Connect cloud storage overview

Bioinformatics data is commonly stored on compliant cloud storage services, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform. If you store your files on AWS or GCP, the Platform API lets you connect your storage to the BioData Catalyst powered by Seven Bridges.

Once such a connection is established, files and objects from your cloud account are available for computation on the Platform. Similarly, files in your account can be copied into your connected cloud storage.

This chapter introduces two important concepts for using cloud storage on the Platform:

  • A volume is a generic storage repository, on the cloud, external to the Platform, on which the Platform can communicate via the API.
  • An alias is a file that is not on the Platform, but is instead on an external volume that has been connected to the Platform.