Intro to Airgapped Plane
Video Placeholder Duration: 5-7 minutes Topics covered: What is airgapped, use cases, deployment considerations, limitations
What is Airgapped Plane?
Airgapped Plane runs in environments with no internet connectivity. It's designed for highly secure or regulated environments where external network access is prohibited.
What Does Airgapped Mean?
An airgapped environment:
- Has no internet connection
- Is isolated from external networks
- Requires physical media for data transfer
- Operates completely offline
Use Cases
Defense and Government
- Classified environments
- Military networks
- Government agencies
- National security
Critical Infrastructure
- Power grids
- Water systems
- Transportation
- Healthcare systems
Financial Services
- High-security trading
- Sensitive banking
- Regulatory compliance
Research
- Confidential research
- Intellectual property protection
- Competitive sensitivity
Challenges of Airgapped Deployment
No External Services
Can't use:
- Cloud integrations
- OAuth providers (external)
- External AI services
- CDN delivery
- Automatic updates
Manual Processes
Must handle manually:
- Software updates
- Data transfers
- License activation
- Troubleshooting
Limited Features
Some features may not work:
- Integrations requiring internet
- External notifications
- Cloud-based AI features
Deployment Approach
Preparation Phase
1. Gather All Components On a connected system:
- Download Plane images
- Download dependencies
- Package everything
2. Transfer to Airgapped Environment Via approved methods:
- Encrypted USB drives
- Approved physical media
- Secure file transfer (if partially connected)
3. Import and Deploy On the airgapped network:
- Load container images
- Configure for local network
- Deploy services
Architecture Considerations
All Services Internal
Local Alternatives Needed
| Normal Service | Airgapped Alternative |
|---|---|
| Cloud storage (S3) | Local MinIO or filesystem |
| External email | Internal mail server |
| OAuth providers | Internal LDAP/SAML |
| AI services | Local or disabled |
Configuration Changes
Environment Variables
# Disable external services
ENABLE_ANALYTICS=false
ENABLE_EXTERNAL_INTEGRATIONS=false
# Use internal services
EMAIL_HOST=internal-smtp.local
STORAGE_BACKEND=local
# Internal URLs only
ALLOWED_HOSTS=plane.internal.localNetwork Configuration
- Internal DNS resolution
- Local certificate authority
- Firewall rules (if partially connected)
Update Process
Planned Update Cycle
- Download updates on connected system
- Review and security scan
- Transfer to airgapped environment
- Test in staging
- Deploy to production
- Verify functionality
Version Management
- Track what version is deployed
- Document all changes
- Maintain rollback capability
Security Practices
Defense in Depth
Even airgapped, maintain:
- Strong authentication
- Role-based access
- Audit logging
- Encryption
Physical Security
- Control physical access
- Secure media handling
- Clean desk policies
Change Management
- Document all changes
- Approval workflows
- Audit trails
Limitations
What Won't Work
- GitHub/GitLab integrations (unless internal)
- Slack integration (unless internal)
- Cloud AI features
- Automatic updates
- External webhooks
What Works Differently
- Email notifications (internal server)
- SSO (internal provider)
- Storage (local solutions)
Feature Availability
Contact Plane for specific feature availability in airgapped deployments.
Support Considerations
Self-Support Heavy
Airgapped = limited external help:
- Can't share logs externally
- Can't enable remote access
- Must have internal expertise
Documentation Critical
Maintain internal docs for:
- Deployment procedures
- Troubleshooting guides
- Configuration reference
- Update processes
Enterprise Support
For critical deployments, consider Enterprise plans with:
- Offline support options
- On-site assistance
- Dedicated contacts
Is Airgapped Right for You?
Choose Airgapped If
- Regulatory requirement
- Classified data
- No external connectivity possible
- Have technical expertise
Consider Alternatives If
- Partial connectivity possible
- Compliance allows cloud with encryption
- Limited internal resources
- Need frequent updates
Key Takeaways
- Airgapped Plane runs completely offline
- Required for high-security environments
- All services must be internal
- Manual process for updates and transfers
- Some features unavailable or modified
- Requires significant internal expertise
- Plan thoroughly before deployment
Course Complete!
Congratulations! You've completed Plane 301 — The Setup. You now understand:
- Plane Community and open source
- Plane Cloud for managed hosting
- Self-hosted Plane deployment
- Airgapped deployment for secure environments
What's Next?
Explore the Plane ecosystem:
Next Course: Plane 302 — The Ecosystem