Why it matters
Choosing a database region is only the start of residency. Logs, backups, search indexes, file storage, analytics and support workflows can move customer data across boundaries as well.
A useful residency promise names the covered data, the allowed locations and any exceptions. It also survives failover and disaster recovery, when systems are most likely to move unexpectedly.
Decisions to make
- Define which data and processing activities the residency promise covers.
- Choose allowed regions for primary storage, replicas, backups and recovery.
- Decide whether support access and observability data may cross regions.
- Plan region selection during signup and rules for moving an existing tenant.
- Document subprocessor and third-party data flows.
Build checklist
- Inventory every store, queue, log, cache and export that can hold customer data.
- Enforce region choice in provisioning and deployment configuration.
- Test failover and recovery against the same location rules.
- Label data flows and monitor for resources created in the wrong region.
- Give customers a clear statement of what the residency setting covers.
Common mistakes
- Calling a product EU-resident because only its primary database is in the EU.
- Sending diagnostic logs or exported files to a global service without review.
- Offering a region switch without a migration and deletion plan.
Tools & references
3 starting points to compare or study. Check fit, maintenance, terms and current capabilities before choosing one.
