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Seintec

Architecture decision

Private cloud versus public cloud

A practical comparison to decide where each workload belongs: predictable performance, data control, stable cost and who operates the platform.

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The starting point

The question is not which is better, but which workload goes where. An ERP with a demanding database and concurrent users does not raise the same needs as a website or a test environment.

What we usually find

  • Variable bills that are hard to budget from one year to the next.
  • Uncertainty about where the data physically resides.
  • Irregular performance in latency-sensitive applications.
  • Lack of clarity about who administers what in each model.

Which companies it fits

Companies renewing infrastructure or reviewing cloud spend that need a technical basis for distributing workloads.

We analyse your workloads and propose a reasoned split between private cloud, public cloud and owned infrastructure.

Request an architecture review

What the solution includes

  • Workload analysis

    Each application is assessed for performance, availability, dependencies and data sensitivity.

  • Compared scenarios

    Private cloud in our datacenter, public cloud or a hybrid model, with the operational implications of each.

  • Operating model

    Who administers the system, who patches, who monitors and who responds to an incident.

  • Implementation plan

    The order in which workloads move and the validation criteria.

How it is deployed

  1. 1Inventory of applications and current consumption.
  2. 2Definition of business requirements per application.
  3. 3Scenario comparison with implications.
  4. 4Joint decision and phased migration plan.
  5. 5Operation and periodic review of the workload split.

Real-world scenarios

A stable, predictable workload

A company running an ERP, a file server and a steady load all year gains little from public cloud elasticity and does notice the variable billing. For that profile, private cloud or dedicated servers usually offer more predictable cost and reserved performance that is not competing with other tenants.

A project with occasional peaks

A test environment, a seasonal campaign or a computation that runs for a few weeks fits better where resources can be spun up and shut down. Nothing prevents combining both models: the steady load on owned platform and the peaks on elastic resources, with a network linking the two environments.

How the decision is made

The analysis starts from data: real consumption of the current machines, peaks, data volume, egress traffic, latency requirements and any obligations about where information resides. Scenarios are then compared on total cost, including backups, support and the management hours each party absorbs. Seintec provides and operates private cloud and dedicated infrastructure in its datacentre; where the analysis points to a public platform for a specific workload, we say so and propose the mixed model with the connectivity and operations it needs.

What is at stake if it is left unaddressed

  • Comparing monthly price only

    A valid comparison includes egress traffic, backups, licences, support and the cost of the management hours the company absorbs.

  • Overlooking data egress

    Pulling large volumes back from a public platform can carry a cost and a delay that the continuity plan never accounted for.

  • Deciding without measuring

    Without real consumption data, sizing is guesswork and ends up either oversized or too tight.

Services involved

Related sectors

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Frequently asked questions

Is private cloud always more expensive?
Not necessarily. It tends to offer a more stable, predictable cost, while public cloud is more flexible for variable workloads.
Where is the data in Seintec's private cloud?
In our own datacenter in Sant Miquel de Balenyà, Osona, Barcelona province.
Can both models be combined?
Yes, and it is the most common scenario: production on private cloud and specific or occasional workloads on public cloud.
Who manages the operating system?
In Seintec managed services, we do. In other models it may sit with the customer; it is worth putting in writing.
Which of the two models is more secure?
Security depends far more on configuration, identity management and maintenance than on the model chosen. What does change is who answers for each layer: in managed private cloud Seintec operates the whole platform, whereas in public cloud the company or its provider takes on much of the configuration and its ongoing supervision.
Can we start with one and switch later?
Yes, provided the design avoids unnecessary lock-in: standard formats, documented environments and a backup strategy that does not depend on the platform. Planning the exit from the start costs little and prevents being trapped by an architecture that only works at one provider.
Where is Seintec's infrastructure located?
In our own datacentre in Sant Miquel de Balenyà, in the Osona area, province of Barcelona. For companies with requirements about where data resides, or who simply want to know who to call when something fails, having the platform and the team that runs it clearly identified is as legitimate a criterion as price.
How long does the analysis take?
It depends on the size of the environment, but what matters is having consumption data from a representative period rather than one particular week. Where no monitoring exists, it is installed first and metrics are collected before scenarios are compared, because deciding on estimates is the usual cause of bad sizing.

Request an architecture review

We analyse your workloads and propose a reasoned split between private cloud, public cloud and owned infrastructure.

Request an architecture review