Plan your setup

Before you get started with Vertica, consider your business needs and available resources.

Before you get started with Vertica, consider your business needs and available resources. Vertica is built to run in a variety of environments depending on your requirements:

Choosing an on-premises or cloud environment

You can choose to run Vertica on physical host hardware, or deploy Vertica on the cloud.

Cloud environment

Vertica can run on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure. You might consider running Vertica on cloud resources for any of the following benefits:

  • You plan to quickly scale your cluster size up and down to accommodate varying analytic workload. You will provision more computing resources during peak work loads without incurring the same resource costs during low-demand periods. The Vertica database's Eon Mode is designed for this use case.

  • You prefer to pay over time (OpEx) for ongoing cloud deployment, rather than the higher up-front cost of buying hardware for on-premises deployment.

  • You need to reduce the costs, labor, and expertise involved in maintaining physical on-premises hardware (such as accommodating for server purchases, hardware depreciation, software maintenance, power consumption, floor space, and backup infrastructure).

  • You prefer simpler, faster deployment. Deploying on the cloud eliminates the need for more specific hardware expertise during setup. In addition, on cloud platforms such as AWS and GCP, Vertica offers templates that allow you to deploy a pre-configured set of resources on which Vertica and Management Console are already installed, in just a few steps.

  • You have very variable workloads and you do not want to pay for idle equipment in a data center when you can simply rent infrastructure when you need it.

  • You are a start-up and don't want to build out a data center until your product or service is proven and growing.

If you plan to deploy Vertica on the cloud, see Set up Vertica on the cloud.

On-premises environment

An on-premises environment can provide benefits in cases like the following:

  • Your business requirements demand keeping sensitive data on-premises.

  • You prefer to pay a higher up-front cost (CapEx) of buying hardware for on-premises deployment, rather than potentially paying a higher long-term total cost of a cloud deployment.

  • You cannot rely on continuous access to the internet.

  • You prefer end-to-end control over your environment, rather than depending on a third-party cloud provider to store your data.

  • You may have already invested in a data center and suitable hardware for Vertica that you want to capitalize on.

If you plan to install Vertica in an on-premises environment, see Set up Vertica on-premises.

Choosing a database mode

You can create a Vertica database in one of two modes: Eon Mode or Enterprise Mode. The mode determines the database's underlying architecture, how the database cluster scales, and how data is loaded. Eon Mode uses communal storage to separate storage from compute and allows you to easily scale compute up or down to meet changing workloads. Enterprise Mode is a share-nothing architecture that's particularly optimized for data local to each node. Database mode does not affect the way you run queries and other everyday tasks while using the database.

For an in-depth explanation of Enterprise Mode and Eon Mode, see Eon vs. Enterprise Mode.

If you choose to create an Eon Mode database in an on-premises environment, see Communal storage for on-premises Eon Mode databases to estimate the amount of storage needed.

Choosing an installation method

After you have decided how you will run Vertica, you can choose which setup method works for your needs.

Install Vertica manually

Manually installing Vertica through the command line works on all platforms. You will first set up a cluster of nodes, then install Vertica.

Manual installation might be right for you if your cluster will have many specific configuration requirements, and you have a database administrator with the expertise to set up the cluster manually on your chosen platform. Manual installation takes more time, but you can configure your cluster to your system's exact needs.

For an on-premises environment, you must install Vertica manually. See Set up Vertica on-premises to get started.

For Amazon AWS, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure, you have the option to deploy automatically or install manually. See Set up Vertica on the cloud for information on manual installation on each cloud platform.

Deploy Vertica automatically or manually

Automatic deployment is available on AWS, GCP, and Microsoft Azure. Manual deployment is only available on AWS through Vertica Amazon Machine Images (AMI), which include the Vertica software and the recommended configuration.

Automatic deployment creates a pre-configured environment consisting of cloud resources on which your cluster can run, with Vertica and Management Console already installed. You can enter a few parameters into a template on your chosen platform and be up and running with Vertica.

For cloud-specific deployment information, see Set up Vertica on the cloud.