Because Azure SQL Database is an enterprise grade platform as a service (PaaS), it’s easy to assume that once your databases are hosted there, they will simply manage themselves.
While Azure PaaS services remove the need for managing infrastructure, operating systems and patching, there are still many gaps that exists in a typical Azure SQL Database deployment. With WARDY IT Solution’s Azure SQL Database Healthcheck, we ensure no gaps exist and your Azure SQL Database is both secure and performing optimally.
Performance
As with SQL Server, databases can become fragmented resulting in degraded performance. The same is true for Azure SQL Database. Out-of-the box deployments require index maintenance to ensure the query performance is optimised. We ensure index maintenance is carried out on a regular basis, as well as ensuring the correct performance tier is used based on various metrics captured to ensure the minimal TCO.
Reliability
It is easy to set and forget after deploying an Azure SQL Database, but did you know data corruption can still occur. The Azure SQL Database Healthcheck ensures that the integrity of the database is checked frequently so any issues can be detected and remediated before cascading into more severe problems. We also ensure your Azure SQL Database has the correct topology which will depend on availability and disaster recovery requirements.
Security
Because Azure is a public cloud, ensuring the security of your Azure SQL Database is fundamental. The Azure SQL Database Healthcheck confirms the level of access granted to each user, as well as network level access to ensure the database platform is not exposed to unwanted hacking or brute force attempts. Encryption options are also checked to confirm all protection measures are in place.
Compliance
There may be some compliance regulations that need to be met within some organisations, so it is important to understand the retention policies that exist in your Azure SQL Database to prevent violations of compliance and possible fines from regulatory bodies. The Azure SQL Database Healthcheck outlines current retention for your Azure SQL Database so you can confirm it meets those requirements.
The Azure SQL Database Healthcheck is a comprehensive review to ensure Microsoft SQL Server Best Practices are in place, as well as providing recommendations to improve the health and performance of your database environment including:
- Database Integrity Check
- Database Configuration and Options
- Database Recoverability Review
- Resource utilisation
- Database Fragmentation and Defragmentation
- Maintenance Plan and Backup Job Review
- Security Analysis
- SQL Query Performance Review
- Blocking and Deadlock Detection
- Identify Aged Statistics
- Database Capacity Review
- Long Term retention policies
With the option for Deeper Dives into areas such as:
- Query Execution Plan Analysis
- Schema, Table and Index Analysis
and where appropriate, our Application Database Review leading into:
- Defining all Primary Keys and Foreign Key
- Normalisation and Renormalisation and more…
The Work Plan
At the completion of the Azure SQL Database Healthcheck you will be presented with a comprehensive report documenting the current Azure SQL Database environment as well as the findings, including recommendations of how to improve the overall health. Once this report has been presented, we schedule a time to discuss with you each of the findings and help you to prioritise the actions required to ensure the availability and reliability of your Azure SQL Database.
