Canonical has added Enterprise Store to Ubuntu Pro, giving organizations a way to distribute and update Ubuntu software inside restricted networks or completely air-gapped environments. The solution acts as a local proxy for snaps and charms, stores software within the organization’s infrastructure, and allows administrators to control exactly which software revisions are deployed across their systems.
Enterprise Store in 30 seconds
- Enterprise Store acts as a local intermediary between enterprise systems and Canonical’s software stores.
- It supports environments protected by strict firewalls as well as fully air-gapped deployments.
- It provides a single control point for distributing both snaps and charms.
- Features include local caching, revision pinning, and high-availability deployments.
- Enterprise Store is included with Ubuntu Pro, including the free personal subscription for up to five machines.
The announcement addresses a common challenge faced by industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, government, defense, and critical infrastructure: keeping systems updated without allowing every server, workstation, or device direct outbound access to the internet.
Under a traditional deployment model, each Ubuntu system connects directly to Canonical’s stores to download applications and updates. Enterprise Store introduces an on-premises control layer. Client devices communicate with this local service instead, centralizing downloads, software policies, and revision management.
Canonical presents Enterprise Store as a more controlled and auditable approach to software distribution. However, deploying it alone does not automatically make an environment compliant with regulatory requirements or inherently secure. Organizations still need governance processes defining who approves updates, how software is transferred into isolated environments, and how each release is validated before deployment.
A Local Proxy for Snaps and Charms
Enterprise Store is the evolution of Canonical’s former Snap Store Proxy. It sits between enterprise devices and Canonical’s Snap Store and Charmhub repositories.
Snaps are self-contained software packages that bundle applications together with most of their dependencies. They are widely used across Ubuntu servers, desktops, Ubuntu Core devices, IoT deployments, and cloud environments. Their revision-based architecture allows applications to be updated consistently and, when necessary, rolled back to previous versions.
Charms serve a different purpose. They automate application lifecycle management through Juju, defining how applications are deployed, configured, integrated, scaled, upgraded, and maintained.
Previously, organizations often managed these technologies separately. Enterprise Store provides a unified proxy for both, although they remain distinct technologies serving different functions: snaps deliver software, while charms automate operations.
The platform also provides local caching. Once software has been downloaded, subsequent requests are served from the local network instead of repeatedly retrieving packages from Canonical’s public infrastructure. This reduces bandwidth consumption and accelerates deployments across large fleets.
Another important capability is granular revision control. Organizations can lock systems to validated software versions instead of automatically consuming every newly published update.
This is particularly valuable for industrial systems, regulated sectors, and mission-critical workloads where software updates often require compatibility testing, security validation, or operational approval before deployment.
Revision pinning, however, should not become an excuse to indefinitely postpone security updates. Older software versions may contain known vulnerabilities, making proper update governance just as important as version control itself.
Designed for Air-Gapped Environments
Canonical distinguishes between restricted networks and fully disconnected environments.
In restricted environments, Enterprise Store maintains connectivity with Canonical’s infrastructure while acting as the single controlled distribution point for internal systems.
In air-gapped environments, updates must be transferred manually. Administrators download approved content on a connected system, copy it using approved removable media, and then import it into Enterprise Store inside the isolated network.
This approach allows organizations to maintain systems that have absolutely no direct internet connectivity.
It also introduces additional operational responsibilities. Organizations must verify package authenticity, secure removable media, document every imported update, and ensure that software integrity is preserved throughout the transfer process.
Air gaps reduce many remote attack vectors, but they do not eliminate supply chain risks. Compromised software, stolen credentials, or poor operational procedures can still introduce malicious code into isolated environments.
This is why Enterprise Store focuses not only on software delivery but also on traceability. Centralizing software distribution allows administrators to maintain complete records of approved revisions and precisely control which software becomes available across production systems.
Canonical’s documentation also emphasizes that imported snaps, charms, and images should correspond to officially published Canonical releases to preserve supportability and deployment consistency.
High Availability for Production Deployments
A centralized proxy simplifies software management, but it can also become a single point of failure.
Enterprise Store addresses this by supporting high-availability deployments. Multiple instances can operate behind a reverse proxy that distributes traffic, performs health checks, and redirects requests if one node becomes unavailable.
Shared backend services help maintain synchronization between instances, allowing organizations to build resilient software distribution infrastructure instead of depending on a single server.
High availability is therefore an architectural design rather than a feature enabled with a single configuration option. It requires multiple servers, load balancing, shared services, and appropriate infrastructure planning.
Organizations must also size storage, caching capacity, databases, and networking according to the number of managed systems. A five-machine laboratory has very different requirements from an enterprise distributing software across thousands of servers or industrial devices.
Likewise, a highly available Enterprise Store does not guarantee complete service availability by itself. DNS, certificates, internal routing, and firewall policies remain essential parts of the overall architecture.
Enterprise Store Does Not Replace APT Repositories
Enterprise Store focuses specifically on snaps and charms.
Traditional Debian packages installed through APT continue to require repository mirroring solutions.
Canonical’s Landscape platform already provides repository management capabilities for DEB packages while Enterprise Store manages snap distribution. The two products complement each other rather than replacing one another.
This distinction is particularly important for organizations operating fully disconnected environments. Complete software lifecycle management may require Enterprise Store for snaps, Landscape for APT repositories, container registries for OCI images, and additional mechanisms depending on application requirements.
Enterprise Store should also not be confused with a fully private software marketplace designed exclusively for internally developed applications. While it provides governance over Canonical software distribution, deployment models will vary depending on whether organizations consume public software, distribute internal applications, or combine both approaches.
Included with Ubuntu Pro
Enterprise Store is included with Ubuntu Pro, Canonical’s subscription that extends Ubuntu LTS with additional security maintenance, compliance capabilities, and enterprise support.
Ubuntu Pro is not a separate operating system edition. It enhances supported Ubuntu installations by enabling additional enterprise services.
Canonical also allows users to evaluate Enterprise Store through Ubuntu Pro’s free personal subscription, which supports up to five machines. This provides an accessible way to test the platform before larger enterprise deployments.
The announcement does not specify standalone pricing because Enterprise Store is bundled with Ubuntu Pro. Likewise, deployment limits and support levels may vary depending on commercial agreements.
Ultimately, Enterprise Store provides an official mechanism for managing modern Canonical software in environments where direct internet access is either prohibited or tightly controlled.
For organizations already relying on snaps, Ubuntu Core, Juju, or charms, it offers a unified management layer that can simplify governance and reduce operational complexity.
Its benefits will naturally be more limited for infrastructures relying exclusively on traditional APT packages or organizations that already operate mature internal software distribution systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Canonical Enterprise Store?
Enterprise Store is an on-premises proxy that distributes snaps and charms from within an organization’s own infrastructure, allowing systems to receive software without directly connecting to Canonical’s public stores.
Can it operate without internet access?
Yes. In air-gapped environments, approved software is downloaded elsewhere and manually transferred into the isolated network before distribution through Enterprise Store.
Does Enterprise Store distribute APT packages?
No. Enterprise Store manages snaps and charms. Traditional DEB packages still require APT repository management solutions such as Canonical Landscape.
Is Enterprise Store included with Ubuntu Pro?
Yes. Canonical includes Enterprise Store with Ubuntu Pro, including the free personal subscription that supports up to five machines for evaluation and lab environments.