How to Manage Complex Database Environments Effectively

https://www.percona.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Complexity-eBook-300×157.jpgdatabase complexity

database complexityDatabase complexity  is bad for business. 

It degrades customer experience, it threatens security, and it’s a drag on time to market. It’s also a giant tax on the effectiveness of your team who are trying to manage it all with inconsistent tools and no hiring budget. Meanwhile, developers and other stakeholders, who are also under pressure to deliver more quickly, are frustrated by your inability to meet their needs fast enough. They may even be going around you. 

In an attempt to address complexity, a lot of companies are throwing more and more resources at it, like beefier nodes. However, ad hoc approaches tend to cost more than making upfront investments to optimize your architecture. They also put a bandage on a much bigger issue, namely a fragmented environment that’s getting impossible to manage. 

The stakes are high for you, your team, and the business. Are you doing everything you can to get database complexity under control? Ask yourself these questions:

Do you know how database complexity hurts the business?

I mean, do you fully understand the real-world costs that complexity has not just on your team but on the bottom line? For example:

Add to these costs the risk of breaching Service Level Agreements (SLAs), which may involve penalties ranging from fee reductions to  customers terminating their contracts. 

Do you know what the options are to fix it?

There are several options for dealing with database complexity and operating your environment more efficiently, such as using a single kind of database, multiple kinds of databases, or moving to the public cloud. Clearly understanding the pros and cons of each is important for finding the right solution for your environment. 

For example, lots of organizations are moving to the public cloud thinking it will solve their complexity, cost, and staffing problems, but will it? Are there hidden fees? What about lock-in? Not knowing the answers to these questions can make relying on a public cloud provider for support a risky proposition. 

Do you know what to look for in a vendor?

For those considering the use of multiple types of databases, separating the good from the not-so-good vendors matters. That’s because choosing a vendor is not just about the database. It involves evaluating the quality of their entire platform, from support to service to tools. You need to know what to look for so you can be assured that whoever you choose offers a unified solution that supports your database environments on any infrastructure.. 

Take control of database complexity today

There’s a lot to tackle to solve database complexity, and it’s hard to know where to start. Our latest eBook, How to Manage Complex Database Environments Effectively cuts through the confusion, so you can start taking control of your databases today. 

Percona Database Performance Blog