# Control plane and runtime plane responsibilities

*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/control-plane-and-runtime-plane-responsibilities*

What the Anypoint Platform control plane (management, identity, design-time metadata) and runtime plane (Mule runtime engine and services where apps run) each hold, how clouds such as US Cloud and EU Cloud set data residency, and how the Runtime Manager agent links customer-hosted runtimes to the control plane.

- 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:**

> Identify the components and describe the benefits of the Anypoint Platform runtime planes and control planes.

## What the exam expects

- Place a component in the control plane or the runtime plane.
- Explain that a cloud (US Cloud, EU Cloud and others) sets where design-time data lives, separately from where apps run.
- Explain why IDEs and tools must point at the organization's cloud.
- Describe what the Runtime Manager agent sends from customer-hosted runtimes to the control plane.

Key terms:
- **Control plane**: the management layer where you design, deploy and manage APIs and Mule apps; organization, identity and design-time metadata live here.
- **Runtime plane**: the components where APIs and Mule apps are deployed and made available to users, including Mule runtime engine and supporting services.
- **Cloud**: MuleSoft's name for a regional MuleSoft-managed control plane, such as US Cloud or EU Cloud.
- **Runtime region**: for CloudHub and CloudHub 2.0, the geographic location where applications execute.
- **Runtime Manager agent**: a Mule plug-in that mediates communication between Runtime Manager and Mule instances.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What lives in the control plane | Organization, identity, design-time metadata | [Hosting Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/hosting-home/) |
| Control plane members | Design Center, Management Center, Exchange | [Glossary](https://docs.mulesoft.com/general/glossary) |
| Runtime plane members | Mule runtime engine and runtime services | [Glossary](https://docs.mulesoft.com/general/glossary) |
| Clouds per organization | Exactly one | [Control Planes Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/control-planes/) |
| Accounts across clouds | Not shared | [Control Planes Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/control-planes/) |
| Default cloud | US Cloud | [Hosting Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/hosting-home/), [Code Builder setup](https://docs.mulesoft.com/anypoint-code-builder/start-acb) |
| Runtime region vs residency | Independent of control plane data residency | [Hosting Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/hosting-home/) |
| Hybrid default data flow | Only agent-pushed metadata reaches the cloud | [Deployment Options](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-manager/deployment-strategies) |
| Agent availability | Enterprise Mule only, not community | [Runtime Manager Agent](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-manager/runtime-manager-agent) |

## Check yourself

- Where is the Runtime Manager agent installed and which file configures it?
- Why can Runtime Manager start and stop applications on a server in your data center?
- When would an organization pick Anypoint Platform PCE as its control plane?
- What is a Mule instance with no Runtime Manager agent registered?

## Sources

- [Anypoint Platform Hosting Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/hosting-home/)
- [Anypoint Platform Control Planes Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/control-planes/)
- [Anypoint Platform Glossary](https://docs.mulesoft.com/general/glossary)
- [Deployment Options](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-manager/deployment-strategies)
- [Runtime Manager Agent](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-manager/runtime-manager-agent)
- [Hybrid Standalone Runtimes Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/hybrid-standalone/)
- [Anypoint Runtime Manager](https://docs.mulesoft.com/runtime-manager/)
- [Mule Runtime Engine Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-runtime/latest/)
- [Getting Started with Anypoint Code Builder](https://docs.mulesoft.com/anypoint-code-builder/start-acb)

## 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