Introduction
Data sovereignty is not a buzzword but business criticality: merchants and network operators that run partner programs must decide where tracking and billing data reside — and who ultimately has access. Self‑hosted solutions with a perpetual license give organizations the option to deliberately balance control, compliance and operating costs. This article compares three hosting options, discusses data law consequences and shows how Affilentra perpetual licenses secure concrete control.
Comparison of hosting options
1. On‑Premise (operation within your own network)
Description: Installation and operation of the software on your own hardware on the merchant's premises or in the company's own data center.
- Advantages: Maximum control over data, physical access restrictions, no third‑party access.
- Disadvantages: High internal expertise required (operation, security, backups), limited scalability without investments, higher capital tie‑up.
- Typical suitability: Companies with strict compliance requirements or sensitive customer data that need full control over access rights and infrastructure.
2. German data center (managed hosting in Germany)
Description: Hosting with a provider whose infrastructure is located in Germany and who offers managed services (servers, network, backups).
- Advantages: Clear data residency in Germany, easier to demonstrate compliance with national and EU standards, reduced operator burden compared to on‑premise.
- Disadvantages: Dependence on the hoster for availability and maintenance; contractual safeguards (DPA) necessary.
- Typical suitability: Merchants who want to keep data within Germany but do not want to operate their own infrastructure.
3. Cloud (public cloud, EU region recommended)
Description: Operation in a public cloud (e.g. AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), preferably in an EU region.
- Advantages: High scalability, elasticity, often lower initial investments, broad service ecosystem for security and monitoring.
- Disadvantages: Potential cross‑border data flows, dependence on provider security measures; additional legal requirements for non‑EU regions.
- Typical suitability: Platforms with variable load profiles or rapidly growing partner networks that prioritize scalability and managed services.
Data law implications and compliance
Clarify roles: Controller vs. Processor
It is important for data protection practice to determine who is "responsible" for personal data and who acts only as a processor. Merchants who manage customer data and partner contacts are generally controllers and must process, document and fulfill data subject rights. Operators of a partner network or a platform operator may bear additional responsibilities.
Data residency and international transfers
The hosting location influences the legal requirements: data stored in Germany or the EU are directly subject to the GDPR provisions. For hosting outside the EU, appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or an adequacy decision are required. Since rulings like Schrems II, technical and contractual review is necessary for transfers to third countries.
Technical and organizational measures (TOMs)
Regardless of the hosting location, encryption (at rest and in transit), access controls, logging and regular backups should be implemented as standard. For proof, processing records, deletion concepts and incident response plans are necessary. For managed hosting, these measures should be contractually (DPA) and technically anchored.
How Affilentra perpetual licenses enable data control
Affilentra is offered as self‑hosted PHP/MySQL software and sold as a perpetual license in the PRO & NETWORK editions. This delivery model supports data sovereignty on multiple levels:
- Installation in the desired hosting environment: merchants or operators decide whether the software is installed on‑premise, in a German data center or in a cloud environment.
- No revenue share: Because Affilentra is sold as a perpetual license, revenues and billing data remain entirely with the licensee — no provider split based on transactions.
- Role‑based architecture: Separate roles for software operators, merchants and partners ensure minimal access rights; this allows roles and permissions to be tailored to compliance requirements.
- Transparent functions: Tracking, conversion validation, commission calculation and payout runs operate locally and are thus under the direct control of the licensee.
The result: organizations retain sovereignty over tracking logs, partner data and billing documents — crucial for audits, tax evidence and data protection requests.
Practical decision support: Which hosting type suits me?
Relevant selection criteria can be summarized along technical, legal and economic requirements:
- Compliance highlight: When physical control, strict logging and internal audits are required — on‑premise.
- Data residency and reduced operational burden: German data center, with clear contractual arrangements regarding TOMs and the DPA.
- Scalability and flexibility: Cloud in an EU region, with additional contractual guarantees for data exports and consistent encryption measures.
Implementation steps (concrete and action‑oriented)
- Document the roles: Who is the data controller, who is the processor? Specify this in the DPA.
- Define data categories: Which data are personal, which are only pseudonymized? Adjust data flows according to the principle of minimization.
- Secure technical foundations: TLS, database encryption, regular backups, access control and 2FA for admin accounts.
- Implement a deletion and retention profile for tracking and billing data, aligned with tax retention periods.
- Test recovery processes (disaster recovery) and conduct regular security reviews.
Role‑oriented practical examples
Merchant: Runs Affilentra in the German data center, uses role‑based controls, keeps billing data internal and uses encrypted backups for tax evidence.
Network operator: Installs Affilentra in the EU cloud region, benefits from scalability, but ensures via SCCs and technical measures that partner data does not go to third countries without a legal basis.
Partner (publisher/creator): Receives transparent tracking links and payment history; access rights are limited to what is necessary so partner data is not exposed beyond what is required.
Conclusion and recommendation for action
Data sovereignty is a deliberate architectural decision. Self‑hosted, perpetual licenses like Affilentra enable targeted placement of tracking and billing data where compliance, control and operating costs best align. Choose hosting according to your compliance strategy: maximum control on‑premise, balanced security in German data centers, or high scalability in an EU cloud.
If you want to clarify concrete requirements — e.g. which edition (PRO or NETWORK) fits your operating model or which hosting configuration offers the best balance of control and effort — make an informed choice based on your compliance and operational goals.
Act now: Choose your entry — Choose your entry
Next step
Try Affilentra yourself
Unified platform that transparently brings together product delivery, tracking, conversion validation, commission calculation and payout across clearly separated roles; option for self-hosted installation with a perpetual license without revenue sharing; merchants retain control over products, terms and promotional materials; partners receive personal tracking links and a traceable payout history.