Our client was running an older application on a similarly aged database (Progress) that was installed in 2006. During the ensuing years very little scheduled database administration had been done, resulting in a slow degradation of performance. In addition, they had outdated backup protocols requiring review and maintenance to ensure a recovery point in the event of a catastrophe.
After a requirements gathering session with the client, an analysis of the existing platform was performed to understand the underlying hardware, operating system, and application layout. Application tests were also run to determine the performance baseline. A plan was then developed to enable proper backups, reconfigure memory allocation as needed, and dump and reload the database to remove fragmentation at both the index and data levels.
This project had a tremendously positive impact on the client. All steps went according to plan and no issues were detected. The application is running well and they have dependable backups and documented processes for restoring the environment in case of failure. The team developed clear objectives and performance metrics to gauge success and the client was fully engaged in all stages of the project, feeling empowered to offer suggestions at all levels.
