SQL Server 2005 Database Operations at Microsoft

Technical Solution Brief

Published: April 10, 2006

The Microsoft Information Technology Platform Services (Microsoft IT PS) team provides cost-effective, world-class global database operations around the clock by using Microsoft® SQL Server 2005 technologies and tools, Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005 running on Microsoft Windows Server 2003, and business processes based on the Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF).

Data centers are the backbone of IT systems in large and medium-sized organizations. They house, operate, and maintain mission-critical hardware and software. A data-center operations group manages the physical servers and facility, a network infrastructure, and a collection of applications. Databases and associated data sets are at the heart of a data center.

A data-center operations group must:

• Deliver the highest-quality services.

• Ensure that the data sets are reliably available.

• Smoothly and efficiently implement new data systems and update existing systems.

• Provide timely support to the customers of the data center.

• Operate with maximum efficiency and with the lowest possible cost.

A data-center operations group must skillfully mange upgrades and replacements of its systems. The lifetime of an organization's data is usually longer than the life cycle of an organization's business applications. An application typically needs to be upgraded within months or years after its rollout. The lifetime of an organization's data may be years or decades. When an organization is replacing an application or making major upgrades, the cost of migrating the data is a usually a large percentage of the overall implementation costs, sometimes a majority of the cost. The data-center operations group must control those costs.

A data-center operations group must support the servers, databases, and applications that it runs. In a quick and efficient manner, it must diagnose any problems that are identified from either a problem report or a diagnostic program, determine how to fix the problems, and work with customers to meet their requirements.

To ensure the availability of data sets, the data-center operations group must deliver reliability, security, confidentiality, integrity, and performance. To deliver these features requires, among other things, failover and disaster planning.

Finally, a data-center operations group must deliver all of these services in the most cost-effective manner. Cost-effectiveness requires the group to use the best system management tools, and to develop an organization and processes that accomplish the group's goals with minimal cost and effort.

This document explains how the Microsoft IT PS operations team, working in Microsoft data centers, improves the availability of application data. This document outlines the business processes that the team has implemented to deliver world-class database service. The technologies, tools, and techniques that Microsoft IT PS developed can be applied in whole or in part to almost any data-center operations and support environment.

This document is not a complete list of all the tasks that Microsoft IT handles and the processes that it uses. For information about other Microsoft IT activities, please refer to other IT Showcase papers at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/msit/default.mspx.

Situation

The mission of Microsoft IT operations teams is to increase IT productivity and operational efficiencies throughout the business groups at Microsoft. The Microsoft IT organization provides internal business customers with worldwide data-center support services, such as:

• Infrastructure services: routing, switching, server farm architecture.

• Application services: load balancing, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) offloading, caching.

• Security services: packet filtering and inspection, intrusion detection, intrusion prevention.

• Storage services: storage area network (SAN) extensions, site selection, data-center interconnectivity.

Within Microsoft IT, one of the key operations teams is Microsoft IT PS. The mission of the Microsoft IT PS team is to provide world-class database platform services (operations) and data-center support, globally, to internal Microsoft business customers such as the financial, legal, and human resources groups.

Figure 1 shows some information about the worldwide data centers for which the Microsoft IT PS team provides database platform services and support.

Figure 1. Microsoft IT PS supports Microsoft data centers worldwide

The Microsoft IT PS team provides data-center services to internal Microsoft business groups in the following general areas:

• Monitoring

• Operations, including support

• Technology adoption

• Trustworthy computing

The Microsoft IT PS team currently services and supports more than 1,000 SQL Server databases and thousands of customer and user databases on SQL Server 2005 and Microsoft SQL Server 2000. The team also supports projects to upgrade application and database software and to migrate data sets to these versions.

The Microsoft IT PS team ensures the availability of application data and monitors thousands of critical application databases for key Microsoft worldwide business groups. Every month, the team implements and resolves thousands of infrastructure requests, change requests, and problem reports. The team delivers data-center support around the clock and provides valuable feedback to Microsoft product groups.

Specific services that the Microsoft IT PS team provides include:

• Implementation of Platform Services Fundamentals (a set of best practices).

• Database operations and support services (including availability, disaster recovery, and business continuance).

• Early product adoption and architectural design.

Solution

To deliver exceptional database operations services to business groups within Microsoft, the Microsoft IT PS team employs a number of technologies, tools, processes, and techniques, such as:

• Latest available technology. Uses the latest available technology, tools, and platforms, based on SQL Server 2005, MOM 2005, and Windows Server 2003.

