Globus Announces Support for Microsoft Azure Blob Storage
Premium connector simplifies data management in cloud and hybrid research computing environments
Bio IT World, Boston, MA – September 21, 2021 – Today Globus announced support for Microsoft Azure Blob Storage, providing the research community with secure, reliable, and easy to use data management services for Microsoft’s massively scalable and secure object storage for cloud-native and hybrid workloads, data lakes, high-performance computing, and machine learning.
Data analysis services and pipelines can use the Globus platform for moving raw data and results between Azure public cloud and a myriad of storage systems, including on-premises storage and file sharing services such as Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive and Box. Researchers can use the Globus platform to easily share data in Blob storage with their collaborators at different institutions, without requiring their collaborators to be familiar with object storage—or even requiring a Microsoft account. Azure Blob storage can also be connected to data portals, science gateways or other research applications via Globus APIs for automation and integration.
With the release of this connector, Globus now supports object storage from leading public cloud vendors. Globus users have a simple, unified interface to manage data across Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, and Azure Blob Storage, making Globus an ideal solution for exchanging data between public clouds or migrating from one cloud platform to another.
“We’re excited to provide our users with tools for easily managing massive data sets in the Microsoft Azure,” said Rachana Ananthakrishnan, Globus executive director. “Researchers are increasingly turning to multi-cloud environments to support their diverse storage and computation workloads. The Azure Blob connector means they can use Globus to manage data across an even broader selection of storage options.”
Globus for Azure Blob Storage includes support for Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2, an extension of Blob storage that is optimized for analytics workloads and offers a hierarchical file system with the advantages of Blob storage. Data Lake Storage Gen2 is designed for enterprise data lakes at petabyte scale, a proven environment for Globus services that are used to move and share over a petabyte every day.
"We are pleased that Globus now supports Azure Blob Storage," said Jurgen Willis, VP of Product Management, Azure Storage, Microsoft. "In today's world of data-intensive research, collaboration through fast, reliable sharing of data is critical. Globus for Azure Blob Storage enables researchers to seamlessly access, transfer and share data on Azure systems with users of the Globus service."
The connector can also be used with high assurance data, and Globus subscribers at the BAA tier can use Globus high assurance products to securely manage their HIPAA regulated data in Azure Blob Storage.
Support for Azure was added by Globus and Parallel Works under General Dynamics Information Technology's prime Research and Development High Performance Computing Support contract with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These new services aid NOAA in the transfer and secure management of data from the agency's network of high performance computers used for research.
Globus for Azure Blob Storage is available as an add-on subscription to organizations with a Globus Standard subscription. To learn more, please contact us at support@globus.org
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About Globus
Globus is a platform for research data management, used by leading non-profit and commercial research organizations, national laboratories, and government facilities worldwide. Operated by the University of Chicago, the Globus service enables secure, reliable file transfer, sharing, and data management automation throughout the research lifecycle. The service is integrated into data portals, science gateways, and other web applications that manage data distribution from instruments and provide access to reference datasets. Globus is supported by subscribers and funding from the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Sloan Foundation. Visit globus.org.