Choosing a deployment
Two ways to run Plugboard. Pick before you start, because moving later is possible but not free.
| Self-hosted | Managed | |
|---|---|---|
| Meant for | Production, on your hardware | Production, on ours |
| Prerequisites | A compatible host and an available release asset; current native target is Linux x64 | A browser |
| Who patches it | You, when you decide | Us, on a ring schedule |
| Where the data is | Your server | The region you chose |
| Who holds the key | You | Us, escrowed per deployment |
| Private network systems | Direct | Via a connector agent |
| HTTPS | Your certificate or Let’s Encrypt | Included |
| Backups | Your responsibility | Taken and tested for you |
Evaluating first
Section titled “Evaluating first”An available Linux x64 package can be evaluated on a compatible machine or VM. Check download availability first. Windows, macOS and Linux ARM native builds are disabled; reference launcher code does not imply an installer for your laptop. If there is no suitable release asset, arrange an evaluation deployment instead.
Every module, screen and connector works in demo mode, so you can decide whether the product fits before anyone provisions anything.
See the quick start.
Self-hosted
Section titled “Self-hosted”You run it. Choose this when:
- Your data cannot leave your premises, by policy or by a departmental rule.
- The systems you most want connected (Active Directory, Synergetic on a local SQL Server, PaperCut, printers on SNMP) sit on your network and you would rather not run an agent.
- You already run servers and a backup regime, and one more service is routine.
- Your procurement prefers a perpetual or self-host licence to a hosted subscription.
What it asks of you:
- A server that stays up. A small VM is enough for a school of a couple of thousand devices.
- A certificate. HTTPS is not optional for something handling student data. HTTPS and certificates covers the options, including an internal CA.
- Backups you have restored at least once. The application takes encrypted backups; getting them off the machine is yours.
- Custody of
SECRETS_MASTER_KEY. A database restored without that key cannot decrypt its own connector credentials. Keep a copy somewhere other than the server. - Running the update when a release lands. It is one command, and somebody has to decide to run it.
Start at install it yourself.
Managed
Section titled “Managed”We run it, in the region you agreed during the sale. Each customer gets their own database, secrets and backups, so your data sits in a database of its own rather than a shared one.
Choose this when:
- You would rather not own a server, a certificate renewal or a patch cycle.
- You want each update to have run on somebody else’s instance first.
- The data residency answer you need is a named country, in writing.
What it asks of you:
- A DNS record, if you want your own hostname. See your own domain.
- A connector agent if you want systems on your network connected. It is a single install that dials out, so you need no inbound firewall rule.
- Confirmation of the onboarding page we send you, which triggers the deployment.
Start at what managed hosting is.
The questions procurement usually asks
Section titled “The questions procurement usually asks”Where is our data held? Self-hosted: wherever your server is. Managed: the region on your deployment record, and only that region. Backups replicate within the region and never out of it. See regions and data residency.
Who can see it? School accounts use role and scope controls. A configured support API key enables managed support access unless an administrator disables it. Read requests are not all audited, and hosting access is managed separately. Standard self-hosted configuration has no support API key; you control any remote access you grant. See support controls.
What happens if you go away? Self-hosted keeps running, because the licence check is local and offline. Managed customers can export a portable copy of their own institution at any time from Admin, Backups.
Can we get our data out? Yes, and without asking us. The export is an ordinary feature of the product.
Is it audited? There is an audit log with configurable retention and no application interface to edit individual entries. Coverage varies by operation. See audit and retention for the gaps and database-role limits.
Moving between models
Section titled “Moving between models”Supported in both directions. Treat it as a planned change: an export, a provision, an import and a DNS change. The support page covers the sequence, including what to do about SSO redirect URIs.