# Cloud & Architecture Overview

ZebraByte is delivered as a **managed Cloud SaaS platform**. ZebraByte operates the application infrastructure, updates, platform security, backups and service monitoring; customers and professional advisers operate the compliance data and workflows according to their role.

The documentation also preserves earlier Docker Compose and Kubernetes deployment material. That material remains useful for architecture reviews and migration analysis, but it is not a supported ZebraByte installation path.

## ZebraByte Cloud responsibility boundary

| Area | **ZebraByte** | **Customer / adviser** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Application infrastructure | Operated by ZebraByte | No platform infrastructure to operate |
| Platform updates | Released and applied by ZebraByte | Review functional changes relevant to workflows |
| Platform security patches | Monitored and deployed by ZebraByte | Secure connected systems and user access |
| Backups and recovery | Managed at platform level | Maintain source-system data and organizational recovery obligations |
| Platform monitoring | Managed by ZebraByte | Monitor the organization's compliance tasks and findings |
| User access | Platform mechanisms provided by ZebraByte | Configure memberships, roles, SSO/SCIM and administrative access |
| Integrations | Platform integration layer maintained by ZebraByte | Decide which systems to connect and authorize credentials |
| Compliance content | Platform stores and organizes it | Customer/adviser owns correctness, approvals and business decisions |

For the service model itself, see [ZebraByte Cloud](/docs/deployment/cloud).

## Choose how the compliance program is operated

The infrastructure model remains Cloud SaaS. What changes is the operating model around the compliance work:

- **Self-service:** the customer's team operates the program.
- **Professional/adviser:** an external specialist operates the program for one or more client organizations through ZebraByte Cloud.
- **Managed Compliance:** ZebraByte specialists take on a larger share of controls, evidence, policies, remediation and audit-readiness work.

See [Choose an Operating Model](/docs/product/getting-started/choose-deployment) for the detailed comparison.

## Explore Cloud and architecture

- [ZebraByte Cloud](/docs/deployment/cloud) — Review the SaaS delivery model, platform responsibilities and security boundaries
- [Infrastructure security](/docs/deployment/infrastructure-security) — Review encryption, tenant isolation, backups and security boundaries
- [Architecture & migration reference](/docs/deployment/self-hosting) — Preserved Docker Compose and Kubernetes material from the platform lineage
- [Configuration reference](/docs/deployment/configuration/overview) — Low-level platform configuration retained for technical and migration reference

## Why the historical deployment material remains

ZebraByte does not expose the product as open-source or ask customers to maintain the application stack. The historical deployment documentation is still valuable when teams need to:

- understand the services and security boundaries that underpin the application model;
- review migration considerations from an earlier or independently operated environment;
- map former environment variables or integration settings to a cloud migration;
- understand PostgreSQL, object-storage, secrets, ingress and monitoring assumptions;
- perform architecture and threat-model reviews.

Every page under the legacy Architecture & Migration Reference path is marked as architecture/reference material so it cannot be mistaken for a supported ZebraByte deployment method.

## Next steps

- Start with the [ZebraByte Cloud quickstart](/docs/product/getting-started/quickstart).
- Review [infrastructure security](/docs/deployment/infrastructure-security).
- For an expert-led program, see [Managed Compliance](/managed-compliance).
- For an architecture or migration review, use the [preserved deployment reference](/docs/deployment/self-hosting).
- To discuss onboarding or professional use, [contact ZebraByte](/demo).