Installation & Deployment Overview

From server infrastructure to desktop workstations — everything you need to deploy the Golden Helix platform in your environment.

Two Installation Paths

The installation process is entirely different depending on whether you're setting up a centralized server or a workstation. Choose the path that matches your deployment.

Enterprise

Enterprise Platform
Deployment

Deploy the VarSeq Suite on the VSWarehouse server platform — centralized analysis, project management, reporting, and pipeline automation. On-premises or in your own cloud.

On-premises or cloud (AWS / Azure)
Guided deployment with Terraform scripts
License Portal provides preconfigured deploy scripts
Linux required on the server

View deployment options

Individual

Desktop
Installation

Install VarSeq on analyst workstations. Native desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux. VarSeq can optionally connect to a VSWarehouse server for shared resources and licensing.

Windows, macOS, and Linux supported
Standard installer — no additional dependencies
Individual analysts or small teams
Connect to VSWarehouse for shared resources

View platform details

Enterprise Platform Deployment

The VSWarehouse server platform runs the VarSeq Suite centrally — managing users, orchestrating analysis pipelines, warehousing results, and generating reports. Choose the deployment model that fits your institution.

License Portal

Once you have a license key (from a purchase or evaluation), use the License Portal to configure your deployment and get pre-configured deploy script commands to start the installation process.

Open License Portal

On-Premises Architecture

Your Data Center / Network

Users access via HTTPS

Firewall / Web Proxy

Outbound proxy supported

VSWarehouse Server

MAIN

Vertical scaling — CPU & RAM

Automatic database backup

SSL certificate + static hostname

Static Agents (Optional)

Agent Server

Horizontal scaling

Network Storage

SMB/CIFS or NFS mount

Shared across machines

User-managed file backup

Outbound → GH Annotation Repos

On-Premises

Install VSWarehouse directly on your own hardware. All analysis, data warehousing, and licensing run within your institutional network. Outbound connections route through your proxy servers.

Linux required (Ubuntu, RHEL, Debian)

Local annotation and license server mirrors

Air-gapped deployment available

Bring Your Own Cloud

Your Cloud Account (AWS / Azure)

Users access via HTTPS

Cloud Firewall

HTTPS + SSH access only

VSWarehouse Server

MAIN

Medium instance size

Fast local storage (annotations)

Default backup policy

Dynamic Agents (Auto)

Private Subnet

Agent VM

Auto-scale & spin down

Cloud Storage

S3 / Blob bucket mount

Growable capacity

Default backup policy

Outbound → GH Annotation Repos

Bring Your Own Cloud

Deploy on AWS or Azure within your own account. Golden Helix provides guided setup — you maintain complete data sovereignty while benefiting from elastic scalability.

AWS & Azure supported

Zero to Cloud guided deployment

Browser-based VarSeq access

Need maximum isolation?Air-gapped deployment operates with zero internet connectivity for the highest security environments.

Deployment Options

Enterprise Platform

Documentation & Guides

Technical Server Documentation

Server administration, configuration, and management reference.

Installation & Migration Guides

Step-by-step deployment, upgrade, and migration instructions.

Enterprise Platform Release Notes

Detailed changes, fixes, and new features for each server release.

API Documentation

Access via Help > API Documentation within your server instance.

Desktop Client Installation

VarSeq runs as a native desktop application on all major platforms. Download installers from the Downloads page.

Windows

Standard installer with option for all-users or per-user install.

Windows 11

Windows Server 2019+

macOS

Standard DMG installer. Universal binary for Apple Silicon and Intel.

macOS 10.13+

Linux

Tarball extraction for server and workstation environments.

Ubuntu 22.04+

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9+

Download VarSeq

Local Data Storage (AppData)

VarSeq stores annotation databases, caches, and project files in a local AppData directory. Plan for 50–200+ GB of local storage depending on the annotations configured for your workflows.

IT administrators can redirect the AppData path to shared or network storage for centralized management across workstations. See the installation guides for platform-specific configuration details.