Deployment decision guide
Who runs the servers, who applies the updates and where your data sits under each option, so a deployment is chosen on constraints not preference.
Updated 21 Aug 2026
Definition
In a managed deployment the vendor operates the agreed service boundary; in a self-hosted one the customer operates the environment and its named dependencies. Either way, someone has to own updates, support access, backup and recovery. The label alone does not say who.
Write down your hard constraints before you compare anything on convenience.
Choose a managed path when its documented data and support boundary meets the requirements and you would rather the vendor ran it.
Choose customer-controlled infrastructure when hard requirements need it and the organisation can own the additional operational responsibilities.
Map source files, parsed text, embeddings, prompts, outputs, logs, backups, support and telemetry for each option. Name the operator and location at every node.
Rehearse access changes, restricted egress, backup, restore, upgrade, rollback, support and an incident path before treating the deployment as ready.
The contract and architecture you actually sign beat these typical patterns.
| Decision factor | Managed | Self-hosted |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure | Vendor operates the agreed service boundary. | Customer operates the environment and named dependencies, subject to support terms. |
| Data and model path | Selected vendor-managed storage and inference paths must be documented. | Customer selects approved infrastructure, while package dependencies and model support still constrain choices. |
| Updates | Vendor controls service release operations under the agreed change process. | Image delivery, testing, scheduling, rollback and vulnerability response need assigned owners. |
| Support access | Vendor operational access and controls should be stated. | Any remote or break-glass route must be designed, approved and logged for the environment. |
| Recovery | Service backup and recovery commitments belong in the service terms. | Customer usually owns infrastructure backup and recovery unless the support matrix says otherwise. |
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Pick a real piece of work, agree what a good answer looks like, then go through the results together.