Overview

CoCalc OnPrem brings the power of collaborative computing to your own infrastructure, providing organizations with complete control over their data while maintaining all the collaborative features of the online CoCalc service.

Built on proven technology that has powered cocalc.com since 2014, CoCalc OnPrem delivers enterprise-grade collaborative computing with Jupyter Notebooks, Linux terminals, LaTeX document editing, and comprehensive software environments—all running securely on your own Kubernetes cluster.

Why Choose CoCalc OnPrem?

Organizations choose CoCalc OnPrem to address critical infrastructure and compliance requirements that cloud-only solutions cannot meet:

Data Sovereignty & Compliance

Keep sensitive research data, student information, and proprietary code within your own infrastructure to meet regulatory requirements, institutional policies, and industry standards.

Infrastructure Integration

Seamlessly integrate with existing Kubernetes clusters, internal databases, authentication systems, and specialized computing resources like GPU clusters or high-performance storage.

Cost Predictability

Eliminate per-user subscription costs for large-scale deployments, making it economically viable to support thousands of users with predictable infrastructure expenses.

Academic & Research Requirements

Support air-gapped environments, custom software installations, and specialized computational workflows that are essential for academic and research institutions.

CoCalc OnPrem vs. Alternatives

Compared to Individual Jupyter Servers

Unlike managing separate Jupyter installations, CoCalc OnPrem provides centralized user management, real-time collaboration, integrated chat, and consistent software environments across all users.

Compared to JupyterHub

While JupyterHub offers centralized user management, CoCalc OnPrem provides more comprehensive platform control through a powerful API, sophisticated resource management via “Licenses” that administrators can distribute to users for their projects, and battle-tested robustness backed by the same architecture that has successfully served thousands of users on cocalc.com for over 10 years.

Compared to Traditional HPC Environments

CoCalc OnPrem offers modern web-based interfaces, collaborative editing, and simplified user onboarding compared to traditional command-line HPC systems that require specialized training.

Compared to Cloud-Only Solutions

While cloud solutions offer convenience, CoCalc OnPrem provides data sovereignty, integration with internal systems, cost predictability for large deployments, and support for air-gapped environments.

Compared to DIY Collaborative Platforms

Building collaborative computing platforms from scratch requires significant development resources. CoCalc OnPrem provides a battle-tested, feature-rich solution with ongoing support and updates.

Benefits by Stakeholder

For IT Administrators

Complete Infrastructure Control

Deploy on your own Kubernetes cluster with full control over security, networking, and resource allocation. Support for air-gapped environments and VPN isolation ensures maximum security.

Seamless Authentication Integration

Integrate with existing identity providers through SSO authentication via SAML or OAuth2, allowing users to login with their existing organizational credentials.

Flexible Resource Management

Control resource allocation through license-based quotas with start and end times. Advanced licenses can modify Kubernetes pod attributes like Taint toleration and Node selectors to support heterogeneous clusters for different work groups.

Custom Branding & Configuration

White-label the platform with custom names, icons, descriptions, and organizational branding to create a seamless user experience.

For Users & Researchers

Real-Time Collaborative Computing

Multiple users can simultaneously edit and evaluate the same Jupyter Notebook, LaTeX Documents, or code files with real-time synchronization and integrated chat functionality—eliminating the need for email exchanges or shared file systems.

Comprehensive Software Environment

Access a complete, consistent software stack including Python, R, Julia, SageMath, LaTeX, and a full Linux distribution. Users can install additional software in their projects or administrators can create customized software environments for specialized needs.

Familiar Development Tools

Work with traditional JupyterLab servers, VSCode, or native CoCalc interfaces, providing flexibility and reducing learning curves for users transitioning from other environments.

Publishing & Sharing

Share documents publicly or internally with rendered previews, and enable interactive execution of cells in shared Jupyter Notebooks or code blocks in Markdown documents.

For Educational Institutions

Complete Course Management

Leverage full teaching functionality including assignment distribution, collection, and grading with NBGrader integration.

Scalable Student Environment

Support thousands of students with consistent, ready-to-use computing environments that eliminate software installation and compatibility issues.

Assessment & Feedback Tools

Provide immediate feedback on coding assignments and enable collaborative learning through shared projects and real-time assistance.

For Organizations

Internal Service Integration

Access internal resources like databases, Apache Spark clusters, or other specialized services within your cluster through controlled networking configuration.

Cost-Effective Scaling

Eliminate per-user subscription costs for large deployments, making it economically viable to support extensive user bases with predictable infrastructure expenses.

Compliance & Privacy

Maintain complete control over sensitive data, meeting regulatory requirements and institutional policies while supporting collaborative workflows.

Common Deployment Scenarios

Research Universities

Large research institutions deploy CoCalc OnPrem to provide thousands of students and researchers with collaborative computing environments while maintaining control over sensitive research data and meeting institutional compliance requirements.

Corporate Training & Development

Companies use CoCalc OnPrem for internal training programs, data science workshops, and collaborative development environments, integrating with existing corporate authentication systems and internal databases.

Government & Defense

Government agencies and defense contractors deploy CoCalc OnPrem in air-gapped environments to support collaborative analysis and research while meeting stringent security and compliance requirements.

Financial Services

Financial institutions leverage CoCalc OnPrem for quantitative analysis, risk modeling, and algorithmic trading development, ensuring sensitive financial data remains within their controlled infrastructure.

Healthcare & Life Sciences

Healthcare organizations and pharmaceutical companies use CoCalc OnPrem for collaborative research on patient data and drug discovery, meeting HIPAA and other regulatory requirements while enabling team collaboration.

Next Steps

Ready to explore CoCalc OnPrem further? Continue with the Getting Started guide to understand your deployment options and begin planning your implementation.