A few customers have been asking me “how do you compare with the server-based ETL platforms?” Before we can get into the different features, there are several key advantages to a cloud-based data integration tool over traditional server-based integration tools. Since a table can show a thousand words (or thousands of dollars) the table below shows how SaaS data integration compares to installing and maintaining data integration software.
| Feature | Client-Server Architecture | SaaS Data Integration |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Requires several servers and a difficult install process. | Does not require additional servers, install of agent takes minutes. |
| Upgrades | Usually a difficult process and requires risky migration of work flows. | Agents are self-upgrading and work flows never need to be migrated. |
| Patching | Same as upgrades, can be a risky and complex process. | No need to patch the application. |
| Scalability | Requires extra servers and licenses to be purchased. | Cloud-hosted and scales automatically to meet need. |
| Administration | Usually not possible to run heartbeat processes across data sources. | Agent calls in every minute so outages are quickly reported. |
| Architecture | Usually require additional database licenses and administration. | No additional database software needed. |
| Costs | High costs that do not reflect usage. | Pay for what you use. |
