The three hosting options
Between the shared cloud and an on-premise server there is an intermediate option that many companies overlook:
| Option | Where the data resides | Who operates the server |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud on a shared server | The provider's servers, shared by several companies, each with its own database | The provider |
| Dedicated server | A server for your company only, operated by the provider | The provider |
| On-premise (self-hosted) server | A server owned by your company: your data center or your virtual server | Your IT team |
Comparison
| Criterion | Cloud | On-premise |
|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | Low: there is no server to purchase | Server, operating system and installation |
| Recurring cost | The service fee | The license, plus IT time, power and backups |
| Updates | Applied by the provider | Scheduled and applied on your server |
| Backups | Performed by the provider | Performed by your team, unless the service includes them |
| Availability | Depends on the provider and your internet connection | Depends on your server, your power and your network |
| Data residency | Wherever the provider hosts its servers | On your infrastructure |
| Access from several warehouses | Over the internet, with no additional configuration | Requires publishing the server or a private network |
When the cloud is the better choice
- The company does not have an IT team that operates servers every day.
- There are several warehouses or people who work outside the office network.
- The company wants to start quickly, without purchasing equipment.
- Updates and backups must take place without depending on one person.
When an on-premise or dedicated server is the better choice
- A corporate policy or a contract requires the data to reside on a specific infrastructure.
- The company already operates a data center with backups, backup power and monitoring.
- The database must be isolated from other companies: a dedicated server provides that isolation without your team operating the server.
Questions for the provider
- Where are the servers physically located, and who has access to them?
- How often is the data backed up, and how often is a restore tested?
- Can all of the information be exported, and in which format?
- What happens to the data after cancellation?
- On premises: what information does the system send to the provider, and what happens if the connection is lost?
Chainlink WMS hosting options
Chainlink works the same way in all three options; the app, Chainlink Wizard, the labels and the permissions do not change. Essentials runs on a shared server. Professional can run on a shared server, on a dedicated server or on a self-hosted server with approval, and Enterprise on a dedicated server or on a self-hosted server with approval.
On the shared server, each company has its own database and its own subdomain, with a backup every night and a restore test every week. All of the information can be exported in CSV at any time, and after cancellation the account remains read-only for 30 days so it can be consulted. On a self-hosted server, the server reports its version, its status and counts such as the number of users to Chainlink, and never operational data. See security.