DVC use cost as software - Open Source

Questions
1

We are evaluating DVC to standardize our MLOps workflows, specifically for data versioning with replication in Azure.

Technical Context:

  • Proposed Architecture: Exclusive use of native DVC commands (init, add, push, pull) without integration with DVC Cloud.
  • Infrastructure: Storage in Azure Blob Storage (variable costs based on capacity and transfer).

Core Question:
Are there additional costs associated with using DVC in this configuration? Based on our research, DVC’s core is open-source and operates as a Git extension, but we seek confirmation:

  1. Licensing: Are there licensing costs when using only traditional commands?
  2. Dependencies: Are there mandatory external services (e.g., GitHub Enterprise) that incur expenses?

Preliminary Analysis:
Based on technical documentation, DVC imposes no direct costs beyond external storage. However, we aim to validate this interpretation with the community.

Key Elements Incorporated:

  1. Cost Classification:
  • Variable Costs: Azure storage (usage-dependent).
  • Fixed Costs: None identified for DVC in this configuration.
  1. Infrastructure Reference:
  • Use of Azure as a remote repository, aligned with documented implementation cases.
  1. Technical Structure:
  • Separation between native DVC components and external services (e.g., DVC Cloud).
2

No additional licensing costs.

Dependencies: Are there mandatory external services (e.g., GitHub Enterprise) that incur expenses?

No external dependencies.

If you’d like to have more details, feel free to contact me directly (ivan at iterative.ai) and we can schedule a call.

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