Compare To Air-Gapped Software
Overview
Air-gapped software is designed for environments where internet connectivity is restricted or completely absent. These environments are common in industries like defense, finance, and healthcare, where sensitive data must be fully isolated. While air-gapped software enhances security, it often comes at the cost of delayed updates, minimal vendor support, and complex troubleshooting processes. Tensor9 redefines the air-gapped experience by automatically converting the vendor's existing SaaS product into an air-gapped-ready deployment—eliminating the need for vendors to build and maintain separate variants of their product.
TL;DR
Traditional air-gapped software requires vendors to build and maintain a separate version of their product. Tensor9 automatically adapts the SaaS version to work in air-gapped environments, eliminating the need for multiple product variants and simplifying maintenance and support.
Differences Between Traditional Air-Gapped Software and Tensor9
| Category | Traditional Air-Gapped Software | Tensor9 in Air-Gapped Environments |
|---|---|---|
| Update Delivery | Secure digital packaging with customer-initiated downloads and air-gapped imports. | Secure digital packaging with customer-initiated downloads and air-gapped imports. |
| Deployment Process | Manual, error-prone, and time-intensive. | Automatically converts the vendor’s SaaS product for air-gapped environments, ready for air-gapped deployment. |
| Observability | Minimal or non-existent without vendor access. | Digital twin observability with customer-controlled telemetry and offline log bundles. |
| Vendor Support | Secure, audit-logged remote access sessions for supervised or semi-supervised debugging. Sometimes requires physical access. | Secure, audit-logged remote access sessions for supervised or semi-supervised debugging. Sometimes requires physical access. |
| Service Compatibility | Requires custom engineering to avoid reliance on cloud services. | Automatically replaces managed services with open-source equivalents (e.g., S3 → MinIO). |
| Compliance and Auditability | No built-in audit logging; relies on customer processes. | Detailed audit logs for updates, support sessions, and system interactions. |
| Security Risk | Securely packaged and signed update bundles verified by customers before deployment. | Securely packaged and signed update bundles verified by customers before deployment. |
| Form Factor Support | Only air-gapped, often incompatible with connected environments. | Single deployment pipeline supports connected, disconnected, and hybrid systems. |
Why Tensor9 Enhances Air-Gapped Software Delivery
- Efficient Updates: Traditional air-gapped environments rely on manual processes that can take days or weeks. Tensor9 streamlines this by generating secure, ready-to-import update bundles that customers can easily apply.
- Automatic SaaS Conversion: Vendors typically need to build and maintain two variants of their product: one for air-gapped environments and one for SaaS. Tensor9 eliminates this duplication by automatically converting the vendor’s SaaS product to run in air-gapped environments without any additional engineering effort.
- Vendor Observability and Support: Without compromising isolation, Tensor9 provides a secure way for vendors to troubleshoot through audit-logged remote sessions or offline log analysis.
- Service Compatibility: Many vendors rely on managed services that are not available in air-gapped environments. Tensor9 automatically replaces these services with open-source equivalents, reducing the need for custom development.
- Unified Deployment Strategy: Tensor9 enables vendors to use a single deployment pipeline across all customer environments, reducing complexity while maintaining air-gapped security.
- Reduced Operational Burden: Customers in air-gapped environments often face high operational costs due to manual processes and limited vendor support. Tensor9 reduces this burden with automation, observability, and secure vendor interactions.
Summary
Tensor9 transforms the air-gapped experience by bringing automation, secure updates, and vendor support to isolated environments. By automatically converting SaaS products to run seamlessly in air-gapped environments, Tensor9 empowers vendors to deliver cloud-native capabilities even in the most restricted environments, without sacrificing security, compliance, or performance.
Updated 8 days ago