Query & Performance Optimization
Query optimization, index management, execution plan analysis, wait stats, and workload tuning. See SQL Server performance tuning.
SQL Server DBA Support
SQL Server DBA Services
Available When You Need Them.
Ongoing management, one-time projects, or a 2 AM emergency. Red9 covers every type of SQL Server DBA work with senior engineers who've been doing this for 15+ years.
Trusted by 120+ organizations since 2014
How We Work
Three Ways to Work with Red9
Most of our clients use one of these. Some use all three. Pick the one that matches where you are right now.
Most Clients Start Here
Managed Services
Starting at $395/mo per server
Ongoing SQL Server support. Your DBA monitors 24/7, fixes problems proactively, handles service requests, and tunes performance month over month. Like having a senior DBA on staff, working alongside your existing team.
✓24/7 monitoring with self-healing
✓Proactive tuning and optimization
✓Service requests handled same-day
✓Monthly health reports
✓15-min high-priority SLA
Consulting
Starting at $4,995 for 20 hours
Project-based work through our Microsoft SQL Server consulting. Migrations, upgrades, performance tuning, security audits, architecture reviews. Buy a block of hours, use them on whatever SQL Server work you need. Hours never expire.
✓Migrations and version upgrades
✓Performance tuning projects
✓Security and compliance audits
✓Architecture design and review
✓Before/after performance reports
Emergency Support
Starting at $249/mo retainer
SQL Server down at 2 AM? Call us. A senior DBA picks up the phone in 15 minutes or less, 24/7/365. No ticket queue, no junior staff reading a runbook. Fix first, paperwork later.
✓15-minute response time, 24/7/365
✓Senior DBA on the phone (not a NOC)
✓Post-incident root cause report
✓Free health check after resolution
✓Fee credited toward managed services
Cost
What a Full-Time SQL Server DBA Costs vs Red9
A full-time senior SQL Server DBA runs $150K+ a year before benefits, tooling, and training, and you still get one person who sleeps, takes leave, and can walk out the door with everything they know. Red9 gives you a bench instead of a single hire.
- Full-time in-house DBA: $150K+ salary, one person, one timezone, and a real bus-factor risk when they leave.
- Red9 managed DBA support: a team of senior engineers from $395/mo per server, covering monitoring, tuning, backups, and patching, with no recruiting cycle.
- Project or emergency: block hours for a one-time job, or a 2 AM call when production is down.
Call it outsourced DBA, fractional DBA, or DBA as a service: the point is senior SQL Server coverage without a full-time seat. Most clients cut total SQL Server costs 50 to 75% and never carry the bus-factor risk of a single hire. If you want the off-site delivery model specifically, see our remote SQL Server DBA services.
Coverage
What Our SQL Server DBA Support Includes
SQL Server is all we do. Every DBA, every tool, every process is built for it. Here's the specific work we handle.
Monitoring and Alerting
24/7 monitoring of CPU, memory, disk, jobs, backups, AG health, and error logs with self-healing automation.
Security
Login auditing, permission management, encryption configuration, vulnerability patching, and compliance support.
Upgrades and Migrations
Version upgrades, cloud migrations, data center moves, and server consolidation with rollback plans at every step.
Backup and Recovery
Backup strategy design, automated testing, point-in-time recovery, and disaster recovery planning.
High Availability
Always On Availability Groups, failover clustering, log shipping, and replication setup and monitoring.
Cloud SQL Server
Azure VMs, Azure SQL Managed Instance, AWS EC2, AWS RDS. Hybrid environments with on-prem and cloud servers.
Reporting and Audits
Monthly health reports, SQL Server assessments, configuration audits, and capacity planning reviews.
Why Red9
What Makes Red9 Different
There are other SQL Server shops. Here's why 120+ organizations picked us.
100% SQL Server
We don't do Oracle, Postgres, MySQL, or full-stack IT. Every DBA on our team works on SQL Server exclusively. That focus shows in the depth of what we can do.