• Best practices. Implements best practices in team structures and operational processes, based on the MOF.

• Industry standards. Adopts industry standards, which help ensure consistent hardware and software platforms, more efficient development, and more effective configuration management. This practice results in better platform concurrency, reliability, and process efficiency, and ultimately reduces the total cost of ownership.

• Effective trouble shooting tools. Employs effective tools that give early visibility into issues and problems before they escalate, which helps the team solve incidents quickly.

• Communication and planning. Implements continuous, open, and effective communications with customers, clients, and peers, to promote seamless teams, project-wide cooperation, and proactive collaborative planning.

• Disciplined change management. Practices disciplined change management that effectively handles platform changes and drives down the cost and response time of change-related issues.

Platform Services Fundamentals

Microsoft IT PS developed a standard management process for hardware and software platform configuration called Platform Services Fundamentals. Platform Services Fundamentals includes advanced SQL Server administration support, clustering, replication, log shipping, performance tuning, business continuance, disaster recovery, and SQL Server database architectural design.

These services preserve the integrity of the data and reduce data-center hosting charges. Also, because Microsoft IT PS plans, designs, and consolidates server and application deployments and provides automated scripts for recurring and repetitive tasks, the team reduces the amount of work required in the business units, enabling the business units to address higher-value tasks. These services directly affect application performance and customer and partner satisfaction.

Platform Services Fundamentals helps ensure compliance with the Microsoft Trustworthy Computing standards, including:

• Hardware and software configuration management.

• Service packs.

• Release level standards on all security updates and service packs.

• Installation of any platform hotfixes.

SQL Server 2005 Hardware Configuration

Microsoft IT PS developed and implemented a standard hardware configuration across data centers for database servers and application platforms. Building and operating a data center based on a standard hardware and software environment reduces the total cost of ownership. Hardware purchase costs are lower because vendors give bigger discounts for standard configurations. Support costs are lower because problems and issues can be more quickly located in a standardized environment. Quickly locating problems and issues minimizes system downtime. Also, this standard improves platform response time, reduces disk drive fragmentation, and eliminates database server issues resulting from nonstandard hardware.

The implementation of SQL Server physical files, such as the TempDB file and system log files, has a direct effect on server and database performance. For better performance, the Microsoft IT PS standard configuration isolates the database TempDB files and the active database server logs. Isolating these files also helps to troubleshoot performance issues by eliminating platform hardware configuration issues. The Microsoft IT PS standard configuration does not eliminate the need for capacity planning; however, it eases capacity planning and reduces potential disk space issues arising from long-term platform and database operations.

According to the Microsoft IT PS standard hardware configuration, dedicated volumes should be assigned to each of the following:

• SQL Server database binaries

• Executable files

• Database backup files

• Transaction log backup files

• Batch job files

• Data files

• Log files

• Page files

• TempDB files

With the release of SQL Server 2005, some applications that intensively write to TempDB show large performance improvements when TempDB files are spread across multiple files and multiple volumes. The number of volumes is based on the number of processors on the server.

SQL Server 2005 Software Configuration

The Microsoft IT PS team uses a standardized set of software versions for operating systems, SQL Server 2005, and service packs. The Microsoft IT PS team, with input gathered from customers, develops a base software configuration for each platform deployment. These configurations are regularly updated and adjusted based on operational feedback, security requirements, and real-world performance measurements.

A standard software configuration is used throughout each data center. These uniform configurations are used on the platform and database servers. The configurations specify the standard hardware drive configurations and include the latest platform service packs. In addition, the configurations include all required hotfixes and security updates.

For Microsoft Office applications and the Microsoft Windows® operating system, the Microsoft IT PS team uses Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) to implement all critical security updates. For database and other updates, the team uses SMS only in certain circumstances. For example, the team uses SMS when a security update meets these criteria:

• The update is considered critical enough to be applied immediately.

• The update makes no changes to the configuration of any databases.

• The update does not require a restart of data servers.

SQL Server 2005 Operations Deployment Strategy

During new deployments, the key to a reliable and efficient change management process is managing upgrades and additions to the standardized operating systems, databases, service packs, and configurations. The Microsoft IT PS team uses a formal deployment process to perform SQL Server upgrades that affect the configuration of the data servers.

To maintain a standard system software configuration during operations while applying the service packs, hotfixes, and upgrades, Microsoft IT PS maintains and follows a set of requirements, guidelines, predeployment checklists, and postdeployment checklists.

