Database Development and Migration Services

PS3G provides database development services and database migration services for organizations of every size. We design schemas, write and tune the SQL that applications depend on, fix the slow queries that make a system feel old, and move databases between servers, clouds and engines without losing data or downtime you did not plan for. Whether you are a founder choosing a first database, an operations lead with a SQL Server that fills up every quarter, or an IT director with an Oracle estate whose license renewal is coming, the work is scoped to what you need and documented so your team can own it afterwards.

Database development and migration services: what we build and for whom

Most application problems turn out to be database problems: a schema that was right for the first version and wrong for the tenth, indexes nobody revisited, reporting queries running against the transactional system, or a backup that has never been restored. Database consulting is the work of finding those problems and fixing them with the application still running.

We work across SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL and MariaDB, Oracle, and the cloud-managed versions of each (Azure SQL Database and Managed Instance, Amazon RDS and Aurora, Google Cloud SQL and AlloyDB). For workloads that do not fit a relational model we build on Cassandra, MongoDB, Redis and DynamoDB. We are vendor-neutral and do not resell licenses, so a recommendation to stay on SQL Server or to move to PostgreSQL is based on your workload and budget, not on a margin.

What the service covers

Area	Typical work	What you receive
Database design services	Logical and physical schema design, normalization decisions, keys and constraints, partitioning, multi-tenant patterns	A documented data model, DDL scripts in version control and a migration-based change process
Development	Stored procedures, functions, views, triggers, SQL and T-SQL or PL/pgSQL code, data access layers in .NET, Java, Node.js or Python	Reviewed, tested database code with unit tests where the platform supports them
Performance tuning	Query plan analysis, index strategy, statistics, locking and blocking, connection pooling, caching with Redis	A tuning report with before-and-after measurements and the changes applied
SQL Server consulting	Upgrades between versions, Always On availability groups, backup and recovery design, security hardening, SQL Server migration to Azure	A health check, a remediation plan and the work carried out
PostgreSQL consulting	Configuration, replication, extensions, vacuum and bloat management, upgrades, managed-service selection	A configured, monitored PostgreSQL environment with runbooks
Database migration services	On-premises to cloud, server to server, version to version, and engine to engine including Oracle to PostgreSQL migration and SQL Server to PostgreSQL	A migration plan, converted schema and code, parallel-run validation and a cutover rehearsal
Data migration	Moving records from a legacy application or spreadsheets into a new system, with mapping, cleansing and reconciliation	Mapping documents, load scripts, exception reports and sign-off counts
Operations	Monitoring, backup verification, patching, capacity planning, access reviews	A managed-services arrangement under defined SLAs, or runbooks for your team

How we work

Process

1. Assessment. We read the schema, the slowest queries, the backup history, the security configuration and the growth trend. For a migration we also inventory everything that touches the database: applications, reports, integrations, scheduled jobs and linked servers. The result is a written findings list ranked by risk.
2. Design. For development work, a data model and change plan. For a migration, a target architecture, a conversion approach for schema and code, a validation method and a rollback plan.
3. Build and test. Changes are scripted, reviewed and applied through migrations, never by hand in production. Our testing center of excellence runs performance and regression tests against a copy of production data.
4. Rehearse the cutover. For migrations we run the full cutover at least once on a staging copy, time it, fix what breaks and write the runbook from what actually happened.
5. Cut over and support. The real cutover follows the runbook, with the old system kept until reconciliation passes. Then a handover or an ongoing support arrangement.

Team

A database architect leads, with one or more database developers and, for migrations, an engineer who owns the application-side changes. A QA engineer writes the reconciliation and load tests. The team sits in Wilmington, Delaware and in our India delivery center, which matters for cutovers that have to happen overnight in US time.

Stack choices

We start from what you run and who will maintain it. SQL Server remains the right answer for many Microsoft-centered organizations, especially where Always On, SSRS or existing T-SQL investment is large. PostgreSQL is where we move organizations that want to reduce license spend, run on any cloud, or use extensions such as PostGIS and pgvector. MySQL stays common behind PHP and WordPress applications. Oracle to PostgreSQL migration is a frequent request and a serious project: PL/SQL packages, sequences, data types and proprietary functions all need conversion and testing, and we scope it after reading the code, not before.

Request a database health check and we will tell you what to fix first.

Where this fits with the rest of your systems

The database is usually in the middle of a larger change. A cloud migration moves the servers around it, and the database decides whether that is a lift-and-shift onto a virtual machine or a move to a managed service. A .NET development project often starts with a schema that has to support new features without breaking the old ones. Reporting that has been running against the production database moves to a warehouse built through our data engineering services, and the volume and streaming cases belong with our big data solutions.

