If you're evaluating Zengines for your data migration or data lineage projects, one of your first questions is likely: "Where will this run, and where will our data live?"
It's a critical question. Data migrations involve your most sensitive information, and your choice of deployment architecture impacts everything from security and compliance to speed-to-value and ongoing management.
The good news? Zengines offers four deployment options designed to meet different organizational needs. This guide will help you understand each option and identify which might be the best fit for your situation.
Understanding Your Deployment Options
Option 1: Zengines Hosted (AWS US Region)
What it is: Fully managed SaaS deployment in US-based AWS data centers
Who it's designed for:
- Organizations based primarily in the United States
- Teams who need to start analyzing and migrating data quickly
- Teams who are focusing on their business transformation and don’t want to manage all the moving pieces associated with data migrations
- Projects where regulatory requirements don't mandate specific data residency
Key benefits:
- Fastest time to value: You can typically begin working with your data within days of signing up
- Zero infrastructure overhead: No need to provision servers, manage updates, or monitor performance—Zengines handles all of that
- Predictable, straightforward pricing: Standard subscription model with no infrastructure management costs
What to consider: If your organization has data sovereignty requirements (especially for EU data), strict requirements about data leaving your environment, or compliance frameworks that restrict US-based cloud processing, one of the other options below may be a better fit.
Option 2: Zengines Hosted (AWS Non-US Region)
What it is: Fully managed SaaS deployment in your preferred AWS region (EU, APAC, etc.)
Who it's designed for:
- International organizations with regional data residency requirements
- Companies subject to GDPR or other regional data protection regulations
- Teams who want managed SaaS simplicity without US jurisdiction concerns
Key benefits:
- Regional compliance: Meets data sovereignty requirements while maintaining all Zengines capabilities
- Same fast deployment: No compromise on speed or features compared to US hosting
- Still fully managed: Zengines continues to handle all infrastructure, updates, and monitoring
What to consider: While this addresses data residency, it's still a multi-tenant architecture with data processed in Zengines' cloud environment. If your compliance framework requires dedicated infrastructure or data that never leaves your environment, consider Option 3.
Option 3: Zengines Deployed on Your AWS Cloud Account
What it is: Zengines deployed entirely within your own AWS environment under your control
Who it's designed for:
- Financial services, healthcare, and government organizations with stringent compliance requirements
- Enterprises with security frameworks that prohibit multi-tenant SaaS or require tenant isolation at the account level
- Organizations that need administrative control over the compute environment and network boundaries
- Companies with mature AWS environments and DevOps capabilities
Key benefits:
- Complete data sovereignty: Your data never leaves your environment
- Maximum control: You define and enforce all security policies, access controls, and compliance measures
- Dedicated infrastructure: No multi-tenant concerns; this is your exclusive Zengines instance
- Integration with your security tools: Deploy within your existing security perimeter and monitoring systems
What to consider:
- Setup time: Deployment typically takes 2-3 weeks rather than days
- Resource requirements: Your IT team needs to provision AWS resources and support the deployment
- Additional costs: This option includes additional support fees for Zengines to assist with deployment, configuration, and optimization
- Prerequisites: You'll need an existing AWS environment and team members familiar with managing AWS infrastructure
Technical requirements: Zengines will provide detailed specifications for EC2 instances, storage, and AWS services needed. Having this conversation early with your infrastructure team helps ensure smooth deployment.
Option 4: Zengines on Azure or Google Cloud Platform (In Development)
What it is: Private cloud deployment on your Azure or GCP environment
Who it's designed for:
- Organizations with significant commitments to Azure or Google Cloud
- Companies whose cloud strategy or enterprise agreements make AWS deployment impractical
Current status: As of September 2025, multi-cloud support is in active development. If your organization has strong Azure or GCP requirements, we'd welcome a conversation about timeline and potential early adopter partnerships.
What to consider: If you need Zengines capabilities today and your only concern is cloud platform, Option 3 (AWS Cloud Account) might serve as a bridge solution until your preferred platform is supported.
Making Your Decision: Key Questions to Ask
As you evaluate which deployment option fits your needs, consider these questions:
Regulatory and Compliance:
- Do we have specific data residency requirements (geographic restrictions on where data can be processed)?
- Are we subject to regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, or financial services compliance frameworks?
- Does our compliance framework require dedicated infrastructure?
Infrastructure and Resources:
- Do we have an existing AWS, Azure, or GCP environment?
- Do we have DevOps or infrastructure team members who can support Zengines deployment on our cloud account?
- What's our organizational comfort level with managing cloud infrastructure?
Timeline and Urgency:
- How quickly do we need to begin analyzing and migrating data?
- Is a 2-3 week deployment timeframe acceptable, or do we need to start within days?
Security Requirements:
- Does our security framework allow data processing in external cloud environments?
- Do we require dedicated infrastructure, or is secure multi-tenant architecture acceptable?
- What level of control do we need over the processing environment?
Budget Considerations:
- What's our budget for not just software licensing but also infrastructure support?
- Do we have budget for the additional support costs associated with private cloud deployment?
Comparing Your Options at a Glance
| Factor | US Hosted | Regional Hosted | Private AWS | Azure/GCP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup Time | Days | Days | 2-3 weeks | TBD |
| Data Sovereignty | US only | Regional choice | Full control | Full control |
| Infrastructure Management | Zengines | Zengines | Shared | Shared |
| Your IT Involvement | Minimal | Minimal | Moderate | Moderate |
| Best For | US-based, fast starts | International, regional compliance | Strict security/compliance | Azure/GCP commitments |
What Happens After You Choose?
- For Options 1 & 2 (Zengines Hosted): After you sign up, you'll receive access credentials within 1-2 business days. You can immediately begin creating projects, uploading schemas, and working with data. Our team will schedule an onboarding and training session to help you get started.
- For Option 3 (Your AWS): We'll schedule a technical workshop with your infrastructure team to review requirements, discuss your AWS environment, and plan the deployment. Zengines will provide detailed specifications and work alongside your team through the setup process. Once deployed, you'll receive training for both end users and administrators.
- For Option 4 (Azure/GCP): If you're interested in Azure or GCP deployment, let's have a conversation about your timeline and requirements to better estimate the development effort.
Getting Started
Choosing the right deployment architecture is an important decision, but it shouldn't slow down your evaluation. Here's how to move forward:
- Start with an assessment of your compliance, security, and resource requirements using the questions above
- Have a conversation with our team about your specific situation—we've helped dozens of organizations navigate this decision
- Involve your stakeholders early: Security, compliance, and infrastructure teams should be part of the conversation from the beginning
- Consider a phased approach: Some organizations start with Option 1 or 2 for initial projects, then move to Option 3 as they expand usage
- Don't let deployment questions stop progress: We can work with you on pilot projects using sample data while larger deployment decisions are being made
Data migration and mainframe modernization are complex enough without worrying about whether your tools can work within your architecture. Zengines' flexible deployment options mean you don't have to compromise between the capabilities you need and the compliance, security, or infrastructure requirements you must meet.
Whether you need to start analyzing data tomorrow (hosted options) or require complete control within your own infrastructure (private cloud), there's a path forward.
Ready to discuss which deployment option fits your needs? Contact our team to start the conversation. We'll ask the right questions, understand your requirements, and help you make a confident decision.
