The guide also summarises ways in which an organisation such as Xynomix can help affected companies through the Audit scenario. As Oracle experts with Gold Partner status, Xynomix have been designing, implementing and licensing Oracle estates for over ten years, perfectly positioning them to undertake an independent review of your estate, ensuring that you are fully compliant when the LMS come calling!

You can read the guide over on our licensing page, or by clicking here…

AlwaysOn extends the functionality of database mirroring, bringing clustering within SQL Server by taking advantage of the Windows clustering capabilities without the need for shared disks. To understand the impact of this, it should be noted that shared disks were generally the limiting factor within a Windows clustering scenario.

If you would like to find out more about the advantages of this, or any other feature of SQL Server 2012, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. If you are considering upgrading from any previous version of the database then the Xynomix team of consultants have years of experience in managing the upgrade procedure, from planning and consultative advice to installation, migration and implementation.

For more information please see our previous article on the subject, or simply get in touch with a member of our licensing team. With over ten years’ experience of independently auditing, reviewing and licensing Oracle estates of all sizes, the Xynomix team of consultants are able to ensure that your organisation achieves the best value for money at all times!

Sales Director Stephen Wigglesworth says, “We are delighted to welcome another experienced SQL Server DBA to the Xynomix team. Having previously identified our range of SQL Server managed services as a business growth area, it is extremely pleasing to be in a position where demand dictates the expansion of this team. With further additions planned in the not too distant future, we are confident that Xynomix will continue to remain in a position to offer the exceptional levels of customer service that our client-base has become accustomed to.’

The Xynomix management are fully committed to building the UK’s top Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server resource and this is reflected in their recruitment strategy. By only employing the best candidates whose skills complement those of the existing team, Xynomix are able to enjoy high levels of customer retention along with a steady stream of referral business. With the financial year having now drawn to an end and pleasing results having been forecast, the future certainly continues to look bright for the Nottingham based Oracle and SQL Server database specialists.

The arrival of this milestone may signify an ideal opportunity for those organisations that are affected to consider the upgrade to 11g R2, especially if the relevant installation is fundamental to business continuity. Of course it is not only those running 10.2 that may wish to upgrade, with ‘Premier Support’ for Database 11.1 having already expired in August 2012. Some parties may understandably choose to upgrade at this point in order to take advantage of new features and functionalities, having chosen not to take out the ‘Extended Support’ option on their existing technology.

Details of the Oracle lifetime support package, including start and end dates of support stages for other versions of Oracle Database are clearly outlined in the short Xynomix PDF on the subject below:

Is your Oracle Version Still Supported and Does It Matter?

The team at Xynomix recognise that there is no ‘right or wrong’ answer to the question of when to upgrade, with that decision being very much a unique one dependant on the users individual circumstances. That is why our team of expert Oracle consultants will work with each organisation to create a bespoke upgrade plan that is right for them. If you are concerned that you are running, or are soon to be running, an unsupported or outdated version of Oracle Database then feel free to contact us to fully explore your available options.

Taking a 4-1 lead into the match from the away leg, the Panthers were understandably confident of adding another trophy to their bulging cabinet in front of a home crowd. Team and fans were twice stunned before the half-way point, however, as relentless attacks from their opponents agonisingly reduced the lead to a solitary goal. Nerves were then calmed, as the home side dug deep and pulled one back soon after, perhaps spurred on by the enthusiastic support from the stands! This goal would prove to complete the scoring for the night, as the Panthers weathered the storm from the increasingly desperate Steelers in a professional manner.

As match sponsor of the final, Xynomix Technical Director David Noble then ventured onto the ice to present the man of the match award, extremely proud to have just witnessed the team play their way to a record-breaking fourth successive Challenge Cup.

This was the second trophy the team has won this season, having already been crowned Elite League champions in March. They will now focus their attentions on the chance to achieve an unprecedented, but well deserved treble, when they take on the Cardiff Devils in their play-off semi-final on the 6th.