SQL Server 2005 Predeployment Requirements

Prior to physical deployment, Microsoft IT PS performs additional steps by using a thorough predeployment document that specifies the following:

• The tasks, task owners, and target dates for each task's completion

• How to verify the integrity of the existing data

• How to coordinate the stakeholders

Microsoft IT PS also updates the list of contacts and thoroughly discusses the issues prior to deployment. For example, a predeployment document may include tasks such as the following:

• Coordinate with business partners.

• Coordinate with on-site contacts (customer and Microsoft).

• Coordinate with on-call contacts (customer and Microsoft).

• Determine the health of the existing database by running diagnostic tools such as PSSDiag, MS Reports, and Best Practices Analyzer.

• Create a support case when needed.

• Validate the results of diagnostic tools.

• Confirm configuration change controls.

• Perform baseline stress testing.

Microsoft IT PS uses a separate feature usage checklist to gather detailed information about database server features.

SQL Server 2005 Predeployment Checklist

Microsoft IT PS initially plans deployment by using predeployment checklists, in communication with customers. The team uses the predeployment checklist to record requirements, information about databases, and the definitions of the data and databases that will be used for deployment.

The checklist includes information items such as:

• Application name, application owner, decision makers, and customer primary contact.

• Predeployment meeting dates.

• Assigned server names and build numbers.

• Installation date and time.

• Work window time, troubleshooting time, and rollback time.

• Type of on-site support required.

• Assigned on-call support engineers and support case number.

• Security and data sensitivity requirements.

• Type of installation, such as cluster or stand-alone.

• Type of deployment, such as upgrade, new installation, or movement.

• Required database count and sizes.

• Required notification e-mail.

• Availability and capacity needs.

• Notes.

SQL Server 2005 Feature Usage

SQL Server 2005 eases the deployment, management, and optimization of enterprise data platforms because it provides a single management console. The management console enables administrators to monitor, manage, and fine-tune all of the databases and associated services across the enterprise. The console also has an extensible management infrastructure that is programmable by means of SQL Management Objects, which enables users to customize and extend database platform management capabilities and to build additional custom tools.

A user can also use a list of the SQL Server 2005 features and technologies being deployed to assign appropriate resources for implementation and support. This SQL Server 2005 feature list checklist includes the assigned support personnel, the customer's application development contacts, the type of processors, hardware configuration requirements, and which of the following features to include in the deployment:

• Analysis services, data mining algorithms, proactive caching, unified dimensional model, and write-back caching

• Backward compatibility with older versions

• Notification services

• Data Transformation Services usage

• OLE Database and/or Open Database Connectivity asynchronous command execution usage

• Replication needs such as merge, online schema changes, foreign database publishing, peer-to-peer transaction, Web synchronization merge

• Reporting services and Report Builder usage and requirements

• Clustering needs, usage, and requirements

• Database backup/restoration enhancements usage and requirements

• Database mirroring usage and requirements

• Database snapshots usage and requirements

• Database Engine Tuning Advisor usage and requirements

• Enhanced Multi-Instance Support usage and requirements

• Events and Data Definition Language (DDL) triggers usage and requirements

• Log shipping usage and requirements

• Native HTTP support (Web services) usage and requirements

• Online index operations/restoration usage and requirements

• Partitioning usage

• Query notifications usage

• Security features such as policy, encryption, user, and schema separation

• Snapshot isolation level usage and requirements

• Common language runtime (CLR) procedures and functions, User-Defined Types (UDTs) and Universal Database Access (UDA) usage and requirements

• Statement Level Recompile usage and requirements

• Storage engine performance and dynamic configuration usage and requirements

• Transact-SQL (T-SQL) enhancements usage and requirements

• Varchar (max) usage and requirements

• Service Broker usage and requirements

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Mobile Edition (SQL Server Mobile) and Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Windows CE Edition (SQL Server CE) usage and requirements

• XML access to relational data, XML data type, and XQuery support usage and requirements

After Microsoft IT PS completes the predeployment tasks, it schedules deployment and sends a notification to contacts and key personnel. This notification details:

• Planned deployment start date and time.

• Planned deployment end date and time.

• Deployment build, type, and specifications.

SQL Server 2005 Deployment Preparation Guide

At deployment, the Microsoft IT PS team prepares a deployment preparation guide and performs the following tasks:

• Set the baseline\benchmark for the data set.

• Determine server health (hardware, software, and configuration).

• Clean the databases (by using Database Consistency Checker [DBCC] checkdb command).

• Take current backups (including full text).

• Install media or bits for the operating system, SQL Server, and all applications on the server.

