Security & deployment
What is air-gapped deployment?
An air-gapped deployment runs software entirely on a network with no connection to the public internet, so data cannot leave and external systems cannot reach in.
Also known as: air gap, offline deployment, isolated network
Why 3D printing hits this requirement often
A single design file can contain a complete part geometry. Some defence, aerospace, medical-device, and research environments therefore prohibit those files from entering a vendor-operated cloud, regardless of its technical controls. In those cases the network boundary is a policy or contract requirement.
Air-gapped vs. self-hosted vs. cloud
- Cloud: the vendor operates the infrastructure. Lowest operational burden.
- Self-hosted: you operate it, on your infrastructure, typically behind your firewall. Data residency and network control sit with you.
- Air-gapped: self-hosted, plus no route to the public internet at all. Updates arrive by controlled media rather than over the network.
The trade is real: air-gapped operation means accepting a manual update path and losing vendor-side telemetry. Operations that need it usually have that process already.