Globus is a research data management service. It provides tools and an easy-to-use interface to facilitate parallel, load-balanced, fault-tolerant data transfer ranging from Megabytes to Petabytes in volume securely. The Globus connect portal can be used to transfer data between a personal desktop/laptop and clusters such as Hopper.

Logging in to Globus

Go to the Globus.org website and click on the login button. It will take you to the login page where a drop-down menu is available. In the search field search for George Mason University. Hit the continue button and it will redirect to the page of Mason Federated Services. Log in using your GMUnetID and password.

If this is the first time you are logging into your account, you will be asked a number of questions (such as accepting terms and conditions of use) on several pages.

Once logged in, the File Manager page will be displayed. Here you can select the desired source and destination systems for file transfers.

Transferring data between a personal desktop/laptop and a cluster

If one of the sources or destination is a personal computer, Globus Connect Personal software will be required to run from the personal computer to establish a secure connection to the Globus system. To download Globus Connect Personal, go to this page https://www.globus.org/globus-connect-personal select the installation steps of the link respective to your operating system and follow the instructions. Once you have downloaded the correct executable file, run the Globus Connect Personal executable. After installation has been completed Globus Connect Personal will launch. Click on 'Log In' to authenticate with Globus and begin the Collection Setup process. Next, Enter the details for your Globus Connect Personal Collection. There will be a field "Collection Name". Give your personal computer an identifier that you will remember. Later, the personal computer will be selected as one of the data nodes using this identifier/name.

Exit the Setup process or open the Globus web app to view collection details or move data to or from your collection. To start the transfer follow the below steps:

Type the name of your personal Laptop’s endpoint (that you’ve given in the Globus connect personal setup process) in the Collection text box.
The first time you do this, you will need to enter your username and password for authentication.
To select the Hopper Cluster as the destination endpoint for your file transfer, search for "GMU-DTN1.ORC" or "GMU-DTN2.ORC" in the collection of available endpoints. You can do this by clicking on the "Panels" button at the top of the window displaying two boxes side-by-side or by clicking on the "Transfer or Sync to" option located on the right-hand side of the source and then searching for "GMU-DTN1.ORC" or "GMU-DTN2.ORC" in the available endpoints. Once you have located the Hopper Cluster, select it as your destination endpoint for the file transfer.
This will display the second set of Collection and Path text boxes on the right side of the window, you will use these to define the other end of the transfer
On the "to" side of the transfer, navigate to the directory where you want to place the file(s), and on the "from" side navigate to and select the file(s) or folder(s) that you want to transfer
Then select the Start button at the bottom of the "from" side to begin the transfer
After initiation of the transfer, data transfer rate, and progress can be monitored from the activity tab.

Also, Globus will notify you of the successful transfer status or any failure status through an email. Remember that Globus Connect Personal must be running on the personal computer whenever data is being transferred through Globus.

Globus Basics

1) Create & Log In to Your Globus Account

Go to https://app.globus.org and click Login.
Choose your institution (or “Globus ID”) and authenticate. - https://docs.globus.org/how-to/get-started

2) Locate & Activate Endpoints

Globus works by transferring files between two endpoints/collections (e.g., your laptop, a research cluster, cloud storage).
Search for or select the endpoint you want to use (e.g., your institution’s storage or your personal endpoint).

3) Install Globus Connect Personal

To make your own computer an endpoint, install Globus Connect Personal (for Windows/Linux/macOS).
After installation, your machine appears in Globus for transfers.

4) Transfer Files

Use the File Manager two-pane view.
Set one pane to the source endpoint and the other to the destination endpoint.
Select files/folders → click Start to begin the transfer.

5) Optional: Schedule or Sync

Globus lets you schedule transfers or sync directories between endpoints on a recurring basis.

6) Share Data with Collaborators

Globus supports shared endpoints or guest collections, allowing others to access specified folders without sharing credentials.

Globus: Step-by-Step User Guide

What you need

A web browser
An institutional login or a Globus ID
Access to at least one Globus endpoint (institutional storage, HPC, or your own computer)

1. Log in to Globus

Open https://app.globus.org
Click Log In
Select your institution
If you don’t have one, choose Globus ID and create an account

You should land on the File Manager page

2. Understand Endpoints (Collections)

Globus transfers data between two endpoints:

Source: where the data currently lives
Destination: where the data will go

Examples:

HPC cluster storage
Campus file system
Cloud storage
Your laptop (via Globus Connect Personal)

3. Activate an Endpoint

In File Manager, click in the left pane
Search for an endpoint name (e.g., your institution or cluster)
Select it
Click Activate (authenticate if prompted)

Repeat for the right pane destination endpoint

4. (Optional) Install Globus Connect Personal

Use this if you want your own computer to act as an endpoint.

Go to https://www.globus.org/globus-connect-personal
Download for macOS / Windows / Linux
Install and sign in when prompted
Choose the folders you want Globus to access

Your computer now appears as an endpoint in File Manager

Click above to watch on video above (opens in new tab)

5. Transfer Files

Set the source endpoint in the left pane
Set the destination endpoint in the right pane
Browse folders in each pane
Select files or directories
Click Start (▶)

Transfers run in the background — you can close your browser

6. Monitor Transfers

Click Activity (left sidebar)
View:
Status (Running / Succeeded / Failed)
Transfer speed
Error messages (if any)

Email notifications can be enabled in Settings

Navigate to a folder you own
Create a Guest Collection (if required)
Grant permissions:
Read
Write
Admin
Share the link or invite collaborators by email

Credentials are never shared

8. Use Advanced Options (Optional)

Before clicking Start, you can:

Enable Sync (keep folders mirrored)
Preserve timestamps
Verify checksums
Automatically retry failed files

9. Common Troubleshooting

Endpoint won’t activate → Re-authenticate or check VPN
Permission denied → Verify directory permissions
Transfer stuck → Check Activity tab for errors
Slow transfers → Globus auto-tunes; large transfers may take time

10. Best Practices

✔ Transfer directories, not millions of individual files
✔ Leave transfers running overnight
✔ Use Globus instead of SCP/SFTP for large data
✔ Share via guest collections, not user accounts

Quick Summary

Activate two endpoints → select files → start transfer → monitor activity Globus handles the rest.