Cloud vs. On-Premise Database Platforms: A Comparison of Control and Management for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
Introduction
In today's data-driven world, ensuring business continuity and robust disaster recovery strategies is paramount. The choice between cloud-based and on-premise database platforms plays a significant role in these areas, with each offering unique advantages and challenges. This blog will explore the differences between cloud and on-premise control and management of database platforms for business continuity and disaster recovery purposes, highlighting examples of successes and failures
Cloud-Based Database Platforms
Cloud-based databases are hosted and managed by third-party providers, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud and Google Cloud. They offer numerous advantages for business continuity and disaster recovery:
1. Scalability: Cloud-based databases can be easily scaled up or down, allowing organisations to adjust resources according to their needs. This flexibility ensures that businesses can maintain performance and availability during periods of increased demand or unforeseen events.
2. Geographic Redundancy: Cloud providers typically operate multiple data centres across different geographic regions, ensuring data is replicated and backed up in multiple locations. This redundancy protects against data loss and downtime due to regional disasters or outages.
3. Managed Services: Cloud providers often offer managed database services, which handle tasks like backups, updates, and maintenance. These services can reduce the administrative burden on in-house IT teams, allowing them to focus on other critical aspects of business continuity and disaster recovery.
Success: GitHub, the popular software development platform, successfully migrated their databases from on-premise infrastructure to Microsoft Azure. This migration allowed them to leverage Azure's global infrastructure for improved redundancy and resilience, reducing the risk of downtime and data loss.
Failure: In 2017, AWS experienced a significant outage that impacted numerous customers, including popular services like Slack and Trello. The outage was caused by an error during routine maintenance, which led to cascading failures and extended downtime. This incident highlights the potential risks associated with relying on a single cloud provider for critical infrastructure. Even if you have a single cloud provider you should not become a victim of routine maintenance. If the cloud provider has systems, routines and tools in place for these eventualities they should not happen, so it’s more down to incorrect process but the effect of a cloud provider messing up, can have a big effect on several business units. Oracle had a similar issue in Amsterdam when they did a routine DR test and some power supplies crashed. All customers that were on the Autonomous service did not have an issue but if you had a single machine as a production system, it went down. Another issue is that the cloud provider does not necessarily know which server is a test or dev platform and which is production, but in a customer’s own datacentre people normally know which are the critical servers.
On-Premise Database Platforms
On-premise databases are hosted and managed within an organisation's own data centres or server rooms. They offer a greater degree of control and customisation for business continuity and disaster recovery:
1. Control and Customisation: On-premise databases provide organisations with full control over their infrastructure and configurations, allowing for greater customisation to meet specific business requirements.
2. Data Sovereignty: By hosting data on their own premises, organisations can ensure compliance with data sovereignty regulations and maintain control over data privacy and security.
3. Dedicated Resources: On-premise databases can offer dedicated resources for performance and availability, ensuring that critical systems remain operational during periods of high demand or unexpected events.
Success: In 2012, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) successfully weathered Hurricane Sandy, which caused massive flooding and power outages across the region. NYSE's on-premise data centres were designed with robust redundancy and failover capabilities, allowing them to continue operations despite the challenging conditions.
Failure: In 2013, British Airways experienced a major IT failure caused by a power surge in their on-premise data centre. The failure resulted in widespread flight cancellations and delays, impacting thousands of customers. This incident underscores the potential risks associated with on-premise infrastructure, particularly when it comes to redundancy and disaster recovery planning.
Balancing Control and Management for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
When evaluating cloud-based and on-premise database platforms, organisations must consider their specific requirements and priorities for business continuity and disaster recovery:
1. Risk Management: Organisations should assess the risks associated with their chosen platform, including potential downtime, data loss, and regulatory compliance. This may involve conducting a thorough risk assessment and developing contingency plans for various disaster scenarios.
2. Resource Allocation: Businesses must consider the resource allocation required for each platform, including staffing, hardware, and software costs. This may involve evaluating the total cost of ownership (TCO) for both cloud-based and on-premise solutions and determining which option provides the best value for their specific needs.
3. Hybrid Solutions: For some organisations, a hybrid approach that combines cloud-based and on-premise infrastructure may offer the best balance of control and management for business continuity and disaster recovery. This approach can leverage the benefits of both platforms while mitigating the risks associated with relying on a single solution.
Conclusion
Both cloud-based and on-premise database platforms offer unique advantages and challenges for business continuity and disaster recovery. Cloud-based solutions provide scalability, geographic redundancy, and managed services, reducing the administrative burden on in-house IT teams. On the other hand, on-premise databases offer greater control and customisation, allowing organisations to tailor their infrastructure to meet specific requirements and maintain data sovereignty.
When choosing a platform, it is crucial for organisations to carefully consider their specific needs and priorities, including risk management, resource allocation, and potential hybrid solutions. By thoroughly evaluating the control and management aspects of each platform, businesses can develop robust business continuity and disaster recovery strategies that ensure the ongoing stability and success of their operations.
