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sidebar_position: 1
slug: /vdc
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# Virtual Data Centers (VDC)

Mycelium Virtual Data Centers (VDC) let you provision full cloud environments — compute, storage, and networking — without owning or operating physical servers.

They are built on top of **Mycelium Cloud** and the **ThreeFold Grid**, combining decentralized infrastructure with managed Kubernetes and Mycelium networking.

## What Is a VDC?

A VDC is your **dedicated environment** on the grid:

- Isolated clusters for applications, databases, and internal services.  
- Customizable CPU, RAM, and storage profiles.  
- Encrypted overlay networking using **Mycelium Network**.  
- Integration with quantum‑safe storage (QSFS) and other Mycelium components.

Think of it as your own mini cloud region that you control, without having to run a datacenter.

## Key Capabilities

Adapted from the "Virtual Data Centers" focus in the Mycelium Cloud UI:

- **Dedicated environments** – Keep workloads, teams, and projects cleanly separated.  
- **Elastic capacity** – Add or remove compute and storage on demand.  
- **Migration paths** – Move workloads from public cloud or on‑prem into a VDC.  
- **Compliance‑aware placement** – Choose where data and workloads reside.  
- **Continuous monitoring & recovery** – Benefit from built‑in redundancy.

## How VDC Relates to Mycelium Cloud

Under the hood, a VDC is powered by **K3s Kubernetes clusters** running on the ThreeFold Grid via Mycelium Cloud:

```mermaid
graph TD
    A[You] --> B[Mycelium Cloud Dashboard]
    B --> C[Provision VDC / Cluster]
    C --> D[ThreeFold Grid Nodes]
    D --> E[Applications & Services]

    A -. Mycelium Network .-> E
```

- You interact through the **Mycelium Cloud dashboard and APIs**.  
- Clusters are deployed onto distributed grid nodes.  
- Access happens over **Mycelium Network** using secure IPv6 overlay addresses.

## Common VDC Use Cases

- **Enterprise Kubernetes** – Multi‑service apps, APIs, back‑office systems.  
- **Internal Platforms** – Developer platforms, CI/CD runners, internal tools.  
- **AI / Data Workloads** – Training, inference, and data processing pipelines.  
- **Hybrid & Edge** – Extend existing infrastructure into grid‑backed environments.

See **[VDC Use Cases](/vdc/use-cases)** for more detailed scenarios.

## Compared to Traditional Cloud

| Aspect | Mycelium VDC | Traditional Cloud |
|--------|--------------|-------------------|
| **Infrastructure** | Decentralized grid | Centralized datacenters |
| **Networking** | Encrypted P2P via Mycelium | Public IPs, centralized routing |
| **Sovereignty** | You choose jurisdictions & nodes | Provider‑controlled |
| **Lock‑in** | Standard Kubernetes & open tooling | Often proprietary services |
| **Cost Profile** | Competitive, usage‑based | Often complex and higher over time |

## Where to Go Next

- **New to VDC?** Start with **[VDC Use Cases](/vdc/use-cases)** to see concrete patterns.  
- **Want a concrete blueprint?** Explore **[Blueprints & Example Environments](/vdc/blueprints)** such as *Digital Me*, a personal sovereign cloud workspace.  
- **Need cluster details?** See **[Mycelium Cloud Overview](/cloud)** and **[Getting Started](/cloud/getting-started)**.