Very true. For example, we're running most of our log aggregation and time series handling on rented dedicated servers. It took more work and skill to get to wo

Very true. For example, we're running most of our log aggregation and time series handling on rented dedicated servers. It took more work and skill to get to work compared to something like AWS elasticsearch, but the setup is dirt-cheap for what it does including redundancy in case of hardware failures. Or, my last employer used to run a lot of their data warehousing and BI on rented physical systems for similar reasons - high IO demand, built-in redundancy. There are many steps you can take before buying concrete to build a DC. Even before you have to buy your own rack.