Self-Hosted Databases
Self-hosted databases are database management systems that are installed, configured, and maintained on an organization's own infrastructure, such as on-premises servers or private cloud environments, rather than being managed by a third-party cloud provider. This approach gives organizations full control over their data, including security, performance tuning, and compliance with specific regulations. Common examples include MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB when deployed on self-managed hardware or virtual machines.
Developers should consider self-hosted databases when they need strict data sovereignty, such as in industries with heavy regulatory requirements like healthcare or finance, or when they require fine-grained control over performance and security configurations. This approach is also beneficial for organizations with existing on-premises infrastructure investments or those handling sensitive data that cannot be stored in public clouds due to privacy concerns. However, it requires significant expertise in database administration, maintenance, and scaling.