CERNBox

CERNBox
Name	CERNBox
Developer	CERN
Initial release	2015
Written in	C++, PHP, JavaScript, Python
Operating system	Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS
License	GNU AGPLv3

CERNBox is a file storage and synchronization service developed at CERN to provide cloud-like personal and group storage for researchers, engineers, and administrative staff at large-scale science facilities. It integrates with institutional identity providers and interoperates with distributed computing resources to support collaborations across experiments such as ATLAS (particle detector), CMS (particle detector), ALICE (detector), and LHCb. CERNBox combines client-side synchronization, server-side storage, and web-based access to enable data sharing among users affiliated with CERN, partner laboratories like DESY, Fermilab, and Brookhaven National Laboratory, and academic institutions including University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, and EPFL.

Overview

CERNBox provides file synchronization, sharing, and collaborative features for personnel associated with scientific collaborations such as Large Hadron Collider, ISOLDE, and CERN Neutrino Platform. The service integrates with identity and access frameworks like LDAP, Kerberos, and federated systems exemplified by EduGAIN and SAML 2.0 to authenticate users from organizations such as University of Cambridge, Harvard University, University of Tokyo, and University of California, Berkeley. It interoperates with storage backends including CERN EOS, Ceph, and Amazon S3 compatible systems used by facilities like SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. CERNBox supports clients across Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Android (operating system), and iOS.

History and Development

Development began as part of CERN initiatives to modernize researcher services alongside projects like CERN openlab, Invenio, and INDICO. The project drew upon previous work from collaborations with ownCloud, Nextcloud, and contributions from open source communities including LibreOffice developers and Apache Software Foundation projects. Early milestones involved pilots with experiments such as ALICE (detector) and services used by teams from University of Geneva and ETH Zurich. Integration efforts aligned with European research infrastructure programs like EUDAT and GÉANT and benefited from interoperability testing with PRACE and Haute Autorité de Santé—noting intersections with health research infrastructures at institutions such as Institut Pasteur and Karolinska Institutet.

Architecture and Technology

The CERNBox architecture combines client applications, synchronization daemons, and scalable storage layers based on technologies including C++, PHP, JavaScript, and Python. Server components interface with distributed filesystems such as EOS (filesystem), object stores like Ceph, and archival systems used by European Organization for Nuclear Research partners. Authentication and authorization integrate with SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, and token services similar to those used by GitHub and GitLab for API access. Metadata indexing and search use technologies comparable to Elasticsearch stacks adopted across research centers like CERN Data Centre and GridPP. The service leverages containerization and orchestration platforms akin to Kubernetes and virtualization technologies employed at CERN OpenStack deployments.

Features and Services

CERNBox offers file synchronization, selective sync, versioning, and file sharing with granular permissions suitable for collaborations across experiments like ATLAS (particle detector), CMS (particle detector), ISOLDE, and CERN Neutrino Platform. It includes web-based file browsing, preview, and collaboration features comparable to those in products from ownCloud and Nextcloud. Integration with code and workflow systems such as GitLab, Jupyter Notebook, and Docker supports reproducible research workflows used by groups at Fermilab, DESY, and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Administrative services provide quota management, audit logs, and usage metrics analogous to tools used in European Grid Infrastructure operations.

Deployment and Integration

CERNBox is deployed within the CERN Data Centre and federated to partner sites through affiliation with networks like GÉANT and identity federations including EduGAIN. Deployments interface with storage backends at institutions such as École Polytechnique, University of Toronto, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Integration pipelines support experiment software ecosystems used by ATLAS (particle detector), CMS (particle detector), and LHCb, and connect to workload managers and data management systems like HTCondor and Rucio. The project collaborates with open source communities such as Debian, Red Hat, and SUSE to ensure client packaging and cross-platform compatibility.

Security and Data Protection

CERNBox enforces authentication methods consistent with SAML 2.0 federation and multi-factor authentication solutions used by research institutions like ETH Zurich and EPFL. Data transmission uses encryption comparable to TLS standards adopted by IETF and secure token management aligned with practices from OAuth 2.0 adopters such as Google and Microsoft. Storage protections include access controls, file integrity checks, and logging for compliance with policies at organizations like European Commission research programs and national data protection authorities including CNIL and Information Commissioner's Office. Backup and retention strategies align with archival approaches used by European Organisation for Nuclear Research repositories and digital preservation initiatives like LOCKSS.

Adoption and Use Cases

Researchers and technical staff at CERN and collaborating institutions including Imperial College London, University of Oxford, University of Geneva, DESY, Fermilab, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory use CERNBox for dataset sharing, experiment configuration distribution, and collaborative document editing alongside platforms like Overleaf and ShareLaTeX. Use cases span physics analyses for Large Hadron Collider experiments, software development for control systems at ISOLDE, data acquisition workflows for ALICE (detector), and administrative coordination across projects funded by European Research Council and national science agencies such as National Science Foundation.

Category:Cloud storage