File Storage

Managing access to cloud storage

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Last updated 1 month ago

File Storage

Managing access to cloud storage

Lab Atlas provides a limited amount of cloud storage for managing your project documents & files, but also allows you to connect a variety of cloud storage providers (including Microsoft SharePoint & Amazon S3) to allow easier collaboration with your team. File storage is managed from the Admin Dashboard, from here you can connect storage providers, define folders, and set access permissions.

Storage Concepts

Lab Atlas uses a few different concepts to represent file storage systems and make them available to users. Here are a how these are defined and presented to users:

Storage Drive: Refers to either Lab Atlas provided cloud storage, or a third-party cloud storage drive object, such as an S3 bucket or SharePoint Site Drive. Drives can be added or removed from the integration settings for the appropriate service in the admin dashboard (eg. AWS for S3, Microsoft 365 for SharePoint).
Project Folder: When creating a new project, you are given the opportunity to either create or use an existing storage folder from one of your organization's available Storage Drives. This folder will form the root of your project tree, including all study and assay storage folders created under the project.
Shared Folder: Shared folders are a way for you to make storage locations on your connected third-party storage services available to Lab Atlas users within the File Manager interface. You can create a shared folder from locations on any registered drive, define who has access to it, and specify read/write permissions.
User Folder: Every Lab Atlas user gets a private user folder that is visible only to them. This folder can be accessed only from the File Manager page.

Security & Visibility

Keeping your data secure is a principal concern and Lab Atlas provides a number of mechanisms to ensure that files are never accessed by people who shouldn't be able to. Understanding how file storage is implemented and managed is key to keeping your organization secure. Here are some important things to know:

Project folder permissions are dictated by project visibility. The lays-out a framework for defining who has access to Project records and what they can do with them. Project folders inherit the permissions of the parent project. This means that:
- Public project folders are open and write-enabled for everyone in your organization.
- Protected project folders can be viewed by non-project members, but not written-to.
- Private project folders are not visible to non-members.

Organization admins can access any project or shared folder. This is true even if they are not a member of the project or have had the folder shared with them.
Only you can access your private user folder. Not even admins can read or write to this location.
You cannot navigate above the root folder path. This is true for all folder types within the File Manager interface. For example, if a shared folder is defined with the path /data_sets/ds-123, it is not possible to navigate to the directory /data_sets within the File Manager, unless that directory is accessible through another shared folder or project folder.

Keep in mind when defining project folders and shared folders whether you might be exposing any sensitive subfolders you'd prefer to keep private!

Adding Shared Folders

Shared folders can be defined from the 'Shared Folders' page on the Admin Dashboard.

Click the 'Add Shared Folder' button.
In the pop-up window, click 'Select a folder'.
In the folder selection dialog, select from the available Storage Drives.
Browse the drive contents to find the folder you would like to share and put a check next to it. If you'd like to use the current folder, check the '[This folder]' option. Click 'Select'

Provide a Display Name for the shared folder. This will be its label in the File Manager.
Select the appropriate Visibility for the folder.
- If you select Public, everyone in your organization will be able to access the shared folder.
- If you select Private, only users and teams you add will be able to access the folder.
Check the appropriate boxes to enable write or delete permissions to the folder for users who can access it.

Click 'Save' to complete the shared folder creation. Once saved, the folder will be visible in the Shared Folder settings and can be modified at any time.

PreviousManaging Users & Teams NextProjects

Last updated 1 month ago

Storage Concepts

Lab Atlas uses a few different concepts to represent file storage systems and make them available to users. Here are a how these are defined and presented to users:

Storage Drive: Refers to either Lab Atlas provided cloud storage, or a third-party cloud storage drive object, such as an S3 bucket or SharePoint Site Drive. Drives can be added or removed from the integration settings for the appropriate service in the admin dashboard (eg. AWS for S3, Microsoft 365 for SharePoint).
Project Folder: When creating a new project, you are given the opportunity to either create or use an existing storage folder from one of your organization's available Storage Drives. This folder will form the root of your project tree, including all study and assay storage folders created under the project.
Shared Folder: Shared folders are a way for you to make storage locations on your connected third-party storage services available to Lab Atlas users within the File Manager interface. You can create a shared folder from locations on any registered drive, define who has access to it, and specify read/write permissions.
User Folder: Every Lab Atlas user gets a private user folder that is visible only to them. This folder can be accessed only from the File Manager page.

Security & Visibility

Project folder permissions are dictated by project visibility. The lays-out a framework for defining who has access to Project records and what they can do with them. Project folders inherit the permissions of the parent project. This means that:
- Public project folders are open and write-enabled for everyone in your organization.
- Protected project folders can be viewed by non-project members, but not written-to.
- Private project folders are not visible to non-members.

Organization admins can access any project or shared folder. This is true even if they are not a member of the project or have had the folder shared with them.
Only you can access your private user folder. Not even admins can read or write to this location.
You cannot navigate above the root folder path. This is true for all folder types within the File Manager interface. For example, if a shared folder is defined with the path /data_sets/ds-123, it is not possible to navigate to the directory /data_sets within the File Manager, unless that directory is accessible through another shared folder or project folder.

Keep in mind when defining project folders and shared folders whether you might be exposing any sensitive subfolders you'd prefer to keep private!

Adding Shared Folders

Shared folders can be defined from the 'Shared Folders' page on the Admin Dashboard.

Click the 'Add Shared Folder' button.
In the pop-up window, click 'Select a folder'.
In the folder selection dialog, select from the available Storage Drives.
Browse the drive contents to find the folder you would like to share and put a check next to it. If you'd like to use the current folder, check the '[This folder]' option. Click 'Select'

Provide a Display Name for the shared folder. This will be its label in the File Manager.
Select the appropriate Visibility for the folder.
- If you select Public, everyone in your organization will be able to access the shared folder.
- If you select Private, only users and teams you add will be able to access the folder.
Check the appropriate boxes to enable write or delete permissions to the folder for users who can access it.

Click 'Save' to complete the shared folder creation. Once saved, the folder will be visible in the Shared Folder settings and can be modified at any time.