Provider environment
Execution environment (E-class) describes where and how an inference provider runs. You assign one class per provider in Settings → Providers. The Platform API uses E-class to match API key environment floors.
Environment class is a policy label you choose for routing. Steinkauz does not certify that a provider objectively matches a class — you decide how each connection should be treated for your active context.
This classification describes the environment of an AI provider connection. It is separate from the Steinkauz deployment options, which describe where the Steinkauz application and its data services run.
Levels
| Class | Label | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| E0 | Unclassified | Unknown or unreviewed custom endpoint |
| E1 | Public managed | Public cloud SaaS (OpenAI, Anthropic, Steinkauz Gateway, …) |
| E2 | Enterprise managed | Enterprise-managed cloud with stronger data terms |
| E3 | Private cloud | Private cloud with provider tenant/project isolation (Azure OpenAI, Vertex AI, Bedrock, …) — a provider isolation label, not a Steinkauz workspace |
| E4 | Customer hosted | Customer-hosted infrastructure (self-hosted compatible API in your VPC, vLLM, …) |
| E5 | On premise | On-premise or air-gapped deployment |
Ordering is strict: E0 < E1 < E2 < E3 < E4 < E5.
Per provider (Settings → Providers)
Each integration — including Steinkauz Gateway as a single provider — has its own execution environment. That value reflects how much you trust this connection for sensitive workloads.
- BYOK — Set the environment on each provider you enable. See BYOK provider configuration.
- Gateway — The Gateway entry has one environment for all traffic routed through Gateway. For finer control, combine Gateway with BYOK providers and your routing matrix.
When you add a provider, Steinkauz suggests a default environment based on provider type (for example public APIs default to E1, Azure OpenAI to E3, unknown OpenAI-compatible URLs to E0 until you classify them).
Auto mode and session floor
In chat Auto mode, selecting a provider can raise the session data sensitivity floor to the level recommended for that environment — but only when your routing matrix allows that D×E pair:
| Provider environment | Recommended session sensitivity |
|---|---|
| E0 | D0 |
| E1 | D1 |
| E2 | D2 |
| E3 | D3 |
| E4, E5 | D4 |
Because the default matrix blocks same-tier diagonal pairs (D1×E1, D2×E2, …), a public managed Gateway at E1 does not automatically raise a D1 session to match E1 when that pair is blocked. See Data routing policy.
Chat enforcement
On each send, Steinkauz compares effective data sensitivity with the selected provider’s E-class using your routing matrix. Incompatible pairs are blocked before inference.