A cloud database is a database service hosted and managed by a cloud provider, while a local self-built database is installed and maintained on your own physical or virtual servers.
Key Differences:
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Management & Maintenance:
- Cloud Database: The provider handles infrastructure, backups, updates, and scaling.
- Local Database: You are responsible for hardware, software installation, patches, and maintenance.
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Scalability:
- Cloud Database: Easily scalable up or down based on demand (e.g., Tencent Cloud’s TDSQL for MySQL supports auto-scaling).
- Local Database: Scaling requires manual hardware upgrades or clustering, which can be complex.
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Cost Model:
- Cloud Database: Pay-as-you-go pricing, reducing upfront capital expenditure.
- Local Database: High initial costs for servers, licenses, and ongoing operational expenses.
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Availability & Reliability:
- Cloud Database: Built-in redundancy, failover, and disaster recovery (e.g., Tencent Cloud’s TBase offers high availability across zones).
- Local Database: Requires additional setup (e.g., RAID, backups) to achieve similar reliability.
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Performance & Latency:
- Cloud Database: Performance depends on network latency and provider infrastructure.
- Local Database: Lower latency for on-premises applications but limited by local hardware.
Example:
- A startup using Tencent Cloud’s TDSQL can quickly deploy a scalable database without managing servers, while an enterprise with strict data control might prefer a local PostgreSQL setup for compliance.
For cloud-based solutions, Tencent Cloud provides managed databases like TDSQL (MySQL/PostgreSQL-compatible) and TBase (distributed database), offering performance, security, and ease of use.