions. It is not easy to maintain 24-hour support because sometimes DBAs fall sick or leave unexpectedly. Filling the gaps on short notice can be a huge expense.
With outsourced DBA services, you receive assistance from a multi-skilled professional team any time you need it. Unlike the in-house staff members, third-party DBAs don’t create gaps but rather provide round-the-clock services. They don’t ask for maternity or sick leave. They provide the necessary coverage and guarantee fast solutions.
4. Backup and recovery
Your network requires an appropriate strategy for data backup and recovery for every file based on volatility and availability. Without backup, the errors committed by users or retained by the system might render your systems useless.
Moreover, the backup strategy needs to be implemented with recovery time in mind such that no data is unavailable if there are any database issues. This is one of the most important tasks that third-party DBAs focus on.
5. Access to high-end expertise
The digital world is evolving at an alarming rate, and it is increasingly difficult for IT departments to cope with the changing requirements. DBAs are expected to respond to daily needs and might face challenges trying to stay up-to-date with the latest technology. Small in-house teams may not have sufficient expertise to support database functionalities or execute specific projects.
Moreover, as businesses evolve, the technical requirements change too. These changes pose new challenges to traditional DBAs, who might not have the relevant skills or training. But when you hire a third-party DBA support service, you will tap into a pool of IT expertise you can access any time you want. You are assured of qualified database experts with a wide array of database technologies.
6. Enhanced continuity
A lot of organizations are struggling to maintain a high number of DBA personnel, thereby incurring more expenses for recruitment and training. Frequent DBA turnover and lack of continuity make it harder for IT knowledge to be transferred from one person to the next and to retain that experience within the organization.
The best way to offset this type of discontinuity is by employing third-party DBA support specialists. Their services ensure continuous services and long-standing knowledge of the system.
7. Focusing on important things
Database management is both expensive and time-consuming. DBAs are normally encumbered with routine tasks which hamper their productivity on projects, which has a significant effect on a business. Managing DBA recruitment and skill development takes valuable time and a lot of resources.
Having your database monitored on a daily basis allows you and your personnel to concentrate on the most important things in your organization. First, it frees up time for the IT employees so they can focus on the big picture and more strategic issues. Your technical staff also becomes more productive and highly inspired.
8. Proactive vs. Reactive DBA Support
The internal staff has a lot of priorities to focus on every day. They do not have time to make long-term improvements to your database systems. On the other side, third-party remote database administration experts can take on technical roles and focus on preventative management to review and identify how your system can be enhanced to reduce downtime.
By assessing your database on a continuous basis, these remote DBA support experts can quickly spot the prevailing issues and remediate them before they cause breakdowns. Such a proactive approach is referred to as fix-before-fail and it provides maximum availability of your database while minimizing the costs of resolving unprecedented mishaps.
9. For your peace of mind
It is normal for a business to have low moments in terms of database support. Sometimes the requirements are modest, while in some cases they stretch to the limit. Careful planning with the available resources to meet the unpredictable swings can be a huge challenge. If you do not get it right, you end up with either an under-utilized support team or DBAs that are overwhelmed with work and pressured to a breaking point.
By hiring a third-party DBA service, you can specify the level of service you need and assure them through contractual SLAs. This provides the peace of mind you need regardless of the DBA workload ahead of you.
Round-the-clock responses ensure that you have the right assistance, particularly during the steepest demand peaks. It is also a guarantee that your database remains at the right level of support no matter what happens.
Conclusion
Not many companies understand the work of a DBA, let alone when a third-party DBA is required. It is important to understand these professionals and appreciate their valuable services. If your business manages data through BBMS, you need to employ a database administrator to monitor and assure proper deployment and usage of the company’s database. The volume of data increases every day and it must be organized effectively to bring value to a business. Many organizations today make use of DBMS to monitor their most important data. But it is increasingly important to outsource a DBA in order to manage information in a coherent and cost-effective manner.
Including DBA functionality in your system of networks requires careful planning. The good news is that an outsourced DBA has all the necessary skills, both interpersonal and technological. Their skills include but not limited to:
- General data management
- Metadata management and repository utilization
- Data schema creation and monitoring
- Capacity planning
- Programming and development
- SQL code reviews
- Performance management and tuning, etc.
