Financial Services | Database Administration (DBA) Services

Pythian provides leading Australian bank with 24/7 database management

When aggressive customer growth on a leading Australia bank’s proprietary payment platform threatened to overwhelm the internal IT team, they turned to Pythian for proactive 24/7 database management of their mission-critical Microsoft SQL Server databases.

Since 2013, Pythian has provided ongoing support, strategic recommendations and tactical execution with a team of knowledgeable SMEs. Enabling the bank to successfully operate their vital payments platform with confidence, and leverage their in-house talent for other initiatives.

Major Australian bank relies on Pythian for 24/7 database support to optimize their critical SQL payments platform for peak performance and stability.

24/7

Around the clock support

The bank’s systems have round the clock coverage; database monitoring, issue resolution, and 24/7 support 365 days of the year.

80%

Decrease in disruptions

Pythians management proactively resolving 80% of issues before they impact operations.

“Pythian’s 24/7 monitoring support is critical for the platform. We have to process payments in real-time—even on Christmas Day.”

Information Technology Department

Infrastructure Lead, Australian Bank

Customer
Overview
The challenge
The solution
Technologies used
Key outcomes

Customer

A leading Australian bank faced overwhelming demand for its new payments platform. Their small internal IT teams were being stretched too thin.

Pythian provided 24/7 database management of the bank's mission-critical SQL Server databases. With Pythian’s proactive database monitoring and performance optimization services, teams identified issues before they impacted users and supported platforms. The partnership freed internal resources for strategic initiatives, ensuring seamless database operation of their vital payments platform, providing the bank with complete peace of mind—knowing their systems were being managed and supported.

Scaling the bank’s payments platform amidst rapid adoption impacted database performance

The Australian bank’s payments platform, built on Microsoft SQL Server and .NET, was designed to handle a staggering $10 million in transactions every minute. While the bank anticipated a gradual adoption curve, customers immediately embraced the platform, leading to explosive growth that threatened to overwhelm their small internal IT team. This unexpected demand necessitated a swift solution to ensure the continued smooth operation of these mission-critical systems.

Managing the bank’s corporate payments platform was a top priority. Its uptime and security were non-negotiable for the bank and its international corporate customers. By law, the platform must operate 24/7, with real-time processing of customer payments. Unexpected customer demand prompted the IT team to look for external support in order to deliver both the anticipated and required service.

Peak in demand jeopardized database performance

The bank's new SQL payments platform, designed for $10M/minute transactions, saw explosive customer adoption far exceeding projections.

Internal IT team became overwhelmed

Increased demand threatened to overwhelm the small internal IT team.

Critical need for 24x7 database management

The corporate payments platform must legally operate 24/7 with real-time processing.

Need for database expertise

The unexpected surge in customers, and the platform's vital nature, required the IT team to urgently seek external resources to manage the unprecedented demand.

Pythian’s 24/7 database management supported for the bank's SQL Server payments platform

To address the challenges of rapid growth and an overwhelmed internal team, the bank partnered with Pythian to outsource their database operations, monitoring and management of their mission-critical Microsoft SQL Server systems.

Pythian's 24/7 database monitoring ensured optimal data availability and database performance to support the customer’s real-time payment processing. Pythian focused on preventing issues before they impact the bank—minimizing business disruptions and maintaining seamless database operations.

Beyond daily database operations, Pythian’s teams of specialized database consultants supported strategic projects, including a complex SQL Server migration—guiding the data design for a secondary datacenter move. Pythian acts as a trusted advisor and subject-matter expert to this day for the bank, complementing the bank's internal teams with our deep database expertise and ensuring their platforms continue to have optimal data availability and database performance.

Database management ensured seamless operations

Pythian provided 24/7 monitoring and management proactively resolving 80% of issues before they impact operations.

Database consultants provide strategic migration advice

We provided strategic project support, including a SQL Server migration and guiding secondary datacenter moves.

Pythian is an extension of the bank’s team

Our deep database expertise complements the bank's internal team, ensuring top-tier performance.

“Pythian is one of our trusted vendors. They understand our requirements and respond to us quickly.”

Information Technology Department

Infrastructure Lead, Australian Bank

Australian bank achieves seamless SQL Server database operations with uninterrupted service—mitigating risk

By partnering with Pythian, the Australian bank successfully managed unprecedented demand on its payments platform, ensuring uninterrupted service and maximizing customer satisfaction. Pythian's support provided the necessary relief, complementing the bank's internal resources with a diverse skillset encompassing experienced SQL Server experts and database administrators (DBA) providing round the clock monitoring. This allowed the bank to refocus internal resources on strategic initiatives—accelerating their efficiency.

Beyond simply filling a capacity gap, Pythian provides ongoing database expertise, acting as a trusted advisor on best practices and recommendations for maintaining an industry-leading payment solution. The streamlined approach of working with Pythian and their database consultant's deep understanding of the bank's requirements and DBAs rapid response times, has proven invaluable to the bank.

Stabilized payment platform on SQL Server

Pythian enabled the bank to successfully handle increased demand on its payments platform.

Refocused internal teams to drive innovation

Our 24/7 support and diverse SQL expertise freed the bank's internal teams to focus on strategic initiatives.

Partnered for the long-term

Our team of experts offer best practices and recommendations for maintaining an industry-leading solution.

Seamless database management and operations

The partnership provides the bank with significant peace of mind, knowing their vital payments platform's data layer is under continuous monitoring.

What We Do

Pythian provides leading Australian bank with 24/7 database management

Around the clock support

Decrease in disruptions

Customer

Industry

Location

Solution

Platform

Overview

The challenge