Database Administration

We specialize in Oracle database technology, and we are proud to be an Oracle Certified Solution Partner. Our goal is to add value to your Oracle-based project from the moment you hire our services. Our achievements are measured in the successes of our clients.

Data Management is vital to the success of every enterprise. Futica understands the role of a DBA in any enterprise. DBAs provide Management Analysis for data and systems used to organize and present the data. They provide risk management for the data including user security, backup, and restore.

Futica provides remote DBA support for both new and existing installations of Oracle systems. We measure our success by the satisfaction and success of our customers. 

We proactively monitor your systems from our remote database Operations Centers, in Toronto and London -England, where a team of DBAs are available to work on your specific database issues. 

The DBA requirements and demands for new implementations of Oracle Applications vary from one implementation to another. Futica's remote DBA group strategically developed flexible and dynamic services to suit your needs. 

Strategic Planning 
We help you step-by-step, breaking down and explaining the general phases and components involved with an implementation plan. We provide direction and methodology for organizing and planning the implementation of your Oracle systems. We highlight the mission-critical policies and management control systems that must be established to ensure the success of the project. 

General Implementation Support 

• After we have helped you establish your implementation plan, we continue to provide general implementation support. This includes establishing standards, policies and procedures surrounding the Technical Architecture component of the implementation. 
• Your primary Futica DBA advises and directs the technical components of your implementation. Your Futica DBA is a partner in your project. 
• We produce and deliver progress reports, updating you on the current status of your systems throughout the phases of your implementation. These reports include your Tar Tracking Log and your Patch History 

Coordinate with Client's Vendors
We coordinate with your Oracle project-related vendors to ensure full compatibility with the Oracle Applications with regards to the operating system, hardware requirements, networking issues and any other requirements that ensure the success of the project. 

Security Planning 
We assist in the planning and implementation of the necessary security requirements needed for your system. Futica provides consultation on Oracle's security features and the best practices to implement them. 

Architecture Design 
Futica DBA team designs the technical architecture of your system to operate at peak efficiency. Systems with inappropriate architecture design can potentially suffer from poor performance; expensive maintenance overheads and future upgrade complications. We provide you with a well-documented report of the design, detailing the makeup of each fundamental component. 

Systems Architecture
Futica can design system and database architecture to meet all of your needs. We can also provide security design, planning, and implementation, project management, and programming expertise in C, C++, and Perl scripting. We will architect a complete solution, including monitoring, backup, and disaster recovery plans. 

Database Server(s) Sizing Analysis 
Our specialists conduct an in depth sizing analysis. Futica then produces a precise and detailed report, containing all of the calculations and assumptions used in determining the database server sizing for the intended environment. We aid and guide your hardware decisions, including what type of database server to purchase and how many servers you'll need. 

Development Support 
Futica provides the support required to assist development efforts throughout your implementation. The development areas supported include custom extensions, integration and conversions. We establish the required environments for development, testing and training. 

SQL*Net Configuration 
Configure and implement SQL*Net in order to facilitate database connectivity. 

Database Tools and Applications Installation 
Each environment is methodically configured. We have each of your environments up and running, with the Oracle Database, Tools and Applications, in a timely and efficient manner. In most cases, this generally takes less than ten days. All designs and architectures are completely documented. 

Database Copy 
Copy and refresh database environments from one instance to another for test and implementation purposes. 

Capacity Planning 
We assess the configuration required to support your anticipated Production workload. This, coupled with performance benchmarking, produces an accurate forecast of the configuration needed for your operational requirements when in Production. 

Friendly & Personal Technical Help 
We're just a phone call away, providing resolutions for technical questions and troubleshooting system problems. 

Database Management
Futica has been building database management solutions for leading publishers and manufacturers. 

Performance Management 
Our standard Performance Monitoring service in RDSS provides proactive performance monitoring of the system. It unfolds systems usage and workload patterns. This may reveal bottlenecks in the system. 

Further investigation of these bottlenecks under our Performance Management Service reveals the cause of the bottlenecks, whether they are intrinsic within the application design, Oracle RDBMS or hardware limitations. Through conducting a series of tests to tune the system, we prepare your system and ensure it is Production ready. 

Media Failure / Database Recovery 
Implement Futica standard backup and recovery procedures in the event of hardware failure. 

Futica will implement appropriate scripts and utilities to ensure consistent backups of your database and restoration if necessary, due to media failure or other circumstances. We provide a secure environment so that downtime will be kept to a minimum and data integrity will be kept to a maximum. A backup strategy will be designed to fit your database and application characteristics as well as your current backup configuration. Backup files will be checked daily and saved off-site if desired.

A backup and recovery solution is designed to meet your specific needs. This solution is completely documented and periodically tested.

Space Management at both Operating System and Oracle Level 
Monitor all databases in order to determine and proactively repair problems with space allocation. 

Troubleshoot Concurrent Manager Problems 
Tuning the Concurrent Managers to work within your environment is an important function in an Oracle implementation. We configure, define, setup and monitor the Concurrent Managers and troubleshoot problems encountered. 

SQL*Net Configuration 
Verify SQL*Net is configured correctly, facilitating database connectivity. 

Patch Application 
Apply patches to both the Oracle RDBMS and Applications. 

TAR Management Service 
Serve as point of contact with Oracle Support to determine, review and resolve Oracle technical assistance requests. 

Database Copy
Copy and refresh database environments from one instance to another. 

Database Restructure 
Proactively monitor the databases predicting future problem areas - altering and restructuring the database to ensure efficient space usage and peak performance. 

Verification of System and Database Backups 
Verify that all automated backups have been conducted successfully 

Performance & Tuning 
One of the most crucial attributes of mission-critical applications is to maximize performance. Most business organizations have ongoing application and database performance problems. Databases are sophisticated and highly tunable software products. Futica can tailor the performance of your database environment to meet your application performance requirements. RGI*DBA performance diagnostic tools will be installed at your site to provide complete monitoring of internal data structures, memory allocation, I/O, resource contention, and other potential bottlenecks. We provide a sophisticated set of checklists and tools for monitoring database performance and bottlenecks. Futica DBA staff will continually monitor your database and make adjustments as necessary to provide optimal performance. 

Management Analysis 
This service is dedicated to overall Database Administration & Engineering analysis of all database activities. Included are reports and documentation provided to you based on critical database issues, alert conditions, recommended changes, and other crucial information so that your database will continue to run smoothly and without incident. An additional service, RGI*Metrics, is available which tracks important database trend and usage patterns. 

Installations & Upgrades 
Database installation and upgrades are sometimes comprehensive and difficult due to various software dependencies. DBAOnSite services provide experienced DBA staff who have designed proper procedures and documentation to facilitate optimal installations and upgrades. Pre-installation and upgrade checks are made before the installation or upgrade process in order to determine dependencies and variables associated during an upgrade. The Futica can also re-configure database installations based on Futica and software vendor standards for those sites where relational databases are already installed. 

Maintenance 
Database maintenance tasks can become unmanageable and time prohibitive for many database environments. DBAOnSite services provide methods and procedures to manage database maintenance activities and also establish preventative maintenance techniques. Database maintenance activities will be performed based on customer requests, necessary adjustments/modifications, migrations, and other identified purposes. In addition, Preventative Maintenance techniques will be applied to your database environment to prompt problematic situations and minimize unnecessary downtime. 

Security 
Database internal and external security configuration and monitoring are performed via DBAOnSite services. Database security mechanisms are recommended and applied to provide a safe environment and security compromises are detected and remedied. Full database auditing features are available to be implemented with DBAOnSite services based on your application environment security requirements.