Tuning databases is key to application performance and stability, but it’s a hard job. Auto-tuning helps, but it was reserved for the Oracles and Microsofts of the world till now. OtterTune wants to democratize this capability

Databases are the substrate on which most applications run. Although different applications have different needs served by different databases, they all have one thing in common: They are complex systems that need continuous fine-tuning to work optimally.

Databases come with a plethora of parameters that can be tuned by “turning knobs.” Traditionally, this has been the job of Database Administrators (DBAs). Their job is a hard one, as they need to know the specifics of the database, the hardware it’s running on, and the workloads it serves.

Some database vendors like IBM, Microsoft, and Oracle have taken steps to automate this work. OtterTune is a startup that wants to democratize this capability. Today, OtterTune is announcing the private beta of its new automatic database tuning service, as well as an initial $2.5 million seed funding round led by Accel. ZDNet caught up with OtterTune CEO and co-founder Andy Pavlo to find out more.

Pavlo is a distinguished academic researcher in databases: Associate Professor of Databaseology in the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University, in his own words. Following in the footsteps of Mike Stonebraker, a prominent figure in the database world and one of his mentors, Pavlo is now setting out to apply his research in the real world.

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