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Understanding Post-Cloud Architecture#

What is Post-Cloud?#

Post-Cloud is a new approach to developing collaborative enterprise software, uniquely merging the benefits of cloud, client-only, and on-prem deployments. This architectural philosophy acknowledges that technical teams have already made significant investments in their security infrastructure and development tooling, and respects those decisions rather than imposing additional demands.

Traditional Enterprise Deployment Models#

Classical approaches to enterprise software range across three primary models, each with distinct characteristics and trade-offs.

Client-Only Deployment: Software is explicitly installed onto a computer for local users. Information is stored locally or might have a separate networked feature through an IT-provided file server. However, the tool is not responsible for any data outside of whatever it produces on its local system. Think Microsoft Word from 2009—a powerful tool that runs entirely on the local machine with minimal external dependencies.

Cloud Deployment: The most common contemporary enterprise deployment model. Software is accessed via a web address and all underlying data is stored securely within servers owned and operated by the service provider. This model offers convenient access from any location but requires trusting the vendor with sensitive engineering data and accepting their security architecture.

On-Prem Deployment: Similar to cloud in user experience—accessed via a web address—but the software is installed on servers provisioned by the enterprise and data stays securely within the firewall. Many enterprises provision the same cloud service providers as a cloud deployment but set up their own custom security infrastructure and self-manage the deployment, effectively making the decision between on-prem and cloud as "our AWS" or "your AWS."

The Post-Cloud Paradigm#

Post-Cloud uniquely assumes your team has made deliberate decisions and investments around security posture and development infrastructure. A Requirements Management tool stores the most important information around an engineering platform—whether it's the flow rate of a rocket engine or the stealth characteristics of an aircraft—and should be treated accordingly.

A post-cloud setup acknowledges that technical teams have likely already made investments in a Git provider of some kind, whether it's GitLab, GitHub, or another, as well as potentially an LLM platform operating within your firewall or a commodity tool. Instead of imposing additional demands, SysGit "lives off the land" of your existing investments, whether it's GitLab Enterprise deployed in an air-gapped environment or the cloud-provided GitHub Starter. SysGit assumes you've made the best decision for your team.

The critical architectural distinction: SysGit doesn't deploy a database to store technical or user information. Instead, it stores everything within your Git provider and inherits the implemented security posture. In all Post-Cloud deployment strategies—whether IT-supported or self-service—your enterprise maintains full control over all team data through administration of your Git provider. SysGit simply updates an underlying model captured in plaintext and stores it within Git.

Security and Data Ownership#

Zero Trust Architecture#

SysGit implements a Zero Trust approach that protects core intellectual property at-rest. The platform never maintains custody of your engineering data—everything lives in your Git infrastructure where you've already implemented authentication, authorization, and audit controls.

Inherited Security Posture#

SysGit inherits the security posture of your underlying Git provider, including:

  • Single Sign-On (SSO) configuration and identity federation
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) settings and permission models
  • Repository access policies and branch protection rules
  • Audit logging and compliance monitoring capabilities
  • Network security controls and firewall configurations
  • Data encryption at-rest and in-transit mechanisms

Your existing security investments directly protect your SysML v2 models with no additional security infrastructure required.

Data Ownership and Portability#

Everything is stored in Git and open standards, not walled gardens. Your SysML v2 models are plain text files committed to Git repositories that your organization owns and controls. This approach ensures:

  • Complete data ownership: Your organization retains full custody and control of engineering artifacts
  • Vendor independence: SysML v2 is an open standard; models are portable across tools
  • Long-term accessibility: Plain text files in Git remain readable decades into the future
  • Audit and compliance: Git's immutable history provides complete traceability for regulatory requirements

No Proprietary Data Formats#

SysGit stores all engineering data in SysML v2 Textual Notation, an open standard developed by the Object Management Group (OMG) and the Defense Industrial Base. There are no proprietary binary formats, no vendor-locked databases, and no hidden data structures. Your models are human-readable text files that can be viewed, edited, and processed with standard development tools.

Integration with Existing Infrastructure#

Git Provider Compatibility#

SysGit integrates seamlessly with enterprise Git providers your team already uses:

  • GitHub: Both GitHub.com cloud service and GitHub Enterprise Server deployments
  • GitLab: GitLab.com cloud service, GitLab Self-Managed (formerly CE/EE), and air-gapped installations
  • Gitea: Self-hosted lightweight Git service with minimal infrastructure requirements
  • Forgejo: Gitea-compatible fork with additional community-driven features

Your choice of Git provider determines the security perimeter, authentication mechanisms, and operational characteristics of your SysGit deployment.

