Globus Connect Server 5.1 Now Available
May 17, 2018 | Rachana Ananthakrishnan
Globus hosted a live webinar about the GCS5 release on June 7, 2018. To view the recorded session, click here. To access the slides, click here.
Globus Connect Server is the software installed by institutions to connect storage and data to the Globus ecosystem, so users can leverage the rich data management platform Globus offers. To expand the capabilities offered by Globus, work is underway on the next generation Globus Connect Server to provide enhanced endpoint management, more versatile data access interfaces, and improved deployment models. These new capabilities will be built out as a series of releases of version 5 of the software, with incremental functionality made available with each release.
Today we released Globus Connect Server version 5.1, adding data access via HTTP/S for guest access (i.e., shared endpoints). With HTTP/S support, version 5.1 enables access to files on a shared endpoint using a browser and other clients that support HTTP/S and OAuth2.
Globus Connect Server 5.1 also introduces multi-connector support. A single Globus Connect Server 5.1 deployment can now support multiple storage connectors simultaneously. Google Drive and POSIX storage connectors are supported in 5.1, and other connectors will be added in subsequent releases.
Supported versions are described in our documentation, along with guidance on the features available in each version. The installation guide provides detailed instructions on setting up and using Globus Connect Server version 5.1.
If you are currently running Globus Connect Server version 4 we strongly recommend waiting until Globus Connect Server version 5 reaches feature parity with version 4 before upgrading. Version 5 is only recommended for sites using Globus for Google Drive and those that want to start using the new HTTP/S capabilities. We will fully support Globus Connect Server version 4 while we build out the capabilities of version 5.
As always, please contact support@globus.org if you have any questions or would like to discuss the 5.1 version and whether it is suitable for your use.