From High-Risk SQL Server Estate to a Stable, Scalable Data Platform 

Background

When we started the engagement with the client, their US SQL Server estate was mid-migration: a new SQL Server 2022 instance had been provisioned with log shipping, but production still ran on an overheated, unsupported SQL Server 2016 build.

The estate was large (> 1,500 databases) and lacked operational documentation, baselines, runbooks, and proactive monitoring. For much of this period, there was no experienced DBA oversight.

Challenge

The organization needed to stabilize a mid-migration SQL Server estate and remove performance and operational risks that threatened research turnaround, peak-cycle reliability, the move to SQL Server 2022, and day-to-day continuity. They needed to address:

Severe Performance & Reliability Issues

• A large number deadlocks on a single database
• I/O stalls exceeding 200 ms
• High CXPACKET contention and blocking
• CPU saturation and thermal throttling

Foundational Gaps

• No SQL Agent alerts or Database Mail
• No index or statistics maintenance
• No operational documentation, baselines, or runbooks
• 1,500-database estate with 99% index fragmentation
• No proactive monitoring or experienced DBA oversight

Business Risks

These issues jeopardized:

• Research turnaround times
• System reliability during peak insight cycles
• The ongoing migration to SQL Server 2022
• Operational continuity for global teams relying on the database platform

The incoming internal DBA needed a stable, predictable environment, not a fire-fighting scenario inherited from legacy maintenance gaps.

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Solution

We delivered a structured stabilization and modernization program focused on performance, reliability, and long-term operability.

1. Production Stabilization

• Deep hardware and resource analysis
• SQL Server instance configuration hardening
• Query, stored procedure, and parallelism tuning
• Index redesign and targeted rework in blocker workloads

2. Restore Core Maintenance & Health

• Implemented tailored maintenance plans for rebuild/reorg cycles
• Reintroduced intelligent statistics updates
• Reduced critical index fragmentation from 99% → <10%
• Normalized parallelism settings to reduce CXPACKET waits

3. Monitoring, Alerting & Governance

• Enabled SQL Agent alerting and Database Mail
• Implemented proactive performance notifications
• Introduced deadlock capture and reporting
• Delivered performance baselines for CPU, memory, storage, and waits

4. Operational Foundations

• Created complete runbooks for operations and incident response
• Provided recovery scripts and health check automation
• Developed governance and maintenance guidelines for the next 4 quarters
• Advised improvements to existing Redgate backup processes

5. Seamless Handover to the Incoming DBA

• Fully documented environment, baselines, and tuning rationale
• Delivered a clear roadmap for continued improvements
• Ensured the internal DBA could take ownership with confidence

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Results 

Following stabilization and the reintroduction of foundational maintenance, the SQL Server environment exhibited significant, measurable improvements:

Performance & Reliability Gains

• ~90% reduction in daily deadlocks in targeted workloads
• >90% improvement in storage latency
• Blocking and CXPACKET contention reduced dramatically
• CPU and thermal strain stabilized

Operational Improvements

• Full monitoring and alerting now in place
• Automated maintenance implemented and validated
• Baselines established to support future scaling
• Runbooks and governance introduced across the estate

Business Impact

• Dramatically reduced operational risk
• Predictable query performance and faster data access
• Increased confidence for internal DBA and development teams
• A stable foundation for future scaling, cloud readiness, and analytics growth

The client moved from a high-risk, reactive SQL Server estate to a stable, governed, and scalable platform — fully prepared for the next phase of modernization.