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CloudStor service

CloudStor

CloudStor is a web service for AARNet users to easily and securely send and receive arbitrarily large files both to/from other AARNet users as well as to/from "external" users. The service is based on the FileSender project initiated by AARNet, UNINETT and HEANet.

Users access the service using their institutional account; this is made possible through the Australian Access Federation (AAF). Users whose institutions aren't members of the AAF can use the service through vouchers submitted by authenticated users. A list of AAF member institutes can be found here: http://www.aaf.edu.au/subscribe/subscribers/

The service is primarily meant to address the use cases of transferring of large files such as data collected in research projects, sharing of multimedia content and cases where traditional file sending methods and software (such as e-mail attachments or FTP) have failed.

Since the service only keeps temporary copies of the file in transit, it is not intended for the exchange of files that should be permanently available; in particular, CloudStor is not intended to be a web hosting platform.

Current restrictions on the use of services are:

size of individual files: maximum 100GB
individual file storage time is limited to a maximum of 20 days
maximum number of recipients for a file is 100

AARNet warmly enourages user feedback: send your comments to eresearch@aarnet.edu.au

CloudStor uses standard web frameworks throughout (Apache / PHP / PostgreSQL). The end-user application is presented in Adobe Flash, due to be replaced by pure HTML5 once that new standard is mature enough. In order to facilitate the transfer of files that are larger than 2 GB, and whose transfer is not possible using the existing HTML4 standard (here, too, we are waiting for HTML5 to mature), the Google Gears plugin is used. Unfortunately, due to bugs present in the operating systems, the Gears method does not currently work in either Linux or MacOSX based systems.

The CloudStor service resides at the AARNet Brisbane data centre, colocated with the AARNet Mirror infrastructure, with which it shares the web serving frontend as well as backend disk space.

How to use the service

In your browser, open the CloudStor page, click on "Logon" and authenticate using the AAF.

If you want to send a file:

Select "New Upload"
Enter the e-mail address(es) of the file recipient(s)
Set the file validity date (optional)
Select the file you want to send
Enter a subject and a personal message (optional)
Press Send

What happens then?

The system stores the received file and sends a message to the intended recipients containing a link to the file that was just stored. The links are generated to contain a sizable random part, which makes brute force guessing of the file location by unauthorised third parties impractical. By clicking on this link, the recipient can download the file. Upon expiration of the file validity period, the file is deleted and is therefore no longer available for download.

The "My Files" tab enables an authenticated user to:

resubmit the file-available notification message
forward the file-available notification message to new recipients
delete active files
directly download from the webpage any file under their control
(by clicking on the filename)

If you want to send a voucher that allows you to receive files from people who are unable to use electronic identities through the AAF:

Select the "Vouchers" submenu
Enter the e-mail address(es) of the voucher recipient(s)
Set the validity period for the vouchers(optional)
Send the vouchers

What happens then?

The system sends an email to the recipent, telling them there's an upload voucher waiting to be used. These vouchers also take the form of a web link, similar to the download links. By clicking on this link, the guest user gains one-time access to CloudStor and can use this to send files to you and other recipients. Upon expiry of the voucher validity, it will no longer give access to CloudStor.

If you want to keep track of developments in the FileSender space (FileSender being the international development project CloudStor is based on), please visit the FileSender project website at http://www.filesender.org

Conference presentations about CloudStor:

“AARNet CloudStor -- transporting oversize data loads”, Brett Rosolen (AARNet), eResearch Australasia, 8 - 12 November 2010, Gold Coast QLD
“Facilitating Research Collaboration in the Australian Geoscience Community using CloudStor”, link to paper: IEEE e-Science, Wendy Mason (Monash University), 7 - 10 December 2010, Brisbane QLD

Press releases on Cloudstor