Key facts
| Data planes | EU (Frankfurt), GCC (UAE), APAC (Singapore) and US (Virginia) region-locked planes |
| Processing boundary | Requests, logs, embeddings and stored artefacts stay in the selected plane |
| Deployment tiers | In-region cloud, private endpoint in your VPC, on-prem and air-gapped |
| Failover | Multi-region failover designed to respect the jurisdiction you select |
| Contracts | DPA with GDPR Article 28 terms, SCCs and PDPL alignment; subprocessor list published |
| Latency note | A strict boundary can add round-trip time — measure p50 and p95 before cut-over |
| Privileged data | Keep matter content inside the selected plane or your own boundary |
| Lifecycle | Plan retention and deletion to match legal hold and matter-close rules |
TL;DR
- Region-locked planes keep requests, logs and artefacts in the jurisdiction you select.
- VPC, on-prem and air-gapped tiers cover in-country processing requirements.
- Segment matters so retrieval cannot cross an ethical wall.
- Prepare the cross-border request process before it is needed.
- Start free with plugsky-micro and plugsky-lite; a 14-day full-access trial covers larger models.
How it works, step by step
- Classify the workload's data and pick the plane or deployment tier it requires.
- Pin the workspace to that boundary and confirm prompts, embeddings, logs and backups follow it.
- Collect the DPA, subprocessor list and region-scoped audit exports for review.
- Record which plane each matter uses and who can access it.
- Isolate matter workspaces and collections to enforce ethical walls.
- Rehearse a cross-border disclosure request as a tabletop exercise.
Try it yourself
Open the AI data residency checklist →
Data residency for legal teams: what changes
Legal teams hold privileged material and client confidences, and cross-border disclosure can be a professional-conduct issue as well as a privacy one. Residency controls let a firm state, with evidence, where client data is processed and who can reach it.
Data residency on Plugsky is delivered by region-locked planes rather than by offices: choose EU (Frankfurt), GCC (UAE), APAC (Singapore) or US (Virginia), and prompts, logs, embeddings and artefacts remain in that jurisdiction by default. For stricter requirements the identical API runs in your VPC, on-prem or air-gapped, so the processing boundary matches your own network boundary.
Architecture and controls
Keep privileged material inside a selected plane or your own boundary, restrict access through RBAC, and align retention and deletion with legal hold and matter-close rules. Audit logs should capture access and administrative events without themselves leaking matter content.
Integration pattern and rollout
Segment by matter: separate workspaces and collections so retrieval cannot cross an ethical wall, and document the plane each matter uses. Run a tabletop exercise for a cross-border request so the legal process is ready before it is needed.
Treat region selection as configuration rather than code: the workload is pinned to a plane, the OpenAI-compatible call path stays the same, and your tests verify that every data store follows the boundary. Measure p50 and p95 from your own network against candidate regions before committing, and collect evidence — DPA, subprocessor list, region-scoped logs — as you go.
Limits, evidence and cost
Residency is a control, not legal advice: transfer mechanisms and professional obligations depend on your jurisdiction and engagement terms. Validate the specifics with counsel, and treat vendor documentation as evidence rather than a conclusion.
Region selection is configuration, not a premium add-on on self-serve plans; check the live pricing page for current tiers. The free plan covers plugsky-micro and plugsky-lite with no card, and the 14-day full-access trial lets you test the architecture before you sign anything.
Honest comparison
| Concern | Plugsky residency | Typical global API | Self-hosted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plane choice | EU, GCC, APAC and US region-locked planes | Few regions, global default routing | Wherever you install it |
| Store coverage | Prompts, embeddings, logs and artefacts follow the plane | Varies by service | You own every store |
| Failover | Designed to respect the selected jurisdiction | Often global | Your DR design |
| Evidence | Region-scoped logs, DPA and subprocessor list | Contract-level commitments | You produce all evidence |
| Operational load | Managed planes with configurable residency | Managed, limited control | Hardware, patching and capacity |
| Privileged data | Plane or on-prem boundary with RBAC and audit | Vendor policy terms | You prove the boundary |
Frequently asked questions
How do we verify data residency?
Check the plane configuration, confirm that prompts, embeddings, logs and backups follow the boundary, review the DPA and subprocessor list, and test failover behaviour.
Which regions are available?
Plugsky exposes EU (Frankfurt), GCC (UAE), APAC (Singapore) and US (Virginia) region-locked planes, plus VPC, on-prem and air-gapped deployment options. See the docs for current detail.
Does residency add latency?
It can. A strict boundary may mean longer round trips than a globally distributed endpoint, so measure p50 and p95 from your own production network before committing.
How do we handle cross-border requests?
Treat them as a legal process first: determine the applicable transfer mechanism and professional obligations, then use the architecture to enforce the boundary.
Should each matter have its own plane?
Not necessarily, but keep matters and their indexes isolated, and record which jurisdiction each matter's data resides in.
Does residency cover metadata and logs?
It should. Map prompts, embeddings, logs and backups, and confirm each stays inside the selected jurisdiction.