By Mary Elizabeth McNeely

Are your organization’s databases in your chain of command? What if you aren’t sure if these databases are doing OK? The SAFE Databases framework is a way for you to have a non-technical yet productive conversation with the database keepers to assess if the databases are OK.

Below is very high-level summary of the framework. Secure – Available – Flexible – Extensible. Helpful hint – you can use this framework for many technology components, not just databases.

Secure

A secure database allows only permitted entities to access or modify data, and only to the extent and during the time periods that their assigned usage roles allow.

Unauthorized access of data can lead to loss of intellectual property, erosion of customer trust, regulatory issues, legal problems, and “resume necessitating events.”

Available

Availability success can be measured by actual application uptime vs. the uptime required by the organization.

If these factors are not met, some possible consequences are end user dissatisfaction, unplanned application outages, data loss, loss of revenue, and gaps in regulatory compliance.

Flexible

Flexibility success can be measured by how easily the database can make use of new versions and features, and how the database fits overall into the adaptability of the surrounding infrastructure.

If these factors are not met, some possible consequences are application upgrade complications and delays, delays in being able to implement new database features to gain a competitive business advantage, and delays in being able to apply database security and bug fixes.

Extensible

Extensibility success involves the organization proactively planning for reasonably foreseeable database size and/or activity growth.

If these factors are not met, urgent, out-of-band, nonbudgeted hardware upgrades or additions could be needed, or application/data growth abruptly curtailed or postponed. Hardware changes could result in diversion of existing project resources or funding to accommodate this suddenly urgent project.

There’s much more detail to the framework than this. The complete framework has a list of specific talking points to cover with your database keepers. We’d be glad to mail Tech Titans members a free copy. It’s easy. Just send your Name, Company Name, and snail mail address to mmcneely@mcneelytech.com.

McNeely Technology Solutions helps clients with their database planning and management needs, fostering SAFE databases.