We also handle the compliance side: encryption at rest and in transit, column-level masking of personal or health data, audit logging and access reviews. For regulated workloads, the controls are designed in at the schema level rather than added later.

Examples by organization size

• A founder-led product on a single PostgreSQL instance that has started to slow down under real customers. We review the schema and the top twenty queries, add the right indexes, introduce connection pooling and a read replica, and leave a short document on how to keep it healthy. A fixed-scope engagement measured in days.
• A growing company running an on-premises SQL Server that supports an ERP, a custom application and a dozen reports. We assess with Microsoft’s migration tooling, move it to Azure SQL Managed Instance to keep compatibility, rehearse the cutover twice, and run the environment under a monthly arrangement afterwards.
• A department inside a larger organization with an Oracle application whose license is no longer justified by its use. We convert the schema and PL/SQL to PostgreSQL, change the data access layer, run both systems in parallel for a reporting cycle, and work inside the corporate security and change-control process throughout.

Engagement models

• Fixed-scope project. A health check, a tuning pass, a schema build or a complete migration with a defined deliverable list and a fixed quote.
• Dedicated team or staff augmentation. Database developers or a DBA inside your team on a monthly basis.
• Managed services. We monitor, patch, back up and tune your databases under defined SLAs.
• Advisory. Platform selection, a migration feasibility study, an architecture review or a second opinion on a vendor proposal.

How we start: a first conversation, a short assessment, a written proposal.

Why PS3G for database work

We have more than ten years of database work behind us, from Teradata and Oracle warehouses to cloud-managed PostgreSQL. Our engineers are certified on Microsoft and open-source technologies, and the team spans a US headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware and an India delivery center. We operate our own production databases: our HIPAA-compliant EHR and telehealth platform, DocVilla, runs on a distributed NoSQL database and holds regulated clinical data, so backup verification, encryption and access control are daily practice for us. Our testing center of excellence runs the load and regression tests that make a migration safe.

Related services

• Cloud migration: moving the servers and services around the database.
• .NET development: the applications that sit on SQL Server and Azure SQL.
• Big data solutions: Cassandra, Spark and streaming for high-volume workloads.
• Data engineering: warehouses and pipelines so reporting leaves the production database.
• Application modernization: when the database change is part of replacing a legacy system.
• All services: everything we build, modernize and run.

Frequently asked questions

Should we migrate from Oracle to PostgreSQL?

It depends on how much Oracle-specific code you have and what the license costs against what the application earns. Simple schemas with little PL/SQL convert well and the savings are real. Applications built on packages, materialized views and proprietary features need code conversion and a long test cycle. We read the code first and give you a written feasibility view with effort, risk and a recommendation, which is sometimes to stay.

How do you migrate a database without downtime?

Fully zero-downtime migration needs replication from the old database to the new one while both run, followed by a short switch of connection strings. Where the engines support it we use native replication or change data capture tools. Where they do not, we plan a short maintenance window, rehearse it on a staging copy, and keep the old database available for rollback until reconciliation passes. In practice the answer is usually minutes of downtime, not zero.

Can you fix a slow SQL Server without rewriting the application?

Often, yes. Most slowness comes from missing or unused indexes, outdated statistics, parameter sniffing, blocking, or reporting queries competing with transactions. These are fixed in the database layer. When the cause is in the application, such as queries in loops or loading whole tables to filter in code, we show you the exact calls and either fix them with your team or hand over a prioritized list.

Which is better for a new application, SQL Server or PostgreSQL?

Both are capable. SQL Server fits organizations already on the Microsoft stack with Windows administration skills, .NET applications and Power BI reporting. PostgreSQL fits teams that want no license cost, portability across clouds, and extensions for geospatial, full-text or vector workloads. For a founder we usually suggest PostgreSQL on a managed service unless there is a reason to prefer SQL Server. We do not resell either.

Do you handle the data migration into a new application, not just the database?

Yes. Moving customer, product, financial or clinical records from a legacy application or spreadsheets into a new system is a large part of our database migration services. We write the mapping, cleanse and deduplicate, load into a test environment, reconcile counts and totals with the business owners, and repeat until the exceptions list is empty before the production load.

Will our data be safe during the work?

We work on copies for development and testing, use masked data where personal or health information is involved, and apply production changes only through reviewed, scripted migrations with a tested rollback. Backups are verified by an actual restore before any migration starts. For regulated data we sign the agreements your compliance program requires and work inside your access-control rules.