Cloud-Based Options for Sparx EA

Cloud and hosted options can support centralized EA repositories, remote access, stakeholder publishing, and managed operations. They serve different purposes and are not interchangeable.

Comparison

Option	Primary role	Authoring	Publishing / stakeholder access	Infrastructure responsibility	Main strengths	Main drawbacks

Pro Cloud Server	Secure server-side access layer for EA repositories	Full EA client access to supported repositories	Foundation for browser access; usually paired with a publishing layer	Organization or hosting provider operates server, database, network, security, backups, and monitoring	EA-native remote access; centralized source of truth; supports distributed teams	Requires technical administration; does not by itself provide a complete stakeholder portal; licensing and configuration must be checked
Prolaborate	Web collaboration, visualization, dashboards, reporting, and publishing	Usually complements EA authoring rather than replacing it	Strong browser-based navigation, dashboards, reports, traceability, and controlled views	Organization or supplier operates the application and its EA/PCS connections	Polished stakeholder experience; broad browser access; useful for dashboards and publishing	Separate product and administration; security and version compatibility need review; not automatically a replacement for EA authoring
Trerado services	Managed hosting, implementation, integration, administration, or support—scope must be confirmed	Depends on the proposed service architecture	May include Prolaborate, Pro Cloud Server, or other publishing components; confirm scope	Trerado and/or customer according to contract	Reduces internal operational burden; can combine specialist implementation and support	Supplier dependency, recurring cost, contractual/security concerns, and need to confirm exact service offering

How the options fit together

A typical layered architecture is:

EA desktop clients -> Pro Cloud Server -> Central EA repository

                              |
                              +-> Prolaborate for dashboards and web publishing
                              |
                              +-> Trerado for managed hosting, implementation, or support

Pro Cloud Server is generally the repository access layer. Prolaborate is primarily the web collaboration and publishing layer. Trerado is a services/provider option whose exact role must be established in a proposal or service description.

Decision guidance

Choose Pro Cloud Server when the main problem is secure, centralized, remote access to an EA repository.
Choose Prolaborate when the main problem is stakeholder-friendly web navigation, dashboards, reports, and publishing.
Choose Trerado services when the organization wants outsourced hosting, implementation, administration, integration, training, or ongoing support.
Combine them when appropriate: Pro Cloud Server for repository connectivity, Prolaborate for stakeholder access, and Trerado for managed operations.

Due diligence checklist

Before production adoption, confirm:

Supported EA, database, Pro Cloud Server, and Prolaborate versions
Licensing and subscription terms
Authentication, SSO, authorization, and offboarding
HTTPS, encryption, network boundaries, and administrative access
Data residency and tenant isolation
Backups, retention, restore testing, disaster recovery, and exit procedures
Performance for model size, concurrent users, and remote locations
Publishing filters and protection of sensitive/private model content
Integration and automation capabilities
Upgrade ownership and compatibility testing
Exportability and transition assistance if a hosted service ends

Child options

[[Prolaborate]] — web collaboration and publishing platform.
[[Pro Cloud Server]] — server-side EA repository access layer.
[[Trerado Services]] — managed or professional services to investigate and contract.