Storage connections
Connect cloud storage so Element Biosciences systems can transfer data to the cloud.
Storage connections in ElemBio Cloud are a cloud storage integration for Element systems to transfer sequencing data to a cloud storage bucket. ElemBio Cloud centrally manages the cloud storage connections for all connected systems.
ElemBio Catalyst, AWS, and GCS support storage connections. For the features that each provider supports, see Provider types. Only administrators can add a storage connection, and the steps are on the page for your provider.
Cloud storage data upload
Throughout a sequencing run, data continuously uploads to the selected storage location. For runs that use a cloud storage connection, AVITI OS and Element OS streams data from the instrument directly to the cloud storage bucket. If you use a provider that has a full-service solution such as ElemBio Catalyst™, then the bucket is managed for you. If you use a custom cloud service provider such as AWS or GCS, then you own and control your bucket.
The storage connection configuration in ElemBio Cloud provides the permissions to generate temporary credentials that allow the instrument to communicate with the bucket. If the network connection experiences a disruption, then the instrument caches data and retries the upload until it succeeds.
Storage connection details
Storage connection cards include a storage location link, settings, and other details. The fields that appear depend on the provider:
| Field | ElemBio Catalyst | AWS | GCS | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucket Name | Yes | Yes | Yes | The name of the cloud storage bucket, with a link. |
| Prefix | Yes | Yes | Yes | The object prefix for the storage location. |
| Region | Yes | Yes | — | The bucket region. |
| Data Access | Yes | Yes | — | How many AWS Principal ARNs have data access. |
All provider types show a Settings field, which indicates the storage connection settings for run upload and data exploration:
- Enabled for Run Upload: Controls the availability of the storage connection on instruments that are associated with your organization. A green check mark means the connection is available on instruments. Without the check mark, the connection is unavailable on instruments and can only be used as an output location for other ElemBio Cloud features, such as verified flows.
- Enabled for Data Exploration: (ElemBio Catalyst and AWS) Controls the availability of the storage connection in data browsers. A green check mark means the connection is available for data browsing.
Storage connection statuses
Each storage connection card has a badge that indicates one of the following connection statuses:
- Connected: ElemBio Cloud successfully verified the connection and the credentials for the associated services.
- Unverified: ElemBio Cloud cannot verify the connection or the associated provider credentials. The associated services are unavailable until you resolve the issue. To resolve, verify the connection, and then review any error messages that appear.
- Expired: The ElemBio Catalyst™ subscription expired, so the connection is disabled and cannot be used to upload runs. For details, see Expired subscription.
Managing storage connections
Use the following buttons on a storage connection card to manage a connection.
The available actions are based on your user permissions.
- Verify: Verifies the permissions for data transfers. A green success message confirms the connection. If a red error message appears, review the message to address the issue.
- Edit: Modifies the settings. Changes take effect immediately.
- Delete: Removes the item from ElemBio Cloud. When prompted, enter the name to confirm deletion.
Storage connection cards offer these additional actions:
- Associated Runs: Displays a list of runs that use the storage connection for output files.
- More: Displays a dropdown menu of additional settings:
- Manage Data Access: (ElemBio Catalyst and AWS) Grants read-only access to data through an AWS bucket policy. See Sharing ElemBio Catalyst data with an AWS account or Sharing data through bucket policies.
- Manage Data Lifecycle: (ElemBio Catalyst) Sets how long run or analysis data is kept before it is archived or deleted. See Modify the data lifecycle policy.
- Set As Default: Makes the storage connection the default selection in run setup for every system in the organization. A Default badge appears on the card. To use a different connection for a run, select one manually during run setup. The default storage connection in AVITI OS can override the default in ElemBio Cloud.
Editing is restricted to the name field and the Use for Run Upload and Use for Data Exploration settings. ElemBio Cloud prohibits deleting a storage connection that an associated system is using, and deleting a connection removes it from ElemBio Cloud and all associated systems.
To verify a connection further, open the ConnectionTest folder in the storage location and confirm that the elembio-read-write.txt file shows a successful verification date.
If you disable the Use for Run Upload setting while editing a storage connection, then the connection immediately becomes unavailable on the associated instruments. Before you disable the setting, verify that the change does not impact any in-progress instrument activities.