MSSQL development services for organisations running SQL Server on-prem, in Azure, or both. Query tuning that cuts report times from minutes to seconds. Always On configurations that actually fail over cleanly. Azure SQL migrations that don't surprise you with worse performance on a bigger bill. We work inside SQL Server — not just around it.
Why Entalogics for SQL Server
The SQL Server environments we audit always have the same problems — missing indexes on columns that get filtered millions of times daily, `SELECT *` in production queries, maintenance plans that haven't run in months, and an Always On group that's never been tested for actual failover.
Missing indexes, outdated statistics, implicit conversions, parameter sniffing — the usual suspects. We profile with Query Store and wait stats before touching anything. The database is rarely slow — the queries hitting it usually are.
Covering indexes for critical queries. Filtered indexes for common WHERE clauses. Index maintenance that balances fragmentation against I/O cost. Not 80 indexes on one table because someone kept clicking "Create Missing Index."
AG groups with synchronous commit for zero data loss. Async for DR across regions. Failover tested quarterly — not assumed to work because it was set up two years ago. Read-only replicas for reporting that take load off production.
Performance baselined before migration. Service tier matched to actual workload, not default. Hybrid Benefit applied to reduce licensing cost. The migration that performs the same or better — because we measured before and after.
When SQL Server, when not
SQL Server is the most widely deployed enterprise relational database on Windows. It's also expensive to license and overkill for many workloads. We'll tell you on the first call if MSSQL is the right fit.
STAY ON SQL SERVER WHEN
CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES WHEN
WE SAY NO WHEN
What we build on SQL Server
The shapes of SQL Server development work we deliver most. Each tuned, maintained, and production-ready.
Query Store analysis, wait stats profiling, index recommendations, execution plan review. The queries that take minutes reduced to seconds — with measured before and after.
AG groups configured for your RPO/RTO. Synchronous for zero data loss, async for cross-region DR. Failover tested. Read-only replicas for reporting offload.
On-prem to Azure SQL Database, SQL Managed Instance, or SQL Server on Azure VM. Performance baselined, service tier matched, Hybrid Benefit applied. Zero-downtime cutover via DMS.
Normalised schemas for transactional workloads. Proper data types — no `nvarchar(max)` for a 10-character code. Foreign keys, constraints, and check conditions enforced at the database level — not just in app code.
Data integration with SSIS packages, reporting with SSRS, scheduled ETL that runs reliably and fails loudly. Replacing manual Excel exports with automated pipelines.
SQL Server 2014/2016 to 2022. Compatibility level testing, deprecated feature remediation, maintenance plan configuration. The current database stays online throughout.
The playbook
SQL Server patterns from real production databases — not certification exam answers.
P01
Query Store enabled on every production database. Regressed queries flagged automatically. Plan forcing for critical queries. Performance regression caught before users notice.
P02
Covering indexes for the top 20 queries by resource consumption. Unused indexes dropped. Index maintenance jobs that rebuild only when fragmentation justifies the I/O cost.
P03
Full + differential + transaction log backups on a schedule matched to your RPO. Restores tested quarterly — not assumed to work because backups complete.
P04
`sys.dm_os_wait_stats` and `sys.dm_exec_query_stats` analysed before any change. We tune what the database is actually waiting on — not what someone guesses is slow.
P05
No string concatenation in SQL. Parameterised queries from every application layer. SQL injection eliminated at the data access layer — not at the WAF.
P06
Service tier matched to actual DTU/vCore consumption — not to the default. Elastic pools for multi-tenant databases. Serverless tier for variable workloads. Cost matched to usage.
Signature case
An enterprise reporting database on SQL Server 2019 — critical monthly report taking 14 minutes, 340 missing indexes identified by Query Store, statistics updated once a year, and an Always On replica that hadn't been tested for failover since setup. Tuned indexes, updated statistics, rewrote the top 10 worst-performing queries, and tested failover in 6 weeks. Monthly report runs in 8 seconds. Failover tested and verified.
Before
14-min critical report · 340 missing indexes · yearly statistics update · untested failover
After
8-second critical report · optimised index strategy · weekly statistics · failover verified
Engagement shape
A typical SQL Server engagement. We tune or migrate database by database — the current environment stays live while we work.
Two senior SQL Server DBAs. Query Store analysis, wait stats profiling, index audit, HA configuration review. A ranked, dollarized RFC.
Top 10 worst queries tuned, critical missing indexes created, statistics updated, maintenance plans configured. Measurable improvement in week two.
Database by database. Indexes optimised, queries rewritten, Always On tested, Azure SQL migrated with baseline comparison. Your applications keep running.
Query Store monitoring configured. Maintenance plans automated. Runbook handed to your team — or we stay on retainer.
Stack
Our default SQL Server development stack — picked for production databases.
Engagement
No hourly retainer that bills for "thinking time." Pick a lane that matches your stage; everything is fixed-quote or transparently rated.
A defined scope, a fixed price, a senior-only team. From audit to production-tuned database in 6–10 weeks.
$15k–$30k
FIXED SCOPE
Embedded engineers in your team. Senior DBAs handling performance, HA, migrations, and maintenance. Pause, resize, end with 30 days' notice.
$5k / eng / mo
PER ENGINEER
A long-term partner for enterprise database operations — performance management, Azure migration roadmap, HA/DR strategy, hiring help.
custom
PROCUREMENT-FRIENDLY
Founder-direct
Thirty minutes with the founder. We'll bring a senior SQL Server DBA, the relevant playbook, and a candid read on whether your database needs tuning, migration, or a different platform entirely.
