DevOps Dictionary

On-Premise describes running software and storing data on infrastructure a company owns and operates in its own facilities, such as servers, storage, and networking equipment. It’s used when teams need strict control over data location, security boundaries, performance, or change management, and it works by provisioning hardware, installing and configuring operating systems and platform services (for example, databases and Kubernetes), and handling day-to-day operations like patching, backups, monitoring, and capacity planning.

With On-Premise, you can tailor configurations, access controls, and upgrade timing to your requirements; without it, you typically rely on a cloud provider’s managed services, which can reduce operational work but may limit customization and introduce dependency on provider policies and availability. This gap exists because on-prem shifts responsibility for reliability, security, and scaling from a vendor to your internal platform and operations teams.