DevOps and CI/CD Integration#

Because SysML v2 models are stored as text files in Git repositories, they participate naturally in your existing DevOps workflows. Git commits trigger CI/CD pipelines that can validate models, run consistency checks, generate documentation, and enforce quality gates—the same way your software development teams already work.

SysGit's Python library (sysgit-py) provides a robust object model for accessing SysML v2 artifacts programmatically, enabling custom automation, integration with external tools, and synchronization with other engineering systems.

Enterprise LLM Integration#

For IT-supported deployments, SysGit can optionally integrate with enterprise-provisioned Large Language Models (LLMs) for AI-assisted systems engineering capabilities. These integrations respect your existing AI governance policies and connect to LLMs operating within your security perimeter, assuming they adhere to OpenAI-compatible API standards.

Deployment Flexibility#

SysGit offers two deployment models to match different organizational needs and constraints:

IT-Supported Deployment: Centralized server infrastructure delivers the application through a web browser interface. IT teams deploy and maintain the services, configure OAuth integrations with your Git provider, and optionally set up enterprise LLM connectivity. Users access a URL within the enterprise network and authenticate using existing identity management systems.

Self-Service Deployment: Desktop application built with Electron technology that individual users install on their workstations. Users generate personal access tokens from their Git provider and configure SysGit directly. This model requires no IT involvement beyond standard network access policies and typical authorization approvals.

Both deployment models store all engineering data in your Git provider—the deployment choice only affects how users access the SysGit interface, not where or how data is stored.

Compliance and Standards#

ISO 26262 Automotive Compliance#

SysGit leverages Git infrastructure to support ISO 26262 compliance for automotive software development teams. While neither SysGit nor Git can be ISO 26262 "certified"—as they don't run within road vehicles—both tools significantly support teams in achieving automotive application compliance through versioned requirements management, traceable change history, and automated testing workflows.

Git provides foundational capabilities for ISO 26262-6:2018 compliance including protected branches, merge request approvals, audit trails, and integration with automotive-specific scanners like MISRA. SysGit extends these capabilities specifically for SysML v2 models, enabling git-based version control that maintains full traceability between system requirements, design artifacts, and verification activities as required by the V-Model framework.

For tool qualification under ISO 26262-8 Section 11, SysGit typically qualifies as Tool Confidence Level 1 (TCL1) since it manages and stores engineering artifacts that are subsequently reviewed and verified through other means in your development process. SysGit documentation provides intended use cases, testing evidence, and known limitations to support tool qualification activities with minimal qualification burden.

Defense Industrial Base Standards#

SysGit supports Modular Open System Approaches (MOSA) required by the Department of Defense and defense contractors. SysML v2 Textual Notation—developed with significant input from defense industry stakeholders—enables the open, interoperable system architectures required for modern weapon systems and vehicle platforms.

The platform conforms to rigorous DoD cybersecurity standards by inheriting the security posture of already-approved Git providers and avoiding the creation of new attack surfaces through proprietary databases or cloud services.

Architectural Benefits#

Reduced Tool Sprawl#

Consolidate brittle, vendor-locked platforms into one platform built on open standards. SysGit eliminates the need for separate requirements management tools, model repositories, traceability systems, and document generation platforms by providing integrated capabilities that work together naturally.

SBOM Simplification#

Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) management becomes dramatically simpler when engineering tools are based on open standards and run on infrastructure you already manage. SysGit reduces your SBOM footprint by eliminating proprietary vendor dependencies and relying on widely-audited open source components.

Long-Term Sustainability#

Post-Cloud architecture ensures your engineering data remains accessible regardless of vendor relationships. Because models are stored in Git using open standards, your organization maintains independence from any single vendor and retains the ability to migrate to alternative tools if requirements change in the future.

Your investment in systems engineering artifacts—the requirements, architectures, verification plans, and interface definitions that represent years of engineering effort—remains protected and accessible as long as you maintain your Git infrastructure, which your organization already depends on for software development.

Getting Started with Post-Cloud#

Understanding Post-Cloud architecture helps explain why SysGit integrates so seamlessly with existing enterprise infrastructure. The platform doesn't compete with your Git provider, your CI/CD pipelines, or your security architecture—it enhances them by bringing Model-Based Systems Engineering into the proven workflows your software teams already use.

To begin using SysGit's Post-Cloud capabilities, proceed to Installation and Setup to connect the platform to your Git infrastructure.