FAQ

What types of MySQL consulting projects do you handle?

Our DB Consultant can senior DBAs handle virtually any MySQL challenge. Our most common consulting projects include:

  • Cloud Migrations: To platforms like AWS RDS, Aurora, Google Cloud SQL, and Azure Database for MySQL.
  • Performance Audits: An in-depth analysis to fix slow queries and bottlenecks.
  • High Availability: Architecting and implementing InnoDB Cluster, Galera Cluster, and custom replication topologies.
  • Variant Migrations: Seamlessly migrating between Oracle MySQL, Percona Server, and MariaDB.
  • Security & Compliance Audits: Hardening your MySQL environment for GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.
How do I know if I need MySQL Consulting or Managed Services?

The choice depends on your goal.

  • Choose Consulting for a specific, project-based challenge with a defined outcome, such as migrating your MySQL database, conducting a performance audit, or designing a new cluster architecture.
  • Choose Managed Services for a long-term, 24/7 partnership where our team takes full proactive responsibility for your MySQL database's health, performance, and security.
What is your SLA for responding to critical MySQL incidents?

We provide an industry-leading Service Level Agreement (SLA) for critical MySQL incidents. For any S1 (Critical) issue, we guarantee a 15-minute response time.

How is your support different from the support offered by MongoDB Atlas?

MongoDB Atlas provides the infrastructure and the tools. We provide the dedicated, 24/7 human expertise to manage, optimize, and secure your database on that infrastructure, ensuring you get the maximum value and performance from your investment.

What does your 24/7 MongoDB Atlas support include?

Our support is a comprehensive service that takes full ownership of your database's health. This includes:

  • Proactive 24/7 monitoring and incident response.
  • Continuous performance tuning and slow query optimization.
  • Security and compliance hardening.
  • Backup and disaster recovery planning and testing.
  • Unlimited operational requests for tasks like user management and configuration changes.
Do you manage backups and disaster recovery on Atlas?

We provide expert management on top of the tools Atlas offers. We configure your backup policies according to industry best practices and, crucially, we design and test your disaster recovery (DR) plan. In an emergency, our team manages the entire restoration process to get your data back online quickly.

Do you also support self-hosted MongoDB or Percona Server?

While this service is tailored for MongoDB Atlas, our expertise covers the entire MongoDB ecosystem. We provide separate, dedicated support and managed services for Percona Server for MongoDB and self-hosted Community/Enterprise editions. We have the deep knowledge to manage any MongoDB deployment, wherever it runs.

Why should we choose Mydbops over hiring an in-house DBA?

Our service provides three key advantages over a single hire:

  • Team Expertise: You get an entire team of senior MongoDB experts for a fraction of the cost of one full-time DBA.
  • True 24/7 Coverage: Our global, follow-the-sun model means you are always covered, with no gaps for vacations or sick days.
  • Broad Experience: You benefit from our team's collective experience solving complex problems for dozens of other companies, not just the experience of one person.
Why is my MongoDB Atlas bill so high even though traffic hasn’t increased?

This common issue is usually caused by hidden inefficiencies, not traffic. Inefficient queries, poor indexing strategies, or sub-optimal schema design can force your MongoDB Atlas cluster to consume excessive CPU and IOPS. Our audit pinpoints these resource-intensive operations and provides a clear plan to fix them.

What specific technical areas are covered in your optimization service?

Our optimization service is a deep-dive analysis of your entire MongoDB Atlas deployment. We provide an actionable roadmap covering:

  • Slow Query Analysis: Identifying and refactoring inefficient queries and aggregations.
  • Indexing Strategy: Correcting and recommending high-performance compound and partial indexes.
  • Schema & Document Model Review: Recommending practical changes for better scalability.
  • WiredTiger & Atlas Configuration Tuning: Matching settings to your specific workload.
Can’t MongoDB Atlas optimize its own performance automatically?

Atlas provides an excellent platform and automated tools, but it cannot understand your specific application's logic. It won't rewrite a business-critical query or fix an inefficient schema for you. Our service provides that essential human expertise, tuning your application for the Atlas platform to ensure you get the performance and value you're paying for.

What are the key deliverables I will receive from the audit?

You will receive a detailed report with prioritized, actionable recommendations. Key deliverables include:

  • Performance Bottleneck Report: A full analysis of slow queries and inefficient indexes.
  • Security & Vulnerability Analysis: A breakdown of security risks and misconfigurations.
  • Cost-Optimization Roadmap: A clear plan with projected savings from rightsizing and efficiency improvements.
Is this a one-time project or an ongoing service?

The audit is a one-time project designed to deliver a comprehensive, actionable roadmap to fix your current issues. Afterward, many clients choose to transition to our ongoing 24/7 MongoDB Atlas Managed Services to ensure their database stays optimized as their application and data grow.

