What You Need to Know Before Hosting Your SQL Server in the Cloud

Whether you currently host your SQL Server in the Cloud or are considering moving it to the cloud, here are a few guidelines that can lead you to select the right hosting provider for your specific requirements.

1. Set the stage for a tech discussion. Familiarize yourself with your current technology profile so you can have an efficient technical conversation with hosting providers. If you already know your needs in these areas…

CPU-Processors

RAM-memory

Disk Space-Storage

Applications

Database Software Requirements

…you are all set. If not, be sure you are confident that the hosting provider can ask the right questions to provide optimum performance for your company.

5. Judge whether they will take the time to find out about your business. Find a hosting provider that will take the time to ask the right questions to get to know your business. They should work with you to create a relationship of success. The right hosting provider should be able to provide the right technology and services that meet your business objectives.
6. Confirm that they provide quick response time. Make sure the hosting provider will provide prompt response from knowledgeable support staff when needed. What is the process they use if an issue comes up? This is a very important step that is sometimes overlooked, and never a good lesson to learn during the move.
7. Look for hard evidence that they solve problems and issues promptly. It is very important for your hosting provider to solve problems quickly. If a server is down or running slow, this could cause a lot of damage in the long run, as well as lost revenue.
8. Ask if they have access to SQL experts like ISI’s SQLRx team. Make sure your hosting provider has access to SQL experts. This is very important to the success of your implementation. Why?

• You’ll need performance information specific to a SQL workload that indicates that hardware may need to be expanded in a specific way.
• Without a partnership with a SQL expert like SQLRx, it may be difficult and costly to provide enough hardware to support some companies’ workloads. There have been times when our SQLRx team found that the hosting company had provided great hardware but SQL needed tuning or configuration changes.
• Applications and database software can cause server conflicts no matter how well architected they appear. This is where the right partnership is critical.

Are you ready to go to the cloud? The right hosting company must have access to the right experts and deep experience in the Cloud. This is why we’ve built a strong, trusted relationship with VAZATA. They are the hardware/hosting expert and we are their trusted SQL partner. VAZATA is a very responsive and knowledgeable hosting provider.

Here is an actual client example:

Despite having a very important SQL Server backend, an information services company did not have a SQL Database Administrator, and they had multiple application servers in their environment heavily utilizing that SQL backend. Plus, many of the applications they were running were outdated, but could benefit from better hardware. Based on their needs, there was no cost justification to bring in a full-time SQL Database Administrator. This company leveraged ISI’s SQLRx to provide that service.  VAZATA enhanced their experience when they moved all of the company’s virtual servers into the VAZATA private cloud environment, and the customer immediately started to see better performance. Equally important, based on recommendations from ISI’s SQLRx team, they adjusted some of the infrastructure resources (CPU, RAM, and Storage) to obtain the best performance possible in the most cost-effective way for the amount of users accessing the system.

For more information about blog posts, concepts and definitions, further explanations, or questions you may have…please contact us at SQLRx@sqlrx.com or www.vazata.com We will be happy to help! Leave a comment and feel free to track back to us. Visit us at www.sqlrx.com!