The XSEDE project operates Globus endpoints as a means for managing data on storage systems at service providers such as TACC and SDSC. The XSEDE community moves and shares tens of petabytes of data each year via these endpoints, using the Globus Connect Server (GCS) software to enable access to the Globus service. XSEDE endpoints currently run Globus Connect Server version 4 (GCSv4) and, in some cases, bespoke deployments of GridFTP. In 2021 XSEDE will introduce Globus Connect Server version 5 (GCSv5), with the intent of simplifying deployment and administration, en route to phasing out support for GCSv4 and other legacy GridFTP implementations in the future.
This tutorial will explore important new features of the GCSv5 software and help Globus endpoint operators prepare for the transition to GCSv5. We will compare and contrast the differences between GCSv4 and GCSv5, highlighting those changes that may require changes to user-facing and systems management processes. Participants will deploy a Globus endpoint using GCSv5 and will experiment with common configuration options. We will illustrate concepts using examples from the XSEDE ecosystem, but the material is equally relevant to system administrators at university research computing centers, national laboratories, and other advanced computing facilities that use Globus for data management.
