# CloudHub, Runtime Fabric and hybrid deployment options

*MuleSoft Integration Foundations Study Guide · Describe the components and benefits of Anypoint Platform for system integration · Last updated November 2, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/mulesoft-integration-foundations/anypoint-platform-for-system-integration/cloudhub-runtime-fabric-and-hybrid-deployment-options*

The runtime plane hosting options: MuleSoft-hosted CloudHub and CloudHub 2.0, customer-hosted Runtime Fabric on your own Kubernetes cluster, hybrid standalone runtimes managed from Runtime Manager, and fully disconnected on-premises runtimes, with who manages what and how CloudHub reaches private systems.

- Certification: Salesforce MuleSoft Integration Foundations
- Exam section: Describe the components and benefits of Anypoint Platform for system integration
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/mulesoft-integration-foundations

**Official exam objective:**

> Describe the MuleSoft-hosted and customer-hosted deployment options for Anypoint Platform.

## What the exam expects

- Describe MuleSoft-hosted (CloudHub) deployment and its benefits.
- Describe the customer-hosted options: Runtime Fabric, hybrid standalone runtimes and on-premises runtimes.
- Split responsibilities between MuleSoft and the customer for each option, especially Runtime Fabric.
- Pick an option from a requirement such as air-gapped networks, trust boundaries or reaching systems behind a firewall.

Key terms:
- **CloudHub**: an integration platform as a service (iPaaS) for deploying integration applications in the cloud; CloudHub 2.0 is its fully managed, containerized version.
- **Runtime Fabric**: deploys Mule applications and API proxies to a Kubernetes cluster that you create, configure and manage.
- **Hybrid standalone runtime**: a Mule runtime engine you host and register with Runtime Manager.
- **On-premises runtime**: Mule runtime engine on a single instance with no required connection to the control plane.
- **Anypoint VPC**: the CloudHub feature that builds a secure pipe to on-premises applications.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CloudHub scaling | Elastic, without app changes or downtime | [CloudHub Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/cloudhub/) |
| CloudHub to on-premises | Anypoint VPC: IPsec VPN, VPC peering, transit gateway, AWS Direct Connect | [CloudHub Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/cloudhub/) |
| CloudHub SMTP limit | Blocked above 20 emails in one hour | [CloudHub Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/cloudhub/) |
| Runtime Fabric cluster | Customer creates, configures and manages it | [Runtime Fabric Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-fabric/latest/) |
| Runtime Fabric isolation | Separate Mule runtime per application | [Runtime Fabric Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-fabric/latest/) |
| Runtime Fabric agent link | mTLS outbound connection to the control plane, set up at startup | [Runtime Fabric Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-fabric/latest/) |
| Runtime Fabric and Docker/Kubernetes | Older pages: bundled; today's overview: you provide them. Exam aligns to Spring '24 | [Runtime Fabric Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-fabric/latest/), [Deployment Options](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-manager/deployment-strategies), [Exam Guide](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005298961&language=en_US&type=1) |
| Runtime regions | Chosen only for CloudHub and CloudHub 2.0 | [Hosting Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/hosting-home/) |
| Hybrid first step | Register servers with the Runtime Manager agent | [Deployment Options](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-manager/deployment-strategies) |
| No Object Store or schedules | Hybrid, Runtime Fabric and PCE | [Deployment Options](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-manager/deployment-strategies) |
| Hybrid security updates | Applied manually by the customer | [Deployment Options](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-manager/deployment-strategies) |
| On-premises runtime | No required control plane connection; customer handles HA | [Hosting Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/hosting-home/) |
| Domains | Deployable only when running Mule on premises | [Mule Runtime Engine Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-runtime/latest/) |

## Check yourself

- Why would a CloudHub app that emails a report every minute stop sending?
- When must you deploy Mule domain projects instead of relying on CloudHub?
- Which Runtime Manager features are unavailable for hybrid deployments?
- How does the Runtime Fabric agent talk to the control plane?

## Sources

- [Anypoint Platform Hosting Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/hosting-home/)
- [Deployment Options](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-manager/deployment-strategies)
- [CloudHub Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/cloudhub/)
- [CloudHub 2.0 Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/cloudhub-2/)
- [Anypoint Runtime Fabric Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-fabric/latest/)
- [Hybrid Standalone Runtimes Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/hybrid-standalone/)
- [Mule Runtime Engine Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-runtime/latest/)
- [MuleSoft Integration Foundations Exam Guide](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005298961&language=en_US&type=1)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 5 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the MuleSoft Integration Foundations pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams