Fit call
Confirm the SQL Server situation, urgency, access limits, and whether ongoing SQL Server support makes sense.
SQL Server / monthly DBA support
Monthly SQL Server DBA support
Ongoing SQL Server support for small companies without a full-time DBA.
I help with backups, SQL Agent jobs, monitoring, performance issues, upgrades, restore testing, and planned changes through monthly DBA support.
Monthly agreementRemote SQL Server reviewSmall-company fitBackups / jobs / monitoringPerformance / recovery / upgradesNo access needed before first contact
How monthly support works
Support starts with a fit check. If it makes sense, we agree the first SQL Server areas to review, the access boundary, and how monthly work should be prioritized.
First review
Check the agreed starting areas: backups, jobs, monitoring, errors, recent incidents, and planned changes.
Monthly work
Review agreed areas, look at recurring issues, and help with planned work before it turns into an incident.
Priority list
Keep a short list of fixes, risks, decisions, and the next safe details to share.
Who benefits from monthly DBA support
01
Small companies where SQL Server is important, but nobody has enough time to keep checking it properly.
02
There is no full-time DBA, or SQL Server is only part of someone else's job.
03
Backups, restores, monitoring, SQL Agent jobs, or maintenance need regular review.
04
Performance problems, failed jobs, or operational questions keep coming back.
05
The business needs outsourced SQL Server support, but not a helpdesk queue or a full-time hire.
06
An upgrade, audit, migration, or high availability review is likely in the next few months.
How the monthly support is handled
01
We start with a fit check and choose the first SQL Server areas to review.
02
Each month covers agreed review work, troubleshooting, planned changes, and the current priority list.
03
Small issues are handled as part of support. Larger items are scoped separately before work starts.
04
You get a simple record of findings, decisions, and next steps.
First 30 days
The first month should make the support useful without pretending everything can be fixed immediately.
Access and sensitive data wait until the work is agreed.
Week 1
Fit check, SQL Server context, access boundary, and the first review scope.
Week 2
Baseline review of agreed areas such as backups, jobs, monitoring, errors, and recent incidents.
Week 3
Discuss findings, immediate risks, and the work that should happen first.
Week 4
Agree the monthly pattern, priority list, and what needs a separate scoped review.
What is included in monthly DBA support
Operational checks
BackupsSQL Agent jobserror logsstorage growthmaintenanceintegrity checks
Performance work
waitsblockingdeadlocksslow queriesquery plansindexesstatisticstempdb
Recovery and availability
restore testingbackup chainRPO/RTOAlways Onfailover notesrunbooks
Planned changes
patchesCUsupgradesmigrationscompatibility checksrollback planning
Communication
monthly summaryfindingsdecisionspriority listnext safe details to share
The exact mix depends on the agreement, the servers, and the access that makes sense. The goal is simple: keep important SQL Server risks visible, handle recurring issues earlier, and make planned changes easier to prepare.
Choose the level of support
Some small companies only need a regular review. Others need more time around recurring issues, high availability, or planned changes.
Final scope depends on the servers, access, urgency, and agreement.
Light monthly review
For small companies that mainly need regular SQL Server checks and a short priority list.
Regular DBA support
For outsourced SQL Server support around recurring issues, planned changes, and monthly review of agreed areas.
More coverage
For high availability, frequent incidents, or a larger SQL Server responsibility.
Monthly SQL Server support vs alternatives
Full-time DBA
SQL Server needs daily ownership inside the company.
Ad hoc consulting
There is one defined problem and no need for follow-up review.
Monthly DBA support
SQL Server matters, but ongoing senior review is enough and a full-time DBA would be too much.
24/7 managed service
Formal incident response, on-call cover, and SLA-backed support are required.
Monthly summary example
The format changes by agreement, but the summary should be short enough to use.
Backups
One restore test needed.
SQL Agent
Two recurring job failures.
Performance
Blocking during the reporting window.
Storage
Data file growth needs review.
Next step
Fix the job failure first, then review the backup and restore plan.
Not included by default
01
24/7 on-call response is not included by default.
02
Unlimited tickets and helpdesk-style queue handling are not included by default.
03
Guaranteed response SLAs need a separate agreement.
04
Full ownership of infrastructure, application code, or cloud platform work is not part of the default scope.
05
Direct production access is not needed before we agree the work.
06
A one-off emergency fix without follow-up review is usually better handled as ad hoc consulting.
Book monthly DBA support
Send the company context, SQL Server situation, urgency, and whether you want monthly support or a defined review. Logs, exports, credentials, and sensitive system data can wait.
Get in touchProof before starting
Examples of the monthly support work around it
Monthly support usually starts by finding the recurring gaps: monitoring, maintenance, recovery, and the small issues that keep returning.
Proof
SQL Server monitoring guide
How to check whether alerts, logs, job history, and monitoring data are useful during incidents.
Open guide /
Proof
Maintenance jobs review
How to review SQL Agent jobs, CHECKDB, backup jobs, cleanup, index work, and schedules.
Open guide /
Proof
SQL Server recovery guide
How to separate backup job success from restore testing, dependencies, and handback checks.
Open guide /
Questions before starting
What is monthly SQL Server DBA support?
It is regular senior SQL Server help for companies that need recurring review, troubleshooting, planned change support, and a clear priority list without hiring a full-time DBA.
What kind of SQL Server support do small companies need?
Most small companies need backup and restore checks, SQL Agent job review, monitoring review, patch planning, performance checks, access review, and someone who can help before upgrades or risky changes. The exact scope depends on how important SQL Server is to daily work.
Is this outsourced SQL Server support?
Yes. It is outsourced SQL Server support for companies that want regular senior DBA help without adding a full-time employee. The company still keeps an internal owner for business priorities, approvals, and access decisions.
Is this 24/7 support?
No. Monthly DBA support is regular review and agreed SQL Server work. 24/7 on-call response, unlimited tickets, and guaranteed response SLAs need a separate agreement.
Can this include high availability?
Yes, if it is part of the agreement. Always On, failover notes, quorum, alerts, and runbooks can be reviewed when high availability is part of the SQL Server risk.
Can this include performance tuning?
Yes. Recurring waits, blocking, deadlocks, slow queries, failed jobs, query plans, indexes, statistics, tempdb, and workload timing can be reviewed as part of monthly support.
Do you need production access first?
No. Start with the company context, SQL Server situation, urgency, and what kind of help you are considering. Sensitive data and access can wait.
Can this start as a health audit?
Yes. A health audit can be a good first step when the current SQL Server state is unclear or the monthly scope needs a proper starting point.
How is monthly work prioritized?
Work is prioritized by production risk, urgency, business timing, and the details available. The output is a short priority list, not a large monthly report.
Can unused time roll over?
Only if that is part of the agreement. I do not imply rollover by default because monthly support scope depends on the servers, access, urgency, and expected availability.
Is this a replacement for a full-time DBA?
Sometimes, for companies that need regular senior SQL Server review but not daily ownership. If SQL Server needs daily internal ownership, a full-time DBA is usually the better answer.
Related pages
Monthly support is the main ongoing service. These pages help when the work starts as a guide question or a narrower review.
SQL Server consulting
Use the broader consulting page when the work is not yet clearly monthly support.
Open page
Ongoing support for small companies
Use this guide when you are still deciding what kind of SQL Server support a small company actually needs.
Open page
Health audit
Use this when the first step should be a defined review of the current SQL Server estate.
Open page