A database service provider monitors a client’s technical infrastructure, databases, and systems. Their services range from preventing outages to optimizing performance and cost.
Scalability
Any business must have a database that can handle a growing user base and increasing transactions without suffering performance issues. Without a scalable database, your application will suffer from downtime and decreased user experience.
Scalability can be achieved through vertical or horizontal scaling. Vertical scaling adds more processing power and memory to a single server. Horizontal scaling distributes the workload across multiple servers through sharding and replication, allowing you to scale beyond your current hardware limitations.
A good database-managed service provider will optimize and right-size your infrastructure based on application usage and resource consumption to minimize costs and maximize performance. This is particularly important in a cloud environment where your bill is based on utilization.
Security
Security is a crucial component of database management. With increasing threats like ransomware and denial of service attacks, organizations need robust database security solutions to fend off data breaches.
Typical security measures include default encryption for data at rest and in transit, authentication of users with strong password protection and access controls, limiting permissions to only those that need them, and regular auditing and monitoring of activity. A good DBaaS solution also offers proactive security patching, enabling automation to minimize human error and save time.
Look for a DBaaS provider that has expertise in database performance tuning. They can right-size database server instances, reducing licensing costs while improving system performance for business users. Additionally, they can provide expert-level troubleshooting and help you optimize your SQL code and instance configurations.
Reliability
Data reliability is an essential factor to consider when choosing a database service provider. Only accurate and reliable data can positively impact business operations and decision-making processes. Understanding the factors contributing to data reliability, including data collection methods and quality, is essential.
It is also essential to know where the data comes from. For example, using data from a third-party source could result in duplicate records and inaccurate analytics that can damage customer relationships and lead to subpar campaign results. Data accuracy is also an essential component of data reliability, as it relates to how valid the information is.
Adequate data reliability involves a combination of technology, engineering practices, and organizational culture. Teams need the knowledge, tools, and practices to promote reliability within their organization.
Flexibility
Modern applications often require a data layer that can operate across multiple cloud providers to avoid vendor lock-in. These multi-cloud databases support rapid provisioning with a few clicks, simplify governance hurdles and administrative responsibilities, and enable DevOps teams to meet business agility requirements.
DBaaS providers offer a variety of tools and features to help you monitor database performance. They also support different database engines, making switching database solutions easier when your business needs change.
When choosing a managed service provider, selecting one that offers onshore customer support is essential. This ensures your queries are answered faster and that critical issues are rectified quickly. The right service provider will utilize a combination of automation and onshore resources to reduce response times and increase organizational efficiency.
Every company has unique data maintenance and management needs depending on the industry. A database-managed service provider should know these differences and offer a solution to fit the client’s business requirements.
For example, a DBaaS should be capable of maximizing performance and minimizing cost by right-sizing server and database instances. This is especially important in a cloud environment, where users pay for utilization rather than ownership of infrastructure.
The result is a cost-effective database-as-a-service for the business. It also saves IT time and resources by eliminating the need to manage hardware, software, and in-house monitoring and management tools.
Availability
In a database system, availability is critical, especially for businesses needing data at any time. A database service provider should have an availability strategy that ensures that your systems will be up and running even if one of the database servers goes down.
This is usually done with a combination of CAP theorem (consistency, availability, and partition tolerance) and cross-datacenter replication.
In addition to ensuring that your databases are always available, the right database-managed service provider should also offer services that help you scale and manage your infrastructure. These tools can free up your IT team’s time to focus on more critical projects and accelerate business performance.
Cost
When choosing a database service provider, evaluating the vendor’s breadth of expertise is essential. They must understand different industries’ unique data maintenance and management needs, as every business has specific regulations, privacy laws, and standards.
DBaaS providers offer fully managed services, removing the need for your internal IT team to manage database systems. This frees them to focus on more strategic tasks to help your business grow.
A good DBaaS will continuously monitor servers and databases to ensure they are healthy, operational, and available. They should also optimize and right-size database instances monthly based on application workload, resource consumption, and growth.
