> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.xpander.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Cloud Security Architecture

> The fully hosted edition — control plane and data plane operated by xpander, with the same application-layer security model

In the **Cloud** edition, xpander operates both planes: the control plane (Workbench, identity, agent registry, connector catalog, deployment manager) and the data plane where agents execute. There is no customer cluster, no PrivateLink endpoint to configure, and no installer — you sign in and build.

The application-layer security model is identical across editions and is described on the [Security Architecture](/resources/security-compliance/security-architecture) page: agents are bounded by their operation surface, credentials never reach the model, and safety controls sit at the tool-call boundary.

## Architecture

<Frame caption="Cloud edition. xpander operates the control plane (Workbench, identity, agent registry, connector catalog) and the data plane (workers, AI Gateway, PostgreSQL, Redis). LLM providers and your connector targets sit outside and are reached from the data plane. Draw.io source: /images/security/cloud-architecture.drawio">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/xpanderai-099931d1/OUQ7k6Om3b3agI9d/images/security/cloud-architecture.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=OUQ7k6Om3b3agI9d&q=85&s=31f57356bedd9bee2175a435c6c7cb42" alt="Cloud architecture. Users and AI Engineers reach xpander Cloud over TLS. Inside, a control plane holds Workbench, identity with SSO, the agent registry, and the connector catalog; a data plane holds workers, the AI Gateway, PostgreSQL, and Redis with vectors, hosting threads, memory, and knowledge bases. Model calls go out to LLM providers and tool calls go out to your connector targets. Captions state TLS at the platform ingress, encryption at rest with cloud-provider managed keys, and that connector credentials are injected by the AI Gateway and never visible to the model." width="1120" height="660" data-path="images/security/cloud-architecture.svg" />
</Frame>

How to read the diagram:

* **Users and AI Engineers** reach the platform at `chat.xpander.ai` over TLS; enterprise plans add [SAML 2.0 SSO](/resources/security-compliance/access-control#single-sign-on-saml-20).
* **Control plane** — Workbench, identity, the agent registry, and the connector catalog. Agents and connectors are configured here.
* **Data plane** — workers execute agents, the AI Gateway brokers tool calls, and PostgreSQL / Redis host threads, memory, and knowledge bases.
* **Model and tool calls** leave the data plane toward the LLM providers you configure and the systems your connectors target. Connector credentials are injected by the AI Gateway at invocation — the model never sees them.
* There is no customer VPC, no PrivateLink endpoint, and no separate control-plane sync — this *is* xpander Cloud.

## What runs where

| Plane         | Components                                                                 | Operated by |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
| Control plane | Workbench, identity, agent registry, connector catalog, deployment manager | xpander     |
| Data plane    | Agent execution (serverless), threads, memory, knowledge bases             | xpander     |
| Your systems  | LLM provider accounts you configure, the APIs your connectors target       | You         |

Agents you create in Workbench deploy as `serverless` workloads in xpander Cloud (the same `deployment_type` field visible in the [List Agents](/api-reference/v1/agents/list-agents) API). Connector calls go from the platform to the systems you connected, using credentials scoped per connector.

## Identity and access

* Sign-in at `chat.xpander.ai`, with [SAML 2.0 SSO](/resources/security-compliance/access-control#single-sign-on-saml-20) on enterprise plans. Workbench is `chat.xpander.ai`; governance, monitoring, and AI policies are `platform.xpander.ai`.
* [RBAC](/resources/security-compliance/access-control) governs who can build, deploy, and invoke agents; API keys are scoped and revocable.
* Audit logs record tool calls, data access, and configuration changes. See [Access Control](/resources/security-compliance/access-control#audit-logs).

## Encryption and data handling

* All platform traffic is TLS in transit, terminated at the platform's ingress.
* Data at rest is encrypted with cloud-provider managed keys.
* Under GDPR, xpander is the **data processor** and you are the controller for Managed Runtime (Cloud) workloads; a DPA is available with enterprise contracts. Region-specific deployment for your workspace can be requested. See [Certifications & Compliance](/resources/security-compliance/certifications-compliance#gdpr).
* Right to erasure and portability are exposed through the API and dashboard: conversation history, knowledge-base documents, and user memories can be deleted on request; agent configurations and task history can be exported.

## Compliance

xpander.ai is **SOC 2 Type II** certified (Security, Availability, Confidentiality); the report is available under NDA. ISO 27001, HIPAA, and FedRAMP are in progress. See [Certifications & Compliance](/resources/security-compliance/certifications-compliance) for the current status and how to request documentation.

## When to choose a different edition

If your requirements include data residency inside your own network, or zero egress to xpander, use a self-hosted edition:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Hybrid Architecture" icon="network-wired" href="/resources/security-compliance/security-architecture-hybrid">
    Your VPC runs the data plane; xpander Cloud syncs configuration over PrivateLink
  </Card>

  <Card title="Air-Gapped Architecture" icon="shield-halved" href="/resources/security-compliance/air-gapped-deployments">
    The full platform in your environment; zero egress to xpander
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Security Architecture" icon="lock" href="/resources/security-compliance/security-architecture">
    Permission model, credential isolation, encryption, and safety controls
  </Card>

  <Card title="Certifications & Compliance" icon="badge-check" href="/resources/security-compliance/certifications-compliance">
    SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and documentation requests
  </Card>
</CardGroup>