What migration paths do you support for MongoDB?

Our migration services cover the entire MongoDB ecosystem and related document databases. We expertly handle:

  • To MongoDB Atlas: From self-hosted MongoDB (Community/Enterprise), Percona Server for MongoDB, or other cloud providers.
  • From MongoDB to DocumentDB: We also specialize in migrating workloads from MongoDB or MongoDB Atlas to Amazon DocumentDB for clients standardizing on AWS.
  • From SQL/NoSQL to MongoDB: Migrating from legacy systems like MySQL, PostgreSQL, or Cassandra to a modern MongoDB document model.
Will our application experience downtime during the migration?

Our primary goal is a near-zero downtime migration. We use proven techniques like live replication to keep your source and target databases in sync throughout the process. The final cutover is a carefully planned event, typically lasting only a few minutes and scheduled during your off-peak hours to ensure zero business disruption.

How long does a typical MongoDB Atlas migration take?

The timeline depends on your database size, schema complexity, and testing requirements. A straightforward migration can be completed in as little as a week, while large-scale, complex projects may take several. After our initial assessment, we provide a detailed project plan with a clear, predictable timeline.

How do you ensure our data is secure during the migration process?

As a PCI DSS and ISO-certified company, security is fundamental to our process. We use secure and encrypted data transfer methods for all migrations. Our process ensures that your new Atlas environment is configured with security best practices from day one, including Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), network security, and encryption.

Do you just migrate the data, or do you also optimize it for Atlas?

A migration is an opportunity to improve. Our service is more than just a data transfer; it's an optimization process. We include:

  • Schema Design Review: To ensure your document model is optimized for performance in Atlas.
  • Indexing Strategy Analysis: To build efficient indexes for your most critical queries.
  • Atlas Tier Right-Sizing: To ensure your new cluster is cost-effective and performs optimally.
How will your service help reduce our monthly MongoDB Atlas bill?

We reduce your cloud costs in two key ways. First, our continuous performance tuning makes your database more efficient, reducing resource consumption. Second, through our FinOps for Databases approach, we provide expert capacity planning and rightsizing, ensuring you are always on the most cost-effective Atlas cluster tier and not paying for resources you don't need.

How do you improve the performance of our MongoDB Atlas clusters?

Our team specializes in finding and fixing the root cause of performance issues in MongoDB Atlas. Our continuous tuning process includes:

  • Optimizing slow queries for the MongoDB Aggregation Framework.
  • Analyzing and correcting inefficient indexing strategies.
  • Resolving resource bottlenecks related to CPU, memory, and IOPS.
  • Advising on schema design improvements for better performance at scale.
What is your official SLA for responding to critical Atlas incidents?

Our service is governed by a formal Service Level Agreement (SLA) that guarantees a rapid, expert response. We commit to a 15-minute response time for P1 (critical) incidents. When your Atlas cluster has a critical issue, an on-call MongoDB expert is immediately alerted and begins active resolution, day or night.

Can Mydbops help us migrate from a self-hosted MongoDB to Atlas?

You don't lose control—you gain an expert partner. You always retain full ownership and access to your Atlas account. We act as an extension of your team, handling the complex day-to-day management and security while you focus on your application.Migrating to MongoDB Atlas is one of our core consulting and managed services. Our team has deep experience in planning and executing complex migrations from on-premises or other cloud environments to MongoDB Atlas. We use a proven, structured process designed for minimal risk and zero business disruption.

How is this service different from just using MongoDB Atlas directly?

MongoDB Atlas provides a powerful platform; our service provides the expert team that operates it for you 24/7. We go beyond the platform's tools to handle advanced query tuning, schema design, continuous cost optimization, and proactive problem-solving. We are the expert operators who ensure you get the maximum value and performance from your Atlas investment.

What MongoDB platforms and versions does your Remote DBA service cover?

Our 24/7 Remote DBA service covers the entire MongoDB ecosystem. Our expertise includes:

  • MongoDB Atlas: Comprehensive management, performance tuning, and cost optimization.
  • Percona Server for MongoDB: Full support for its unique storage engines and enterprise features.
  • Self-hosted MongoDB: Community and Enterprise Editions (from v4.x to the latest 8.x series) on any cloud or on-premises infrastructure.
What is included in your MongoDB Root Cause Analysis (RCA) reports?

Following any critical incident, we provide a detailed Root Cause Analysis (RCA) report. This report is enhanced with Generative AI to pinpoint the true source of the problem with exceptional speed and accuracy. It clearly details the cause, the steps taken for resolution, and provides AI-powered recommendations to prevent a recurrence.