Designing SQL or Oracle Data Platform Architectures – why should I pay for this?

Quite often here at DSP we get confused with being an Infrastructure Provider - to remind you, we are a Managed DBA and Application Provider and Technology Consultancy!!

Our Tech Solutions Practices doesn’t really sell Technology Infrastructure. We sell Advice, Expertise and Project Services to implement Scalable, Available and Performant Database environments.

Organisations utilise DSP to consolidate large MS SQL and Oracle environments, upgrade old technology and project manage any type of database solution required. This can range from a few MS SQL Servers to a site with over 700 Oracle Instances to be consolidated over 2 years.

Why should I use DSP – and pay for it? Surely an Infrastructure Provider will provide Pre-Sales for free?

A further reminder – we’re not an infrastructure provider! We offer impartial advice to enable customers to choose the right infrastructure and have the right data platform for their requirements.

To give an example. A customer may approach us with a requirement. They may be a restaurant or retail chain that needs to roll out a new EPOs system which requires MS SQL. An infrastructure Provider will provide you with infrastructure based on the requirements you give them that the EPOS system dictates.

The client then needs to decide on

1. How many/type of SQL Licences AND CPU/storage/cores are needed
2. How will the data platform meet the business’s RTO and RPOs
3. Sandpit/Staging environments, Test/Dev environments
4. Web server and application tier configuration
5. Scalability – and future technology roadmap

A client such as the above will engage us to scope out exactly what MS SQL Servers are required, how many, how to make it highly available, how it will scale to accommodate future growth and ensure all the applicable features in MS SQL fits the above.

Solution Design & Architecture Engagement (SD&A)

Defining the above is much more than just providing a quotation for a server and licensing and it’s much more than providing a Cloud based per month cost for infrastructure. It involves understanding the application technology, infrastructure technology and database technology and then, applying it to the business need. It then goes much further than just defining Scope. An SD&A engagement will provide a Bill of Materials, Project Plan and outline of risks and technical justification for the features of MS SQL.

So asking for a ‘quotation a new EPOS or ERP solution’ is like asking a Builder for a ‘quotation for a new school or library’. He’ll ask you for the architecture and the project plans in order for him to build it.