Re: Hosting PG on AWS in 2013

On 4/8/2013 3:15 AM, Vincent Veyron wrote:
> Could someone explain to me the point of using an AWS instance in the
> case of the OP, whose site is apparently very busy, versus renting a
> bare metal server in a datacenter?

I am the OP, but I can't provide a complete answer, since personally
(e.g. all servers that my income depends on), I do not use cloud
hosting. However, some reasons I have heard mentioned include:

1. The rest of the site is already hosted in AWS so deploying a DB
outside AWS adds to network costs, latency, and adds yet more moving
parts and things to worry about.
2. These days many companies just do not have the capability to deploy
bare metal. The people who understand how to do it are gone, the
management feel like it is outside their comfort zone vs. Cloud, and so
on. Conversely, there are plenty of people you can hire who are familiar
with AWS, its deployment tools, management, monitoring and so on.
3. Peer pressure to use AWS (from finance people, VCs, industry pundits,
etc).
4. AWS is the new IBM Mainframe (nobody ever got fired for buying
one...). If 1/2 the Internet is on AWS, and something breaks, then
well...you can point to the 1/2 the Internet that's also down..