Senior SQL Server DBAs Only
Every DBA at Red9 has at least 15 years of hands-on SQL Server experience. No junior staff, no offshore help desk, no training ground. You get someone who's seen your problem before.
7.3-Minute Average Response
Our SLA says 15 minutes for high-priority issues. Our actual average is 7.3 minutes. That's real people responding to real alerts around the clock.
Works with Your Team
We work alongside your internal IT and DBA staff, not as a replacement. Your team keeps full control and access. We handle the SQL Server-specific work so they can focus on other priorities.
From Our Clients
What Our DBA Services Clients Say
A True Partner
"We view Red9 as an extension of our IT department. They monitor and manage our SQL Server performance, support us when we encounter issues, and help us make sure our SQL statements are efficient. Their team is responsive, knowledgeable, and cares about their level of service. They are a true partner."
Highly Capable and Productive
"Red9 proved to be highly capable and productive. They provided complete end-to-end evaluation on database design, development and performance capacity and successfully executed those recommendations."
Wholeheartedly Recommend
"Been working with Mark Varnas for about 5 years as SQL engineering experts. They do SQL database architecture and maintenance for us and our customers. He and his team are incredibly knowledgeable and all-round just great people. One of the few companies I can wholeheartedly recommend."
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What SQL Server DBA services does Red9 offer?
Three things: ongoing management (24/7 monitoring, tuning, and support), consulting (project-based work like migrations, upgrades, and performance tuning), and emergency support (24/7/365 incident response). Most clients start with a free health check and go from there.
How much do SQL Server DBA services cost?
Ongoing management starts at $395/month per server. Consulting starts at $4,995 for a 20-hour block. Emergency retainer is $249/month. We're upfront about pricing because we think you should know what things cost before getting on a call.
Do I need ongoing SQL Server DBA support, consulting, or both?
If you need ongoing monitoring, alert response, and day-to-day DBA support, that's managed services. If you have a specific project (migration, upgrade, performance fix), that's consulting. Some clients use both: ongoing management for the continuous work and consulting hours for bigger projects. We'll help you figure out which fits during a free call.
We already have IT staff. Will Red9 work with our team?
Yes. We work alongside your existing IT and DBA staff. Your team keeps full access and control over everything. We handle the SQL Server-specific work so your people can focus on other priorities. Most of our clients have internal teams that use us for specialized depth and after-hours coverage.
Do you support cloud SQL Server environments?
Yes. We support SQL Server on Azure VMs, Azure SQL Managed Instance, AWS EC2, AWS RDS, and Google Cloud. We also handle hybrid environments where some servers are on-prem and others are in the cloud.
How fast can Red9 respond to a critical issue?
Our SLA is 15 minutes for high-priority issues, 24/7/365. Our actual average response time is 7.3 minutes. For ongoing-management clients on Essentials or Professional plans, this is included. For non-clients, our emergency incident response starts at $2,500 per incident.
What is the free 145-point SQL Server assessment?
It's a 145-point audit of your SQL Server environment covering security, performance, cost, incident preparedness, and best practices. We connect remotely, run the audit (no downtime, nothing installed), and give you a written report with findings and recommendations. It's free and there's no obligation to buy anything. You keep the report either way.
How do I get started?
Book a free 30-minute call. We'll talk about your environment, your challenges, and what you need. If it makes sense, we'll run a free 145-point assessment on your servers and recommend the right service. No pressure and no hard sell. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you.
Do you handle SQL Server troubleshooting and database administration?
Yes. SQL Server troubleshooting is daily work for us: blocking, deadlocks, failed jobs, slow queries, corruption, and failed backups. Our database administration services cover the full job, monitoring, patching, security, backups, high availability, and performance, all handled by senior DBAs with 15+ years each.
Let's Figure Out What Your SQL Servers Need
Free call, free health check, honest recommendation. That's how every Red9 engagement starts.
Book Your Free Callor call 1-877-891-1870