Everyone at Xynomix would like to thank the Nottingham Panthers for their first-class hospitality and a fantastic evening and wish the team all the best for their upcoming play-off matches. We look forward to offering continued support into next season and beyond, as the Panthers go in search of many more fairy-tale ‘happy endings’…

Xynomix Technical Director David Noble presents the Panthers man of the match award for the 2012/2013 Challenge Cup Final…

Whilst this does means that new licenses must be purchased by any trust looking to continue using Oracle Enterprise Wide Agreement products after this date, the situation also represents an opportunity for significant improvements to be made to existing systems. Oracle have added to and improved on their product-range extensively since the agreement was first established in 2004, meaning that IT decision-makers will now look towards Oracle consultants to establish the current ‘best-fit’ solution to their needs.

It is apparent that this transition period is crucial if continuity of service is to be experienced by patients, staff and other stakeholders. The highly experienced licensing consultants at Xynomix are able to easily review and understand the complexities involved with an existing Oracle footprint, ensuring that the correct new licenses are purchased and maintained. Concurrently, the significant commercial pressure on NHS decision-makers to ensure that the ‘best possible’ financial terms are agreed is recognised and accounted for.

As an Oracle Gold Partner, established for more than ten years and with direct links into Oracle, the Xynomix team are perfectly positioned to preside over this transition period, ensuring that the process runs as smoothly and trouble-free as possible. There is also an additional discount on the total cost of ownership available if orders are placed prior to the 30^th April 2013, providing an incentive for those affected to tie off the deal well before the agreement’s expiry date!

Find out more about Xynomix Oracle Licensing, or view our FAQ on the topic…

Xynomix are certainly no stranger to social media platforms, with existing pages on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook being regularly updated and maintained with articles and posts that are thought to be of interest to IT Managers and Database Administrators. It is anticipated that SlideShare will add to and compliment these existing pages, along with the company’s own website, as opposed to replacing them.

The marketing team at Xynomix have already uploaded a number of documents and presentations that go some way to explaining and outlining what the company has to offer; these articles will be added to on an on-going basis, along with information relating to the wider database-world as a whole.

Everyone involved is keen for current (and future) customers, along with other interested parties, to make the most of this resource and ‘follow’ the Xynomix page, so that new updates are not missed. It is hoped that access to these documents will help interested parties to fully understand what Xynomix have to offer, allowing informed decisions to be made regarding their database environments.

Indeed, links to all Xynomix social media pages are situated below this article, so why not take a moment to have a look for yourselves..?

Find out more…   LinkedIn – Twitter – Facebook – SlideShare

Technical director Dave Noble says, “As a company we are extremely pleased to again find ourselves in a position where expansion is on the table. We feel that this not only advertises our on-going strength to the database world, but also allows us to continue to exceed customer expectations moving forwards.”

The Nottingham based database experts are looking to add to their technical team, by recruiting experienced Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server database administrators to complement their existing workforce. These additions will enable Xynomix to take on new clients, whilst continuing to satisfy the needs of their existing customers to the same high-standards as they always have. Simultaneously, the commercial department are always looking for motivated candidates to join the sales and lead-generation team located upstairs!

Everyone at Xynomix is fully-committed to a continued justification of the company’s position as a leading supplier of support and consultancy around Oracle and SQL Server database systems; this planned expansion represents just one part of this strategy.

Some of the more prominent changes include support for the cross-cluster migration of AlwaysOn availability group deployments to a new Windows Server Failover Clustering cluster, as well as the introduction of a new type of XML index which offers a range of benefits to users.

For complete clarification on what exactly is new with Service Pack 1 and to discover what these changes can do for you, have a read through Microsoft’s own paper on the subject here.

The team at Xynomix are always available to discuss the best route forward for your database systems, recognising that every environment is unique. If it is decided to be the right time for an upgrade, then the database experts SQL Server specialists are on hand to make the process as smooth and trouble free as possible.