• Check all databases for the read-only attribute. If found, reset to read/write.

• Check any existing jobs for conflict with upgrade.

The team performs the following tasks for stand-alone databases:

• Verify that the current backup is current and fully readable.

• Verify that all media needed for reinstallation (including operating system and applications) is available.

• Verify that DBCC is run on all databases.

• Verify that predeployment baseline data is collected.

• Stop all scheduled jobs and third-party software, and verify that no conflicts exist.

• Verify that no outside users are logged on or can log on to SQL Server during the installation.

• Verify the rights of the user who will perform the installation.

• Verify that the SQL Server, SQL Server Agent, and setup user accounts have all the rights necessary for installation.

• Verify that no databases are read-only.

• Restart the server.

• Review the Setup Consistency Checker output and address any error messages.

• Perform testing.

• Back up the new installation of databases.

The team performs the following tasks for clustered databases:

• Verify that there were no failed cluster resources.

• Verify cluster service accounts.

• Verify cluster dependencies.

• Verify that the Domain Name Server (DNS) server can be accessed.

SQL Server 2005 Postdeployment Checklist

Upon successful deployment, the Microsoft IT PS team performs the following tasks:

• Verify successful installation and data integrity.

• Save pre-upgrade backups and back up the upgraded database.

• Run DBCC on all databases to confirm that no corruption occurred.

• Collect postdeployment baseline data (same data set as predeployment).

• Reverse all actions taken for deployment:

  • Reset the database attributes to their original settings prior to deployment.

  • Enable any pending jobs.

  • Re-enable all services that were shut down.

Platform Services SQL Server Database Support Services

Microsoft IT PS provides high-quality support services around the clock seven days a week. The services are defined by service level agreements (SLAs) and operating level agreements (OLAs), which address server availability, initial incident response time, follow-up communications, and incident closure time.

SQL Server database support services that Microsoft IT PS offers include advanced SQL Server administration support, including clustering, replication, log shipping, performance tuning, business continuance and disaster recovery, high availability, and SQL Server database architectural design. These services help enhance the availability, security, reliability, efficiency, and integrity of the business environments.

SQL Server 2005 Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Microsoft IT PS well understands the need to plan for disasters and has thoroughly documented procedures for business continuance and disaster recovery. A geographically distant data center is on warm standby, with capacity to serve in the event of disaster at the primary site.

Microsoft IT PS uses failover clustering and log shipping for production servers that have the highest availability requirements. These servers immediately fail over to the secondary local data-center standby servers. Although replication is used as a failover backup and for reporting purposes, transaction logs of production servers are backed up periodically and copied to local or remote warm standby servers. This backup protects the data against hardware failures, usually with no loss of data. Additionally, log shipping does not require the servers to be local or in close proximity. Log shipping also supports sending transaction logs to more than one secondary server and enables users to offload some of the query processing and reporting to the secondary servers. A simple, full recovery, or bulk-logged recovery scenario is used for data-center servers, depending on the customer's requirements.

Figure 2 represents a simple log shipping scenario:

Figure 2. Log shipping simple scenario

Backups are created on disk and tape media. An automated process scans and discovers the servers in the data center, and a standard backup on disk is performed nightly. Backup on tape is performed on a regular, predefined, customer-determined basis. Performing these backups has little or no effect on running customers' applications, so backups can be run during normal operations. If disk backup does not occur in a designated amount of time, the system generates an alert through MOM.

Typically, full backups for user databases are created nightly, and transaction logs are backed up every 15 minutes. If incremental backups are needed, full backups are created weekly and incremental backups are created nightly. Tape backups are maintained from 30 days to years, depending on customer requirements.

Microsoft Operations Manager

For problem detection, the Microsoft IT PS team extensively uses MOM 2005. SQL Server Management Pack for MOM 2005 is installed on the MOM Management server, which then installs the MOM agents on all the data service servers. Figure 3 shows an example of the MOM 2005 architecture.

Figure 3. Example MOM 2005 architecture

The Microsoft IT PS team uses MOM to ensure that it meets organizational and business goals and maintains performance, security, and other objectives, as described in OLAs. MOM proactively monitors the system status and parameters of each server running SQL Server. The Microsoft IT PS team also uses MOM in reporting and trend analysis.

MOM continuously updates the status of the managed platforms in the data center. It presents platform status in the status monitoring view at the platform group level, server level, application level, and component level. The status of entities in the data center is monitored around the clock, and an alert is generated to the support team when intervention is required. Depending on the severity of the problem, the alert is sent by the MOM console, by e-mail, by SMS, or by pager.

