A busy week, so time to head out on the yacht
This week was a busy week having worked over 70 hours by the time Friday afternoon came around and it was time to head out on the yacht.
We helped others with configuring SQL Server replication, multiple clients with both transactional replication and merge replication. I trained one customer on SSRS reports, and created some views for reporting purposes for another customer. I did some TSQL programming for another client to adjust how their ordering system works. We helped in building a sharding architecture for a very VLDB database design and helped another client with planning for scaling their system to go big. This week we helped one client with rebuilding SQL Servers after they had been hit with ransomware. We also assisted our recurring monthly clients with SQL Server updates, and other ongoing maintenance tasks.
In my spare time I did spend some time working on Database Health Monitor. One of my big challenges with Database Health Monitor has been figuring out how to collect payment in some way for using the application. Over the last 2 years I have toyed around with a couple different ideas on how to charge for it, and they have all had technical difficulty that caused me to change direction. Here is what I have come up with for a plan, the concept of gamification. Database health customers would earn points for different things, and from that accumulation of points that would determine how many instances they would be licensed for. Points would be earned in the following categories: Stedman Solutions ongoing customer, Stedman Solutions mentoring customers, Stedman Solutions training class students, and several other areas.
Each point would allow you to monitor one SQL Server instance. If you have 10 points, then you would get 10 instances, 1000 points gets you 1000 instances to be monitored. In the event that someone really wants to use the program without participating in the game of points, then they could contact us and purchase a 5 year license for unlimited instances.
The main reason for the need to make money from Database Health Monitor is to help justify my time, or the time of other team members to continue development on it. I have put in over 10 years so far, and the financial model is not working so far.
The one thing this week that I was not able to dedicate any time to is the next class that we are going to release at our online SQL school.
So in the theme of DBA on a Yacht, here is where I am spending my weekend, at one of our favorite San Juan Island resorts. Roche Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington State.
