For many SMEs, a private cloud is the answer to the increasing demand for availability, control over critical systems and digital sovereignty.
Public cloud models often come up against limits, especially where sensitive data is processed, business-critical applications need to be operated, or industry-specific compliance requirements need to be met. This is often due to a lack of transparency, limited controllability, or regulatory hurdles. While it is common to refer to ‘the cloud’ as a general term the devil is in the details:
Is the cloud infrastructure managed independently (self-managed) or is it operated by an external service provider (managed service)?
The chosen operating model considerably influences internal processes and resource commitment, as well as the stability, responsiveness and scalability of the entire IT landscape.
As an experienced hosting and managed service provider, we shed light on the differences and deployment scenarios and show how companies can arrive at a solution within this spectrum that meets their requirements.
Private Cloud Managed vs. Self-Managed: Definition and differentiation
A private cloud is a dedicated IT infrastructure that is operated exclusively for a single customer in our data centres. Unlike public cloud offerings such as AWS or Azure, all resources are available to a single client, which is particularly important for strict security requirements or customised configurations.
At CONVOTIS, we provide virtualised private cloud environments that are set up individually, are highly available and can be scaled flexibly. These environments are suitable for development, testing and integration systems, as well as for productive workloads.
Managed vs. Self-Managed: A comparison of private cloud operating models
Our private cloud infrastructure offers companies maximum availability and flexibility We provide virtual machines that are tailored to our clients’ exact specifications, including CPU, RAM and storage space. Our customers can choose between different operating models:
- Linux and Windows systems fully supported
- 24/7 operation with a response time according to the SLA
- Integrated platform services: Backup, firewall, VPN, monitoring, etc.
- Flexible operating models, ranging from self-managed to fully managed operation.
| Criterion | Self-Managed Private Cloud | Managed Private Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure Operations | Customer operates virtual machines independently (homing) | CONVOTIS handles full infrastructure operations |
| Responsibility | Primarily lies with the customer | CONVOTIS manages everything up to the application level based on the service level |
| Customization | Very high – maximum flexibility | High – within standardized security and operational frameworks |
| Operational Complexity | High – customer expertise required | Low – CONVOTIS provides expertise and monitoring |
| Best suited for | Technically skilled customers with internal resources and 24/7 on-call availability | Organizations focusing on their core business |
Private Cloud: operating models from Self-Managed to Managed
Our private cloud platform is designed to address the wide range of possibilities that exist between self-managed and managed services. In practice, the requirements are rarely black and white: some companies want to retain full access, while others want to reduce their workload. Many are looking for a solution that sits somewhere in between.
- Self-managed – you take full responsibility
You get access to our platform and operate your virtual machines yourself. This is ideal for training courses, development environments or testing purposes. CONVOTIS monitors the infrastructure in the background – for example, in the event of imminent resource exhaustion.
Example: Cybersecurity course participants use our platform to create and manage their own VMs, making it ideal for this type of training scenario.
CONVOTIS only monitors the platform, for example alerting you in the event of imminent capacity exhaustion.
- Managed Server – balancing control and support
We take over the platform operation (including backup, monitoring and network), while you independently manage your applications and services. This is ideal for technology-savvy companies looking to reduce their workload.
Scope of services:
- Advice on performance, security and availability
- Installation and configuration of web servers
- Operation and monitoring according to SLA
- Application Operation – all-round carefree operation
Our team will assume operational responsibility for your environment right up to the application level. We carry out regular updates, monitor content, and respond proactively, all of which will be tailored to your chosen service level.
Regardless of the operating model you choose, you benefit from centralised basic services with CONVOTIS:
- Patch management and system hardening
- Performance evaluations (disc I/O, swap and memory)
- Regular reboots and continuous monitoring
- Incident response with guaranteed response times
Which option is right for you?
The decision regarding an operating model depends on several factors:
| Question | Tendency: Self-Managed | Tendency: Managed |
|---|---|---|
| • Do you have a strong internal IT team with 24/7 availability? | ✅ | ❌ |
| • Do you want to focus on your core applications? | ❌ | ✅ |
| • Do you have strict SLA requirements? | ❌ | ✅ |
| • Do you want maximum flexibility with minimal dependency? | ✅ | ❌ |
Why CONVOTIS is the right partner for your Private Cloud
Thanks to our high-availability infrastructure, decades of operating experience and modular service packages, we can provide any type of private cloud – from a free playground for developers to business-critical 24/7 system operation with guaranteed response times.
Let’s analyse your needs together to find the best model for you. Our experts will be happy to support you.