On-Premise vs. Cloud Infrastructure

The effectiveness of cloud computing solutions depends on their adaptation to business needs. Therefore, when configuring the IT infrastructure, one of the crucial decisions is to choose between deploying the data on-premise vs. cloud infrastructure.

The debate over which of these two solutions is better is endless as they both offer different benefits. However, due to advances in technology and the increasing popularity of cloud environments, it is essential to understand how each system works and the main differences. This way it will be easier to know which option aligns with the needs of your business.

On-Premise Environment

When we talk about these types of environments, we refer to the installation of a system in a physical location, that is, an in-house IT environment. Because the data centers are on-premises, the IT team has control over them. On the other hand, data centers are adapted to the company’s specific needs and can be used to run from private servers to those managed by third parties.

However, the maintenance of this type of infrastructure requires a higher level of investment since the business is in charge of the hardware configuration, the purchase of licenses, the integration capabilities and updates of the systems.

Cloud Environment

Compared to on-premise environments, the deployment of systems and applications in the cloud occurs in virtual data centers and is fully managed by the cloud provider. In this case, the data owners can access the network remotely. They will have the possibility to scale the infrastructure according to the growth of the databases or the requirements, and it is possible to choose between three different cloud infrastructure options:

Software as a Service (SaaS), where the service provider takes care of everything, and the company only has to pay for those resources it uses.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) refers to managing and deploying data in infrastructure belonging to the company. In this case, cloud providers, such as AWS, offer solutions for developers to manage virtual servers according to their needs.

Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a platform for developing and hosting a company’s applications. It is a combination of cloud service and IaaS, and there are three types: public, private and hybrid cloud.

Difference Between Environments

DEPLOYMENT

Deployment is one of the main distinctions to consider when choosing between on-premises and cloud. With local solutions (On-Premise), execution tasks are implemented internally. If data runs in the cloud, providers are responsible for managing migration tasks in data centers. Even if deployed, whether in the public, private, or hybrid cloud, the owner still has full access to those resources whenever they want.

MAINTENANCE

Because the data centers and servers are housed in local instances, the company must take care of maintenance on-premise. Depending on the size of the infrastructure, an internal IT team may have to be hired to oversee the entire infrastructure. For their part, cloud-based solutions eliminate the tasks related to this point since this role falls to the service provider. This offers advantages such as rapid scalability and upgrades according to the demands of your business.

COSTS

The initial costs of installing a local network can add up quickly. You must invest in hardware, software and also in a team of experts. You also need to factor in maintenance expenses ranging from backups to system updates. On the other hand, a cloud system is profitable thanks to models such as the one proposed by AWS, pay-per-use, where you only pay for the resources used.

SAFETY

In terms of security, with On-Premise deployments, it is possible to control physical security and mitigate threats. In fact, this could be one of the powerful advantages of this environment. On the other hand, cloud solutions require you to entrust your security to the service provider. Today, cloud providers work to ensure greater security and higher uptime.

Even with all this information, it cannot be openly said that one alternative is better than the other. It is a question of what works for your business. For example, if you need a high level of control, then perhaps an On-Premise environment may be a good choice. However, if the business is highly scalable, then the cloud is more practical and flexible.