In my last piece, I talked about cloud-based applications. We discussed that when an infrastructure is being migrated, it’s essential to understand the soon-to-be-migrated environment’s architecture. As you recall, you need to know about the following:
servers
networks
backup schemas
databases
application
client-access routines
…for all involved devices.
You can plan more effectively for a successful migration when you have a good understanding of the general scope of the migrating entities.

One of the many questions that you should ask for clarity on is, “Where is the application housed”? You will be given one of two answers for most applications: cloud-based or on-prem.

Now, let’s clarify the meaning of the second answer — ‘on-prem.’

When an application/suite is declared to be on-prem (on-premise, if you will), the majority of the network/servers/code/configurations/data warehouses needed for the application to perform as expected are located in a data center that is owned or partially controlled by your company.

Additionally, on-prem applications are customarily maintained by company support professionals. Sometimes these professionals are not direct employees of the company but can be directly hired via contracts or part of a support firm that the company hires to offer as-needed support for the application and infrastructure.

Supporting the application can include:
updating
resolving operational issues
adjusting and updating configurations
maintaining the server hardware
keeping the operating systems that the application ‘sit’ on up to date
verifying and maintaining the security of the entire application and its data footprint
…and much more.

So, in short, ‘on-prem’ applications reside in locations usually owned (fully or partially) by the specific company in question.