AWS
Cloud CMDB
Cloud Governance
AWS Cloud CMDB - Build vs Buy — Making the Right Choice for Your Cloud Governance
Key things to consider when deciding whether to build or buy a AWS Cloud CMDB include
- How quickly you need to start using your cloud CMDB
- The tools that you need to sync the information to
- The data security implications of storing this information in a new location
- The reports you want to run from the AWS Cloud CMDB.
Introduction #
Managing cloud resources in AWS requires a clear, accurate system of record — a Cloud Configuration Management Database (CMDB) that captures the constantly changing state of your infrastructure. However, teams face a pivotal decision: build a custom CMDB solution in-house, or buy a commercial or managed product designed for AWS governance.
This build vs buy dilemma impacts cost, time to value, scalability, and ongoing maintenance, and ultimately it will determine how effectively you can achieve compliance, security, and operational visibility.
This article explores both approaches, sharing criteria for your evaluation and where CloudQuery’s hybrid CLI and fully managed SaaS options fit into the landscape.
Understanding the Build Approach #
Building your own AWS Cloud CMDB may sound appealing because it promises total customization and control. Typically, this involves:
- Developing custom API integrations to continuously extract data from AWS services (EC2, S3, IAM, etc.)
- Normalizing and modeling the resource data across accounts, regions, and services
- Selecting storage solutions such as a data warehouse or database for configuration data
- Building querying and visualization tools on top
- Maintaining schedules, handling API rate limits, and continuously updating sync logic as AWS services evolve
While a custom-built solution can fit unique organizational needs, it demands significant investment. Teams must allocate engineering resources not only to develop but to maintain and scale their CMDB infrastructure as the cloud environment grows.
One of the biggest pain-points around a built-from-scratch solution is time-to-value. Scope creep, missed deadlines and other problems can result in months passing before you're getting value from your AWS CMDB. Options like the CloudQuery CLI remove much of this pain
One of the biggest challenges of the build approach is staying up to date with frequent AWS API changes and new service releases. As AWS evolves rapidly, integrations require regular maintenance to avoid data gaps or inaccuracies, demanding ongoing developer resources and domain expertise. Any change in your needs will also result in a significant This complexity in managing API changes securely and reliably is a key consideration when evaluating a DIY CMDB path, as highlighted in discussions of common AWS API integration challenges.
Common challenges also include integration complexity with other governance tools and the risk of creating siloed systems lacking interoperability, as discussed in industry analyses on build versus buy technology decisions.
Evaluating the Buy (Vendor) Approach #
Buying a commercial or managed AWS Cloud CMDB product comes with its own advantages:
- Faster time to value with pre-built API integrations and automated discovery pipelines
- Built-in normalization and governance features covering tagging, drift detection, compliance reporting, and more
- Managed infrastructure with vendor support for scalability, upgrades, and reliability
- Integration with common enterprise tools across security, FinOps, and DevOps
- Flexible deployment models—CloudQuery offers both a CLI that integrates with your existing data platforms and a fully-managed SaaS option for turnkey governance.
On the flip side, buying can introduce vendor lock-in risks and may limit how deeply you can customize data flows or query models. Platforms like CloudQuery mitigate this by offering an API, meaning that you can build your own integrations and data pipelines if the provided options don't meet your needs, Ongoing subscription costs and integration overhead also factor into the decision, as highlighted in discussions on AWS governance and cloud management strategies.
The buy approach can also lead to security issues, particularly in regulated industries where sending sensitive information to services you don't directly control may be problematic. Solutions like the CloudQuery CLI overcome this problem by allowing you to select your own data warehouse as a destination and run all syncs on your own infrastructure, allowing you to benefit from regular updates to ensure maximum security and deep table coverage while protecting the integrity of your information.
Criteria to Consider When Choosing #
When deciding whether to build or buy your AWS Cloud CMDB, consider the following factors carefully:
How CloudQuery Can Fit Into the Picture #
CloudQuery provides a unique position in this landscape through its dual offerings. The CLI-based hybrid model allows teams to build their Cloud CMDB within their existing cloud data platforms, leveraging powerful customization while outsourcing much of the data extraction complexity. Meanwhile, the fully managed SaaS option provides a turnkey service that continuously keeps cloud configuration data updated and queryable without requiring engineering lift on your side.
The hybrid approach offered by CloudQuery CLI also provides the security of running on your own infrastructure and using your own choice of data warehouse, while having a tool that is regularly updated to improve table coverage as AWS evolves and account for any security fixes that are required.
This approach addresses one of the biggest pain points with build solutions: the ongoing maintenance of AWS API integrations as services and data schemas change frequently. CloudQuery manages API updates and schema evolution centrally, freeing teams to focus on deriving insights and governance actions rather than plumbing.
Additionally, CloudQuery’s flexible SQL interface enables teams to run complex governance queries and integrate CMDB data across tools like Metabase, Slack, or security platforms, combining ease of use with rich data access.
Conclusion and Next Steps #
Choosing whether to build or buy your AWS Cloud CMDB is a strategic decision that balances control, cost, agility, and risk.
- Building offers customization but demands ongoing investment to maintain evolving API integrations and scale complexity.
- Buying accelerates time to value and provides mature governance capabilities but risks vendor lock-in and may limit flexibility.
CloudQuery’s CLI and SaaS models offer blended choice, combining rapid deployment and continuous integration maintenance with rich customization and querying power. Check out our pricing page for more information.
For most organizations seeking balanced agility and reliability, evaluating CloudQuery as part of your CMDB strategy can significantly reduce the risks and overhead of building from scratch while avoiding the tradeoffs of fully black-box vendor solutions.
FAQs #
What is an AWS Cloud CMDB? #
An AWS Cloud Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is a system for tracking, managing, and understanding the real-time state of your AWS infrastructure. Unlike traditional, agent-based CMDBs, a cloud-native CMDB is API-driven and designed for dynamic, fast-changing environments. Learn more.
How can I achieve the fastest time to value with an AWS Cloud CMDB? #
Use a managed or hybrid SaaS platform with out-of-the-box AWS integrations, this avoids months of delays and may offer reports, dashboards and other out of the box functionality that you would otherwise have to build.
If you want to run on your own infrastructure, look at a solution like CloudQuery CLI, where you can leverage native connectors and AI onboarding to get started quickly, and use customizable sync jobs to target high-priority resources first.
What’s the best way to keep up with AWS API changes and avoid sync failures? #
If you're building an AWS Cloud CMDB, ensure that you regularly monitor AWS changelogs and are aware of any upcoming deprecations of APIs, functionality or tables. If you choose to buy or use a hybrid solution, ensure that you regularly update the integrations that you are using to avoid security challenges or downtime.
How can I make sure that my AWS Cloud CMDB integrates easily with my other tools? #
If you choose a hybrid approach, ensure that your chosen platform has integrations for the destinations you already use or a plugin-based architecture that allows you to quickly build custom integrations for the tools that you need.