MOM management packs extend the monitoring for all of the components. Windows Server Base Operating Systems Management Pack for MOM 2005 monitors the performance and availability of Microsoft Windows operating systems. SQL Server Management Pack for MOM 2005 detects critical events and sends alerts. It helps indicate, correct, and prevent service outages or configuration problems with database servers and services. Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) Management Pack for MOM 2005 performs security assessments and security update scans of computers running Windows. Server Clusters Management Pack for MOM 2005 monitors events that indicate possible service outages or configuration problems.

MOM management packs are installed in batches and then fine-tuned and optimized. The packs enable hundreds of monitoring rules and do not require extensive changes prior to use. The changes are identified through the event and alert reports. For example, Microsoft IT PS proactively monitors the amount of disk space remaining, and MOM alerts are sent when the disk is almost full or when a blocking event occurs for more than a minute. MOM management packs can monitor SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005 in the same data center. The SQL Server Management Pack for MOM 2005 has new features that complement the enhanced capabilities of SQL Server 2005. These features monitor components such as the CLR.

MOM monitoring has no downtime, because the MOM monitor itself is backed up by a failover server. MOM also monitors SQL Server Agent and the completion of SQL jobs.

To handle MOM alerts and customer requests, Microsoft IT PS uses a global ticketing system that has reporting capabilities. These tickets are called Infrastructure Requests (IRs). Each IR is tracked to measure service level times. The IRs are also analyzed to identify trends in problems with a server or to make sure that a server is not currently under other repair work.

Platform Services Operations Team Structure

The operational tasks required in a data center span the full life cycle of the data, from planning to deployment to operation. The Microsoft IT PS team uses the MOF as a guide to plan, implement, and operate data centers. Figure 4 shows a process overview of the MOF.

Figure 4. MOF overview

Under the MOF, Microsoft IT PS services include:

• Incident management, including on-site support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

• Problem management, including proactively working with customers to identify and correct platform issues and to prevent future recurrences.

• Change management, including assisting customers to identify, design, and implement authorized changes and upgrades.

• Release management, including assisting customers to manage, distribute, and implement platform software.

• The Microsoft IT PS operations team provides every level of support that customers need, from first response to implementing proactive and preventative operational measures for a customer's platform operations.

The Microsoft IT PS team provides three levels of customer database operations support:

• Level 1: Database operations and incident management

  • Handle incoming alerts that are forwarded from a MOM monitoring system.

  • Create infrastructure requests.

  • Prioritize incidents.

  • Perform initial troubleshooting and resolution.

  • Handle initial customer communication.

  • Escalate issues to Level 2.

  • Assist in the execution of time-critical change requests.

• Level 2: Database operations, incident management, and problem management

  • Escalate issues from Level 1.

  • Handle all issues for an assigned customer and that customer's associated servers, including system upgrades, update compliance, and performance issues.

  • Handle any issues that could not be handled within the time set forth in the OLA for Level 1.

  • Work through a ticketing system to track effort and logs.

  • Interact with customers.

  • Provide escalation to support, if needed.

  • File bugs with product teams, if needed.

  • Apply fixes, when identified.

  • Plan and execute change requests.

• Level 3: Database operations change management, proactive planning, and database configuration

  • Introduce new technologies and work to get them into production.

  • Work with customers on designing their servers and their solutions.

  • Mentor Level 2 staff on new technologies and their current tasks.

Level 1 handles more than 80 percent of incidents, which increases efficiency and response time. The team handles more than 5,000 incidents and change requests monthly, and it does so effectively and efficiently. This efficiency has reduced the ratio of database administrators dedicated to Level 2 and Level 3.

Figure 5 shows the levels of support.

Figure 5. Microsoft IT PS operations team's levels of support

Platform Services Technologies and Tools

The Microsoft IT PS team uses multiple SQL Server 2005 technologies and tools to further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of operations. Many of these technologies and tools are shipped with SQL Server 2005 or can be downloaded from Microsoft.com.

Management Studio

Microsoft IT PS uses Management Studio to administer both SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2000. Management Studio for SQL Server 2005 offers significantly improved functionality, including resizable and nonmodal dialog boxes, which make it possible to compare content and simplify switching views. These functions also help ease use and enable parallel operations by allowing fully functional access to SQL Server Enterprise Manager, Query Analyzer, Analysis Manager, Reporting Services, Data Transformation Services, and Notification Services.

