Offline and Air-Gapped Operation
Prepare services, identity, and media for operation without public internet access
Table of Contents
About this guide
Edge can operate without public internet access when its application services, models, and required dependencies are installed locally. An air-gapped site also controls physical and network transfer into and out of the environment according to its own procedures.
Check every dependency
| Capability | What must remain reachable |
|---|---|
| Local chat | The Edge application and a ready local model, including any separate local GPU service your deployment uses. |
| Documents and retrieval | Local document processing, embedding, databases, and the selected chat model. |
| Voice | The installed local speech services and browser audio permissions. |
| Sign-in | The deployed authentication service and, if used, an identity provider reachable inside the isolated environment. |
| Cloud models and external integrations | Their external services; these will be unavailable if the network blocks them. |
| Documentation | A supplied local documentation copy, such as https://docs.edge.asksage.ai on the kit network, or an approved offline reference. The public docs website requires connectivity. |
Before disconnecting
- Confirm Local inference is selected and the approved chat model is loaded.
- Confirm all model files and serving images are present on the nodes that need them.
- Verify local DNS, certificate trust, and time services will remain available.
- Test sign-in using the identity method intended for the isolated environment. Do not depend on an internet-only SSO provider.
- Review connectors and workflows for remote dependencies. Disable or replace those that will be unavailable.
- Confirm the update-media process, credential renewal requirements, and recovery arrangements with your administrator.
- Test from an authorized workstation with public internet access removed: sign in, send a local chat request, upload a test document, and retrieve an answer from it. Test voice and other required tools separately.
Record the results and any limitations. A disconnected test of the complete workflow is more useful than checking only that the home page opens.
Add models offline
Bring complete, approved model files and any required serving components through the site’s media process. Use Model Management → + Add model → Import from a drive or folder when available. Follow Model management for the import and readiness checks.
Searching an external model repository, downloading missing files, or opening an externally linked model card requires connectivity. Use the model information packaged with the release or files for offline review.
Update offline
Obtain the release media intended for your platform and installed release. Have the deployment administrator stage it using the supplied media instructions, then follow Updates and rollback. Host OS packages and model files are separate dependencies; confirm that the media includes what the maintenance task requires.
An Offline status in Updates can be normal for an isolated site. It does not indicate that the currently installed application or local models must stop working. It also does not prove that every external connection is blocked; network enforcement belongs to the site’s infrastructure controls.
Keep media and locally stored documentation under the site’s handling policy, and retain a usable recovery path before applying changes.