24 August 2016 Bill Ramos
Do you still have SQL Server 2000 database servers running in your organization? Do you have SQL Server 2008 R2 or older database servers running with databases using compatibility lev...
Typical upgrade challenges
Upgrading a database can be a large source of organizational inconvenience, resulting in downtime, functional changes, and compatibility issues. Upgrading, however, becomes critical not just because of the new possibilities and features that come with the upgraded versions, but because the old versions lose support. As a result, companies find themselves in a very vulnerable and insecure position with their data and mission-critical applications being exposed to the potential threat of software hazards and malfunctions.
With over 10 years of data management experience, DB Best helps customers smoothly upgrade to modern database platforms like Microsoft SQL Server 2016, PostgreSQL,
MySQL, SAP ASE, Oracle Database 12c and others for on-premises and cloud providers like Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud Platform.
Our unique mix of tools, processes, and people can help you achieve better performance, scalability, and security by modernizing your existing database solutions to newer software, hardware, and infrastructure. The end result is to minimize changes to your applications while updating your databases at scale
Here are some of the common challenges that we see with customers that face a modernization of their database platform.
Not understanding the cost of upgrading
Trying to create a financial model of what it will cost to upgrade your database servers is a big problem without having data on your current landscape to compare against different future state solutions.
Our data collecting platform called Database Management Systems (DBMSys) not only helps with monitoring an environment for capacity needs but also provides the data over time needed to make informed upgrade decisions. Basing on the metrics collected by DBMSys we perform analytics to correlate current capacity to future state environment. DBMSys provides a variety of options including virtualization of servers on new VM host servers, deployment of servers on Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud Platform, or consolidating databases on to larger servers. All based on data.
LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ON WHAT DATABASES REQUIRE NO CHANGES TO APPLICATIONS
The vast majority of your applications will likely not require changes to support newer versions of the database engine. The challenge is how to identify applications that won't require any changes and upgrade them as soon as possible.
Often standard upgrade tools for the software vendors can’t handle such outdated database versions. Our SQL Sniffer tool is able to record all the traffic sent from the application to your SQL, Oracle, and Sybase instance with no impact on the actual Server by using port spanning.
The Replayer feature then executes the captured SQL statements against an upgraded version of the database. If there are no errors, you can be assured that the newer version of the database will not break your existing application. If there are errors, then we can take a look at the issues and determine the scope of what is needed to fix the application.
DECREASING THE SYSTEM DOWNTIME WITH MINIMAL MANUAL INTERVENTION
If you need to upgrade tens, hundreds, or thousands of databases, you'll need to consider how to automate the deployment of the current production server to the upgraded server.
DB Best automates the upgrade process with built-in fault tolerance to the new target environment, saving you time and money. We developed a Central Log Shipping Manager to automate the synchronization of the source databases with the destination server and allow for a single click failover to the new environment with minutes of downtime even for very large databases.
Learn more about Database Upgrade
Contact us GETTING STARTED
We have a variety of entry-level offers to help you understand your current database environment and develop financial models to understand how to best deploy your updated database solutions.
If you are looking to better understand your database modernization roadmap, we recommend a Future-State Architectural Design Engagement. In some cases, you might qualify for co-investment funding by our technology partners to lower your initial costs and get you on a path to success.
Taking Advantage of the Latest Built-in Database Features
See how DB Best can help you upgrade your aging database software so that you can take advantage of the greatest built-in features, such as high availability, security, cloud backups, machine learning services, disaster recovery and others.
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Our services
Here are the featured services that we have in place today to help you upgrade your databases on-premises or to Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, or Google Cloud Platform. Regardless of your choice, we can provide you with a financial model to ensure you’re getting the best return on investment for your technology choice.
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LEARN MORE
If you want to learn more about how DB Best can best support your database upgrade initiatives, check out these great resources.
Blog posts
Tracking down discontinued SQL syntax with SQL Sniffer and Replayer
DB Best upgrades a leading telecom company's SQL Server 2000 and 2005 databases
11 November 2016 Bill Ramos
Upgrading SQL Server can be a complicated and nuanced operation, it can’t be simply performed with a few mouse clicks. In many ways, upgrading SQL Servers follows a similar process t...
12 sure steps to SQL Server upgrade success
2 August 2016 admin
Upgrade and modernization projects for SQL Server should not be taken lightly. You might want to take advantage of the latest versions of SQL Server 2016. You might need to take your a...
Optimizing your SQL Server upgrade projects with Database Compare Suite
20 September 2016 Bill Ramos
Often at DB Best as part of our SQL Server 2005 upgrade efforts, a complex upgrade can sometimes take weeks to move into production. During that time, a DBA or application developer ma...
Reference data sheet
Azure Database Services Datasheet for PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MariaDB
20 July 2018 admin
Looking for more with your PostgreSQL, MySQL, or MariaDB solutions? Read our Azure Database Services Datasheet to learn all the latest and greatest solutions that Azure Database Servic...
Reference white paper
eBook: Database Migration
9 August 2018 admin
DB Best goes well beyond other migration service providers. We take a vested interest in your migration strategy, combining innovation with an accelerated ROI that meets your business ...
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