Globus Toolkit

The Globus team at the University of Chicago has developed and supported the open source Globus Toolkit for close to 20 years. Globus Toolkit GridFTP and GSI software, in particular, have been widely used within the scientific community for data transfer and security. Since 2010, we have leveraged that experience to develop the Globus cloud service, which provides enhanced capabilities for data transfer plus new identity and group management, data sharing, data publication, and other functions. Most Globus Toolkit users have by now moved to the Globus cloud service and the associated Globus Connect endpoint software, used by tens of thousands of people to manage billions of files on more than 10,000 active endpoints. Importantly, a subscription-based sustainability model allows the Globus team to assure Globus cloud service users of our long-term viability. We realize that this change in long-established practice may create challenges for those users who have not migrated to the Globus cloud service, and so we explain here first the reason for this change, and second, why we recommend that remaining Globus Toolkit users migrate to the Globus cloud service. Note that this change in support policy only affects direct users of the open source Globus Toolkit. Users of the Globus cloud service, and sites running Globus Connect to make their storage systems accessible via the Globus cloud service, are unaffected. Why we are ceasing support of the open source Globus Toolkit . In a word, funding. The open source Globus Toolkit, like any software, requires constant effort to answer support requests, apply security patches, and perform other maintenance. This work has long been financed by grants, primarily from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). However, our last such grant ends this fall and, after extensive discussions with funding agencies and Globus Toolkit users, we see little opportunity for further funding for such support activities. How can I migrate from the open source Globus Toolkit to the Globus cloud service ? We provide documentation and online support, as well as professional services to assist any person or community migrating from Globus Toolkit to the Globus cloud service. We will be delighted to discuss and recommend a migration approach that is best suited to your specific scenario/environment. How is Globus Connect diverging from the open source Globus Toolkit components ? The current Globus Connect Server version 4 uses the open source Globus Toolkit GridFTP, GSI, and MyProxy. However, major changes to Globus Connect, to be released as version 5 later in 2017, will cause it to diverge from those components. With the introduction of the Globus Auth service in February 2016, we began moving away from the old X.509-based security approach provided by GSI and MyProxy to the modern, more secure, web-friendly, OAuth2-based security approach provided by Globus Auth. Globus Connect Server and Globus Connect Personal are being transitioned to Globus Auth’s OAuth2-based security, so MyProxy and GSI will no longer be required. For example, Globus Connect’s version of GridFTP will use Globus Auth instead of GSI, and removing GSI from Globus Connect will substantially reduce its maintenance burden. We are also adding support to Globus Connect for direct access to storage via HTTPS+OAuth2. This HTTPS interface shares much code with Globus Connect’s GridFTP interface, but requires substantial changes to that GridFTP code. Many other planned enhancements to Globus Connect will cause it to diverge even further from the open source Globus Toolkit’s GridFTP. Can Globus Connect Server version 5 and Globus Toolkit GridFTP be installed on a server at the same time while transitioning to the Globus cloud service ? Yes, with the services listening on different ports. Will the Globus Toolkit RPM and Debian package repositories disappear ? At the end of 2018 we plan on shutting down the Globus Toolkit package repositories