CanvasFoundry software Self-Hosted
A visual datacenter platform that runs in your datacenter.
Your hardware. Your network. Your rules. CanvasFoundry installs on-prem.
CanvasFoundry Self-Hosted is an on-prem platform that turns your racks into a secure/isolated, GPU-accelerated virtual datacenter. Instead of hiding networking behind port groups and opaque overlays, CanvasFoundry lets teams design the topology directly: VM-to-switch, switch-to-router, router-to-firewall, so what you draw is what you run.
CanvasFoundry is clientless, multivendor network emulation coupled with production-grade server virtualization and AI infrastructure with a topology-driven web UI that highlights drag-n-drop topology interaction.
Why teams buy Self-Hosted
Run it where your data must live
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Air-gapped / disconnected friendly deployment (your facility, your controls)
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Keep sensitive datasets, models, and telemetry on-prem
Replace “virtualization & networking add-ons” with one platform
VMware environments often rely on vCenter for centralized operations and lifecycle management, and advanced multi-tenant networking commonly pushes toward additional SDN layers (e.g., NSX constructs like distributed port groups) . CanvasFoundry collapses that into one operational plane built around a topology canvas that is familiar to users of Visio or any network diagram tool.
Predictable licensing in a shifting market
VMware formally ended availability of perpetual licensing for many offerings (including the free vSphere Hypervisor/ESXi edition) . CanvasFoundry Self-Hosted is designed around a straightforward software license * optional support, not a pile of separately priced “must-have” components.
Core capabilities
Topology-first networking
Drag, drop, and wire networks the way engineers think: ports, segments, switches, routers, firewalls.
No “pick a port group and hope.” You can see every hop.
True multi-tenant isolation
Per-tenant projects, quotas, and access control
Per-tenant L2/L3 domains (including overlapping IPs safely)
Clean separation of control planes and data planes
GPU-native performance
Direct GPU access (PCIe passthrough / dedicated assignment where supported)
High-throughput workloads without the “virtualization tax” that kills utilization
Speed you can feel
Fast provisioning for VMs and networks
Repeatable templates for entire “datacenters in a box”
Auditability & operational control
Clear lineage of what changed, who changed it, and when
“Prove it” networking: topology is explicit, reviewable, and testable
The VMware replacement story
CanvasFoundry replaces legacy hypervisor stacks in many common scenarios, especially where you need multi-tenant isolation, GPU access, and topology control.
What you typically fight with in legacy stacks:
Centralized management is powerful, but it’s another control plane to run and secure (vCenter exists specifically to centralize vSphere management)
Network intent often becomes a set of abstract constructs (port groups, folders, overlays) instead of an explicit topology
Licensing shifts and packaging changes can turn “simple virtualization” into a budget event
What CanvasFoundry changes:
Networking is the product, not an afterthought.
Isolation is designed-in, not bolted on.
Your datacenter becomes a cloud, without giving up sovereignty.
FAQ
Does it run air-gapped?
Yes, CanvasFoundry is built for on-prem installs and can operate without relying on external services.
Can individual virtual datacenters use the same IP ranges?
Yes, each virtual datacenter can have isolated networks so overlaps don’t collide.
Is this “just another hypervisor”?
No, CanvasFoundry is a virtual datacenter platform: compute + GPUs + topology as a first-class object.
Can it replace VMware everywhere?
Every customer has different needs, but CanvasFoundry replaces ESXi & vCenter-style virtualization stacks in production, while delivering stronger multi-tenant isolation and a wiring canvas VMware can’t match.