Online database: key advantages and disadvantages

The database in a business scenario is commonly associated with a list of leads or customer information, although in a more technical environment it may also be referred to as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, or Sybase. Databases, which were traditionally available offline, have also spread across the online horizon, delivered over the Internet and available by monthly subscription. Although Wikipedia gives you a wide list of online databases, here I will only mention the pros and cons of getting your data online and building your own online database.

Since the last ten years, we have been collecting data using spreadsheets and improving our skills to turn it into a database that is useful later. Microsoft Access, SQL, and Oracle have come a long way in supporting spreadsheets as database complexity increased and began to fall apart. But these databases were only available on a single desktop or accessed via a LAN connection to an internal server. Easily tackling desktop spreadsheet applications in the midfield, web databases are closing in on the score and have become the lifeline of people moving their data online. Most of these web databases are hosted in a cloud environment and protected by SSL encryption and secure login with proper user access control.

Some advantages of using an online database

Online – As the name suggests, an online database can be accessed from a web browser from anywhere in the world. With cloud computing at the forefront, it’s much easier to host an online database in an elastic public cloud, making it more scalable and secure.

Elasticity: A web-based database can hold infinite data and is fully elastic in nature. Whenever there is an increase in data flow, more storage space can be allocated and scaled up and down based on requirements.

Multi-tenant – A public cloud database is typically multi-tenant in nature. This means that multiple customers can use the same database in a shared model where you only pay for the space you use.

Pay as you go: The pay as you go model based on a monthly subscription makes online databases seem quite lucrative where you don’t need to spend a large capital expense on licensed software.

Limitations or disadvantages of an online database

Security: One of the most serious concerns when using a web database is security. Since there aren’t many security standards available in the cloud computing model, most users are concerned about putting their financial data online.

Switching – Another concern when selecting an online database is switching. Different databases support different formats and switching from one to another becomes a hassle, adding to the cost of switching.

Downtime: There are times when the server might be down due to multiple reasons that can lead to huge data loss and inaccessibility, resulting in huge loss for clients.

Online database can enhance your productivity in many ways and can serve multiple functions. You can customize an online database according to your company’s workflow or simply use it for data collection and information sharing. Web-based databases work in different environments, so that’s the biggest advantage you can get.