Frequently asked questions

DBA Services provides specialist Microsoft SQL Server database administration - including 24/7 monitoring, incident response, performance tuning, health checks, and managed support. We're a natural extension to your IT team, providing enterprise-grade DBA expertise without the cost of a full-time hire.

Yes. DBA Services is 100% Australian owned and operated from Daisy Hill QLD. Our entire team of SQL Server specialists resides within Australia. We hold QAssure #16602, GITC #Q-6452, and are PCI-DSS SAQ-D Service Provider compliant.

We support all currently supported versions of Microsoft SQL Server - from SQL Server 2012 through to SQL Server 2022 and beyond. We also support Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instances, SQL Server on Azure VMs, and AWS RDS for SQL Server.

DBA Services is primarily a remote DBA support provider - our pricing and operating model is built around delivering expert SQL Server administration remotely, which allows us to offer the best value and fastest response times. That said, we can provide on-site support to Brisbane and surrounding areas where required. Please note that on-site service charges will include travel and a premium for having technicians physically present.

We connect securely via VPN, RDP, or your organisation's preferred remote access method such as a jumpbox or bastion host. We work within your existing security framework and do not require persistent access - sessions are initiated only when work is being performed. All access is logged and auditable, and we're happy to work with your IT security team to meet any specific access control requirements.

Absolutely. We execute non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements as standard practice before any engagement begins. We understand the sensitivity of database environments, particularly in government, financial services, and healthcare. Our team is experienced in working under strict confidentiality requirements and we're PCI-DSS SAQ-D Service Provider compliant.

Yes, and this is how most of our engagements operate. We position ourselves as a specialist extension of your existing IT team - not a replacement. We collaborate directly with your system administrators, network engineers, and application developers, providing the deep SQL Server expertise that complements their broader infrastructure knowledge.

A SQL Server Health Check is a one-off, in-depth review of your environment - we assess configurations, performance, security, backups, and high availability across your instances and deliver a detailed findings report with prioritised recommendations. It's a great starting point with no ongoing commitment. Managed SQL Support is an ongoing engagement where we proactively monitor, maintain, and support your SQL Server environment 24/7 with SLA-guaranteed response times. Many clients start with a health check and then transition to managed support.

Yes. SQL Server migrations are one of our core competencies - whether you're upgrading from an older version, migrating from on-premises to Azure, or consolidating multiple instances. We handle the full lifecycle: compatibility assessment, pre-migration testing, execution planning, the migration itself, and post-migration validation. We ensure minimal downtime and have completed migrations across enterprise environments of all sizes.

Yes. Always On Availability Groups are a core part of our high availability and disaster recovery practice. We design, implement, and manage AG configurations including synchronous and asynchronous replicas, automatic failover, read-only routing, and distributed availability groups. For existing environments, we audit AG health as part of every health check and proactively monitor replica status, synchronisation lag, and failover readiness for managed clients.

Yes. We manage SQL Server across all deployment models - on-premises, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instances, SQL Server on Azure VMs, and AWS RDS for SQL Server. Our monitoring and support processes work the same regardless of where your SQL Server runs. We also assist with cloud migration planning, cost optimisation, and right-sizing your cloud database resources.

Getting started is straightforward. First, we arrange an initial meeting to understand your environment and requirements. We then handle the formalities - NDA, service agreement, and access configuration. Once access is established, we schedule a handover meeting to walk through your environment in detail before onboarding into managed services. The entire process is designed to be low-friction and typically takes just a few days.

Once onboarded, we typically begin with a comprehensive SQL Server Health Check across your environment, during which we also configure all required alerts and monitoring. After the health check, we deliver a detailed findings report and schedule a debrief meeting to discuss recommended remediations, any scheduled maintenance or planned outages if required, and then transition into ongoing proactive management of your SQL Server environment.

Every managed client receives a monthly proactive review report covering the health and performance of their SQL Server environment. This also includes a detailed work summary report of any support activities completed during the past month - documenting the actions taken and time allocated for each task. Reporting is a key part of how we operate, ensuring full transparency and accountability for the work we deliver.

Yes. Our monitoring and administration activities focus exclusively on SQL Server telemetry, configuration, and performance data. We do not access, copy, or store your business data. Our AI-enhanced monitoring analyses telemetry metrics only - never the contents of your tables or databases. All access is conducted over encrypted connections within your security framework, and we adhere to strict data handling practices aligned with the Australian Privacy Act.

Yes. DBA Services is PCI-DSS SAQ-D Service Provider compliant, and we hold QAssure certification (#16602) and GITC registration (#Q-6452) for Queensland Government procurement. We have extensive experience supporting SQL Server environments subject to PCI-DSS, government security frameworks, and industry-specific compliance requirements. We can assist with TDE encryption, auditing, access controls, data classification, and key rotation as part of your compliance posture.

Managed SQL Support starts from $999 per month ex-GST (includes up to 3 SQL instances), billed in 15-minute increments. SQL Server health checks start from $2,499 ex-GST per instance - please contact us for a tailored quote based on your environment. Block of Hours packages offer volume discounts on larger commitments. All prices are in AUD.

There are no lock-in contracts. Our Managed SQL Support packages start from $999 ex-GST per month and include up to 3 SQL Server instances, with bulk discounts offered on larger SQL Server fleets. You can scale up or down as your needs change.

Yes. Our Block of Hours model lets you pre-purchase support hours for project-based work - migrations, upgrades, consolidations and more. Larger blocks offer better hourly rates. All packages have a 12-month utilisation period.

Block of Hours packages have a 12-month utilisation period. Managed clients receive either credits toward the next cycle or extended service periods. Hours from Block of Hours can also carry over into a Managed SQL Support engagement.

We offer unlimited support hours for managed clients. Any additional hours beyond the package are calculated at standard support rates and fully detailed in our comprehensive work summary report.

Managed SQL Support clients receive SLA-guaranteed response times. Critical issues escalated via our priority support email are typically reviewed by our on-call DBAs within 1-2 minutes. For non-managed clients, emergency support responses occur within 1 hour.

Block of Hours engagements are project-based and typically responded to within 1-4 hours during business hours. They don't include SLA guarantees. For mission-critical environments requiring guaranteed response times, we recommend Managed SQL Support.

No. Our monitoring is agentless - we leverage native SQL Server capabilities. No third-party agents, no additional software, no performance overhead. We configure monitoring using SQL Server's built-in features.

Block of Hours packages have a 12-month utilisation period. Managed SQL Support hours are month-by-month with no carry-over required - you simply adjust your monthly commitment as needed.