When using databases in cloud environments, there are different ways to deploy, manage and use their infrastructure. The two common options are managed and unmanaged databases.

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What are the differences between managed and self-managed databases? 

A managed database is a cloud computing service in which a cloud service provider is paid to manage the underlying infrastructure while providing the company with access to the database itself.

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A self-managed (or unmanaged) database is one in which the database software runs on virtual machines in a cloud environment. Users have full control over the VMs themselves and  overthe related database infrastructure.

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Why choose a self-managed database deployment?

Unmanaged database deployments place the burden of support and administration entirely on the developer or infrastructure teams, but provide the organization with full control over the database and its management. This control includes managing and controlling the amount, access, location and retention of database backups, “locking” support for older database versions in case of a compatibility limitations, allowing easy migration of data from one virtual machine to another or from on-prem environment to the cloud and even easy transfer of databases between cloud providers without being “locked-in” to the cloud vendor. Last but not least, generally, a virtual machine with a database software installed and running on it is cheaper than using a managed database service.

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A self-managed database works for you if you have a small environment andthe necessary resources and knowledge to manage and handle specific requirements, or if you are in the early process of migrating your on-prem databases to the cloud.

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Why choose a managed database deployment?

When using managed databases, the organization can easily use and deploy database clusters without the requiring specific knowledge or skills in advanced database administration. The cloud provider will be responsible for performing routine maintenance, and in charge of updating and patching.

Here is a short list of the main benefits of a managed database: 

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• Ease of deployment - Deploy a new database in a few clicks, while the cloud provider handles all processes. Users choose the database type, version and size, and grant access as needed.
• Focus - Using a managed service frees teams to focus on developing and managing data and applications without dedicating resources to infrastructure maintenance. 
• Support - When choosing a managed service, part of the cost covers basic access to dedicated support teams who specialize in your database and are held to a specific SLA.
• Security - Cloud service providers will immediately support the most recent database versions and by default will automatically update your database with the most recent patches and security updates, as well as provide you with tools to manage (and limit) access to your data. Additionally, cloud providers are compliant with the highest security standards.
• Scalability and availability - These databases come with a built-in backup and data retention policy, as well as data replication to failover providing high availability. Additionally, scaling up or down with a managed service is extremely easy.
• Liability - Using a managed service means that the cloud provider shares some of the responsibility in case of a fail or security breach. 

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