In today’s digital era, businesses rely heavily on their digital infrastructure, and at the heart of this technological landscape, databases emerge as the indispensable cornerstone. Enterprises face the challenge of maintaining their databases at optimal performance levels while grappling with the complexities of evolving technologies, security threats, and the sheer volume of data generated daily. The solution lies in a proactive approach that not only addresses immediate issues but also guarantees long-term business continuity. In this blog, we will discuss what a database maintenance contract is, which services are included, and what the benefits are compared to regularly scheduled and in-house database maintenance.

What is a database maintenance contract? 

A database maintenance contract is a service agreement between a company and a database provider. The agreement outlines the various services that the service provider will perform to keep the databases safe and accessible. These contracts are typically part of a managed services offering, so they tend to be a continuous service in the background rather than an emergency on-demand repair.

The types of services that are offered vary between providers and their service offering levels, ranging from reactive to proactive. The possibilities include but are not limited to preventive maintenance, platform monitoring, patch management, integrity verification, performance management, and backup and recovery management.

Database maintenance contracts are outsourced to an external provider to replace an internal database team, or as an addition to in-house capabilities and expertise to unburden internal teams. Most organisations use these contracts because they do not have the required in-house knowledge, cannot provide 24/7 monitoring and protection themselves, or want to free up time for innovation.

What are the benefits of a maintenance contract? 

Maintenance contracts provide numerous advantages, offering a distinct set of benefits when compared to relying solely on in-house database teams. Because database maintenance is outsourced to an external provider, companies will no longer have to worry about the availability of a single DBA. Instead, they have an expert available round the clock, often depending on SLAs that ensure business continuity. This means that any issues will be resolved quickly, and downtime in case of severe issues will be limited.

By relying on an external provider, companies will free up budget for innovative projects that address business needs. With the latest knowledge of database versions and features at their disposal, they will no longer have to invest in hiring, onboarding, and education. Because of the war for talent, these processes have become both extensive and expensive.

Having an expert assist you also helps to deal with the all-too-common issue of the “accidental DBA”. These are employees from the IT department who were assigned to a role as a DBA over time or by circumstance. While these people are motivated, they unfortunately tend to not have the necessary free time to retrain and stay up to date with the latest technologies.

Finally, having a maintenance contract serves as a strategic safeguard against the potential knowledge vacuum created by employee turnover, especially when key personnel retire. With a maintenance contract in place, organizations mitigate the risk of losing critical insights and experience, as the external provider ensures continuity by seamlessly transitioning the responsibility to another skilled professional. This proactive approach not only safeguards against the unpredictable nature of employee departures but also ensures that the institutional knowledge necessary for maintaining optimal database performance remains intact and accessible for the long-term benefit of the business.

Why should companies invest in a maintenance contract?   

In most cases, the cost of a single full-time employee (FTE) will equal or surpass that of a maintenance contract. And even if employing a single FTE is cheaper, it does not come with the benefits listed above. Compared to services that are also outsourced but on-demand, there is also the added benefit of response time.

Instead of having to wait until your assigned day of the week or risking substantial ad-hoc visit fees, companies will be serviced within a matter of hours depending on the issue’s urgency. It’s comparable to roadside assistance for a car. Of course, cars need a yearly check-up at their local garage to make that everything is still running. However, it’s still reassuring to know that you’ll be covered when something does go wrong between scheduled appointments.

For businesses where an offline database results in a significant loss of profit and reputation with their customers, maintenance contracts become more than just a strategic business decision; they evolve into a crucial defense mechanism against the ever-evolving tactics of cybercriminals. Regular maintenance, updates, and security audits provided through these contracts act as a proactive shield, fortifying the digital infrastructure against vulnerabilities that hackers often exploit.

Which database maintenance services does Monin offer?  

We have grouped our database maintenance services under the moniker “Database Managed Services”. Depending on your needs, you can choose a flexible reactive solution, or a more comprehensive proactive service package. All options include support for a wide range of database technologies.

Our Database Managed Service FLEX package is a reactive approach to database maintenance. Nothing happens without your explicit approval, but you can still rely on all the benefits of having database experts just a call away.

The Database Managed Service ENTERPRISE package is a previously agreed upon set of database management services. The proactive approach means that most issues will be prevented in the first place. If any should arise, they will be solved immediately without having to file a request first. Depending on your needs, we offer our Enterprise package on three levels: bronze, silver and gold.

For more details, please refer to our Database Managed Services page.  

Convinced about the advantages of a database maintenance contract? Or are you not sure yet if a maintenance contract is the right fit for your organisation? Don’t hesitate to contact us; we’d love to help you out!