Looker unveils comprehensive guide on hosting options

Last week, Looker, Google's business intelligence and analytics platform, released a detailed guide to assist customers in choosing between Looker-hosted and customer-hosted options for their Looker (original) instances. This timely resource addresses the growing need for clarity in deployment strategies as more organizations embrace data-driven decision-making. The guide, published on Looker's official documentation site, offers a thorough examination of the benefits, limitations, and use cases for each hosting option.

In an era where data analytics plays an increasingly critical role in business operations, the decision of how to host a business intelligence platform can have far-reaching implications. Looker's new guide arrives at a crucial juncture, as companies grapple with balancing convenience, control, and compliance in their data infrastructure choices. By providing this comprehensive resource, Looker aims to empower its customers with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions that align with their specific organizational needs and technical capabilities.

Looker-hosted vs customer-hosted deployment

The guide begins by outlining the fundamental differences between Looker-hosted and customer-hosted deployments. In a Looker-hosted scenario, the company manages all necessary IT functions related to the Looker application on behalf of the customer. This approach significantly reduces the effort required for installation, configuration, and maintenance. Conversely, customer-hosted deployments place the responsibility for these processes and functions squarely on the organization's shoulders.

One of the key distinctions highlighted in the guide is the availability of features. Looker-hosted deployments offer default access to all Looker features, including automatic software updates, hardware scaling at no additional cost, and application and host monitoring. These deployments also come with an uptime SLA of 99.9% for Advanced and Elite tiers, as well as an S1 Response SLA of 1 hour. On the other hand, customer-hosted deployments provide direct access to servers and logs, offering greater control but requiring more hands-on management.

The guide delves into the specific benefits of Looker-hosted deployments, emphasizing the convenience and peace of mind they offer. Organizations opting for this route can focus on leveraging Looker for business insights without the overhead of infrastructure administration. Looker manages performance monitoring, ensures consistent updates, and adjusts capacity as needed. Additionally, Looker-hosted deployments include essential connected services that enhance data relevance, simplify modeling, and facilitate third-party integrations.

However, the guide also acknowledges certain limitations of Looker-hosted deployments. Organizations with specific security or compliance requirements may find that the Looker-hosted environment doesn't align perfectly with their needs. Furthermore, companies requiring direct access to logs and monitoring or desiring custom SLAs may find the Looker-hosted option restrictive.

For organizations considering a customer-hosted deployment, the guide outlines several compelling benefits. Chief among these is the direct control over infrastructure and scaling decisions. This option allows for implementing custom configurations that may not be available in a Looker-hosted environment. Customer-hosted deployments also provide full access to logging and monitoring, enabling organizations to set up instance monitoring tailored to their specific requirements. Perhaps most significantly, this option offers a bespoke security model, allowing companies to align their Looker deployment with industry-specific security standards.

The guide doesn't shy away from addressing the challenges of customer-hosted deployments. It notes that support can be more complex when Looker's team is unfamiliar with custom deployment architectures. Organizations are also responsible for ensuring timely updates and patches, which requires dedicated processes and resources. The guide emphasizes the human capital requirements, pointing out that managing a Looker deployment demands significant expertise in site reliability engineering.

Interestingly, the guide reveals that certain Looker features are not available for customer-hosted deployments. These include Looker (Google Cloud core) instances and associated features, some Admin settings such as BI Connectors and Looker Studio, and Looker's built-in Slack integration. This information is crucial for organizations that rely heavily on these features and may influence their hosting decision.

To provide real-world context, the guide offers sample use cases for customer-hosted deployments. Organizations with bespoke security requirements that preclude the use of cloud services may find customer-hosting to be their only viable option. Similarly, companies requiring a fully customizable deployment model, such as those needing numerous ephemeral instances or frequent environment changes, may benefit from the flexibility of customer-hosting. The guide also suggests that organizations requiring more direct access to integration and configuration capabilities might prefer the customer-hosted route.

The publication of this guide underscores Looker's commitment to transparency and customer empowerment. By providing such detailed information about hosting options, Looker enables its users to make decisions that best suit their unique circumstances. This approach aligns with the growing trend in the tech industry towards greater openness about product capabilities and limitations.

The timing of this guide's release is particularly relevant given the increasing complexity of data infrastructure decisions. As organizations continue to navigate the challenges of digital transformation, the choice between managed services and self-hosted solutions becomes more nuanced. Looker's guide serves as a valuable resource in this context, offering a balanced view of the trade-offs involved in each hosting option.

While the guide provides comprehensive information, it's worth noting that the decision between Looker-hosted and customer-hosted deployments is not always straightforward. Organizations must consider factors such as their internal technical capabilities, compliance requirements, budget constraints, and long-term data strategy. The guide serves as a starting point for these discussions, but many companies may find it beneficial to consult with Looker representatives or third-party experts to fully understand the implications of their hosting choice.

As data analytics continues to evolve, the importance of flexible, scalable, and secure hosting options will only grow. Looker's detailed guide on hosting options represents a significant step towards helping organizations navigate this complex landscape. By providing clear, comprehensive information on the benefits and limitations of each hosting option, Looker empowers its customers to make informed decisions that align with their business objectives and technical requirements.

Key points from Looker's hosting options guide

Looker offers two hosting options: Looker-hosted and customer-hosted for Looker (original) instances

Looker-hosted deployments provide convenience and automatic management of updates and scaling

Customer-hosted deployments offer greater control over infrastructure and security configurations

Some Looker features are not available in customer-hosted deployments

The guide includes sample use cases to help organizations determine which option might be best for them

The choice between hosting options involves trade-offs between convenience, control, and customization

Organizations should consider their specific security, compliance, and technical requirements when making a decision