The interface for Management Studio has a separate Registered Servers view that is used to work with multiple services simultaneously, such as Analysis Services, Reporting Services, SQL Server Integration Services, and SQL Server Mobile instances. This functionality provides the ability to save registered server lists for others to use and helps set up new Microsoft employees quickly. This feature reduces learning time and increases operational efficiency. From the Management Studio Tools menu, a number of other SQL Server based tools, such as SQL Server Profiler or Database Engine Tuning Advisor, are easily accessed.

SQL Server Profiler

SQL Server Profiler traps events in SQL Server and can correlate between SQL Server specific events and Windows performance characteristics (through System Monitor) to easily find any relation between the two.

Job Activity Monitor

Microsoft IT PS uses Job Activity Monitor for work related to the SQL jobs, such as start and stop jobs, viewing job properties and history, and determining which jobs were executing at the time of a failure or event. Job Activity Monitor can display all jobs on the server, or filters can be defined to select specified jobs.

Database Engine Tuning Advisor

Database Engine Tuning Advisor is an enhanced version of the Index Tuning Wizard that was available in SQL Server 2000. Its improved features include the ability to integrate with SQL Profiler, which can reduce the amount of time spent on query and performance tuning. It enables the Microsoft IT PS team to analyze the database and make recommendations based on the workload. Recommendations range from changing the schema, to partitioning, to creating an indexed view, to creating a proactive design. During the recommendation process, Database Engine Tuning Advisor (or Index Tuning Wizard) creates hypothetical indexes or statistics that it uses to perform what-if analyses of the workload. As a result, any subsequent queries that reference tables that were affected by Database Engine Tuning Advisor (or Index Tuning Wizard) are recompiled. This recompilation is at the statement level in SQL Server 2005 or at the stored procedure level in SQL Server 2000. The tools are run on a copy of the production database in isolation, so that the team can review the changes without affecting other tasks on the production server and can apply the changes without interrupting production tasks.

PSSDiag

PSSDiag is a diagnostic data collector that was created for SQL Server. It simultaneously collects System Monitor logs, SQL Server Profiler traces, event logs, SQLDiag reports, and detailed blocking information. The Microsoft IT PS engineers commonly use it to collect diagnostic data from user installations. PSSDiag is available at http://support.microsoft.com.

MPSReports

The MPSReports tool gathers detailed information about a system's current configuration. The collected data assists in fault isolation.

Health and History Tool

The Microsoft SQL Server Health and History Tool (SQLH2) collects performance-related information from instances of SQL Server and stores this information. The Microsoft IT PS team uses this tool to collect performance counters and other system information. To view the information, the team creates reports by using SQL Server Reporting Services. SQLH2 is available at http://support.microsoft.com.

Best Practices Analyzer

Best Practices Analyzer verifies the implementation of common best practices on servers. These best practices typically relate to usage and administration of SQL Server databases and ensure that servers running SQL Server are well managed and operated.

Platform Services As First and Best Partner

In addition to providing support to internal Microsoft business groups, Microsoft IT PS is the first and best partner for Microsoft enterprise products. The team champions platform adaptation by helping clients and customers to adopt and deploy the latest enterprise applications from Microsoft. The team also provides detailed feedback to Microsoft product groups to help guide improvements in product features, and to improve the customer experience.

Benefits

By using the latest Microsoft enterprise products along with the best tools, organization, and processes, the Microsoft IT PS team realized the following benefits for its own operations and for Microsoft IT and Microsoft business groups:

• Building on Microsoft technology, tools, and platforms–like SQL Server 2005, MOM 2005, and Windows Server 2003 enables the Microsoft IT PS team to provide a solid foundation to keep data reliably available around the clock.

• Fully implementing MOM 2005 reduces the cost, complexity, and business impact of events like a component failure, security breach, or performance degradation.

• Implementing standard configurations enables the Microsoft IT PS team to reduce maintenance costs, support costs, and the time required for deployment or recovery.

• Working within the MOF—a carefully developed organizational structure that uses well-defined IT processes—the Microsoft IT PS team delivers fast, efficient, and comprehensive support to keep data available and ensure a rewarding customer experience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Microsoft IT PS team employs technologies and delivers services that:

• Increase availability, integrity, and timeliness of data.

• Reduce costs of operations.

• Improve services, response time, and the customer experience.

For More Information

For more information about Microsoft products or services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada information Centre at (800) 563-9048. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information via the World Wide Web, go to:

http://www.microsoft.com

http://www.microsoft.com/itshowcase

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itshowcase