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With costs as low as a few cents per hour, it often makes sense to move your database storage to the cloud. Service providers offer both supervised -- or managed services -- as well as do-it-yourself solutions. Managed database network services include server setup, storage, monitoring, backup and database tuning as part of their standard hosting fee.
Database Network Services
Cloud computing often brings to mind Web hosting, but services like RackSpace, Amazon and Google also offer a variety of database storage solutions. These services may store the data that powers your website or may serve up data for your in-house business solutions. Data can reside on a single server or can be replicated on many servers hosted throughout the world. Prices start at a few cents per hour for low volume transactional databases and up over a dollar per hour for high capacity, high volume replicated servers (Prices as of January, 2014).
Supervised Databases
Supervised, or managed, database networks include many of the services that would be performed by an employee working in your office. Someone needs to set up the server, install the software, move the data onto the server and get it running. Someone also needs to back up the data, restart the server when it goes down, diagnose problems when the servers slow down and keep the data running smoothly. A managed server, supervised by a human database administrator, will perform these services as part of its hosting fee.
Unsupervised Databases
If your business already employs an IT staff, there is no need to pay for these extra services. Most cloud providers offer simple storage and database solutions that just spin up a database server with mySQL or Microsoft SQL Server software then enables your IT staff to manage it themselves. Storage costs much less, and your staff can choose the appropriate software and database management tools. These companies also offer nontraditional storage solutions specifically designed for cloud computing that may offer more throughput than SQL database servers. Your IT staff along with sales reps for the cloud service provider can recommend the best options for your business needs.
Choosing Cloud Database Services
Make a list of your current database needs starting with the server platform (Oracle, Microsoft or mySQL) as well as an estimate of storage space and transaction volume. You may need to get input from your IT staff or an outside consultant to determine these needs. Next, determine the level of supervision or data management. If you have your own IT staff, or your database just holds a small amount of data, you may not need any of these management services, but if you have little IT support and your business relies heavily on your data, management services may be critical. Look at your overall technology infrastructure including websites, in-house systems and business processes to determine how these database management services fit into your overall business strategy.
Database Network Services
Cloud computing often brings to mind Web hosting, but services like RackSpace, Amazon and Google also offer a variety of database storage solutions. These services may store the data that powers your website or may serve up data for your in-house business solutions. Data can reside on a single server or can be replicated on many servers hosted throughout the world. Prices start at a few cents per hour for low volume transactional databases and up over a dollar per hour for high capacity, high volume replicated servers (Prices as of January, 2014).
Supervised Databases
Supervised, or managed, database networks include many of the services that would be performed by an employee working in your office. Someone needs to set up the server, install the software, move the data onto the server and get it running. Someone also needs to back up the data, restart the server when it goes down, diagnose problems when the servers slow down and keep the data running smoothly. A managed server, supervised by a human database administrator, will perform these services as part of its hosting fee.
Unsupervised Databases
If your business already employs an IT staff, there is no need to pay for these extra services. Most cloud providers offer simple storage and database solutions that just spin up a database server with mySQL or Microsoft SQL Server software then enables your IT staff to manage it themselves. Storage costs much less, and your staff can choose the appropriate software and database management tools. These companies also offer nontraditional storage solutions specifically designed for cloud computing that may offer more throughput than SQL database servers. Your IT staff along with sales reps for the cloud service provider can recommend the best options for your business needs.
Choosing Cloud Database Services
Make a list of your current database needs starting with the server platform (Oracle, Microsoft or mySQL) as well as an estimate of storage space and transaction volume. You may need to get input from your IT staff or an outside consultant to determine these needs. Next, determine the level of supervision or data management. If you have your own IT staff, or your database just holds a small amount of data, you may not need any of these management services, but if you have little IT support and your business relies heavily on your data, management services may be critical. Look at your overall technology infrastructure including websites, in-house systems and business processes to determine how these database management services fit into your overall business strategy.
Posted in: Computers & Internet
