Self-hosted, on-premises and in-app document viewer deployment.
Use the Rasterex-hosted Sandbox to prove an embedded document viewer in your application. Move to a self-hosted or on-premises deployment when your team is ready to operate Rasterex for production.
The viewer stays in your app; the deployment responsibility changes.
Sandbox is a hosted environment for proving that Rasterex fits your web application. Self-hosted is the production deployment model: the Canvas and its supporting services are installed and configured in the customer environment. An on-premises installation is a customer-operated deployment pattern. Your application still owns its UI, identity, document access and workflow data in both cases.
Compare an embedded viewer POC with a production deployment.
A self-hosted or on-premises viewer is more than an iframe URL.
Installer components
The documented Windows installer installs the Backend Engine, Rasterex Backend server files and Rasterex Canvas.
Environment preparation
IIS Static Content, Node.js, database connectivity and the server environment are prerequisites called out by the installer documentation.
Operational setup
Plan how the backend runs as a service and how production networking and reverse proxying are configured; these are not completed by the installer.
Know what to validate before moving an in-app viewer to production.
- Use Sandbox to validate your embedded document viewer, document-open flow, host UI and core workflow before production planning.
- Confirm the production Canvas URL and the browser origins that will communicate with it.
- Confirm the Windows Server, IIS, Node.js and database responsibilities with the team that will operate them.
- Plan the Rasterex Backend service process, reverse proxy and network ports before go-live.
- Review the installer documentation with Rasterex for your final production topology.
Self-hosted, on-premises and in-app viewer answers.
What is the Rasterex Sandbox Canvas?
Sandbox Canvas is the Rasterex-hosted environment used for proof-of-concept work. It lets a team validate an integration before operating its own production Rasterex deployment.
What does self-hosted Rasterex Canvas mean?
Self-hosted means Rasterex is deployed in the customer’s environment for production. The customer team owns the deployment configuration and the operational setup around the Rasterex services.
Is on-premises deployment the same as self-hosted?
On-premises is a self-hosted deployment model in which the production system is operated in the customer’s own environment. This guide uses self-hosted to describe the customer-operated production model; confirm the final topology with Rasterex for your environment.
Can Rasterex run inside our existing web application?
Yes. Rasterex Canvas is embedded in the host application through the Viewer SDK or a browser iframe and PostMessage integration. The host application retains its own UI, identity, document access and workflow data.
What does the Rasterex installer install?
The documented Windows installer installs the Backend Engine, Rasterex Backend server files and Rasterex Canvas. It does not install Node.js, run the backend as a service or configure a reverse proxy.
What must be ready for a self-hosted production deployment?
The installer documentation calls out IIS Static Content, Node.js for the Rasterex Backend, database connectivity, a Windows Server environment and a plan for service operation and networking. Confirm the final production topology with Rasterex for your environment.