File transfer on cloud storage, not local disk
Run partner and internal file transfers against your own cloud storage rather than a local server disk. Access is role based, data tiers on a schedule you set, and every action is logged.
The challenge
Traditional file transfer servers keep files on local disk. When that disk fills, transfers fail, workflows stall and someone starts an emergency clean-up. Capacity then becomes a recurring planning exercise, and storage decisions get made under pressure instead of by policy.
The same servers often have thin controls. Accounts are shared, partners see more than they should, and there is no clear record of who moved what. Teams want the convenience of SFTP without the single disk and the weak governance behind it.
What it does
Cloud storage backed transfer
Files uploaded by browser or SFTP land directly in your own cloud storage account instead of on an application server disk, so storage is managed by the cloud service and not a single host.
Managed SFTP
Partners and systems that need SFTP keep it, with scoped local users on your storage account and managed credentials, including key and password rotation.
Lifecycle tiering
Rules move data from hot to cooler and archive tiers, and expire it, on a schedule you set. Storage cost and retention become policy and not a manual task.
Role-based access
Custom roles control who can view, upload, download, rename, delete or share, checked per organization, with sign-in through Microsoft or Google accounts.
Partner separation
Each partner or team is its own organization, a separate data boundary, so users see only their own files and folders.
Activity log
Uploads, downloads, deletions, shares and permission changes are recorded with who, what, when and where, then searched and exported for review.
How it works
Connect storage
An organization is bound to a container in your cloud storage account, in the region you choose. Users and roles are added with single sign-on.
Receive files
Users upload in the browser, partners deliver over managed SFTP, or external senders use a drop-off link. Files go to your storage, not to a server disk.
Govern access
Roles decide who can see and move each file. Outside recipients can be given time-limited links, and access can be limited by country.
Tier and retire
Lifecycle rules move older data to cheaper tiers or remove it on schedule, while the activity log keeps a record of what happened.
Under the hood
- Storage
- Cloud blob storage
- Data lake storage
- Managed SFTP
- Lifecycle tiers
- Identity and access
- Microsoft sign-in
- Google sign-in
- Role-based permissions
- Time-limited links
- Protection
- Encryption in transit and at rest
- Malware scan status
- Geo-fencing
- PGP
- Operations
- Searchable activity log
- CSV export
- Containerized workers
- Event-driven processing
Inside the harness
Data transfer
Transfers run through one governed path into your own cloud storage, with organization boundaries and sharing limits applied the same way every time.
Policy
Role permissions, sharing limits and lifecycle rules are set once and enforced on every transfer, instead of being left to each user or administrator.
Security
Sign-in, isolation per organization, encryption, geo-fencing and malware scan status protect files in storage and in motion.
Audit
Every file action is written to a searchable log scoped per organization, which can be exported when auditors or partners ask who accessed what.
Business outcome
Less reliance on a single server disk. With files stored in cloud storage, capacity is handled by the storage service and not a host disk, which reduces the planning and clean-up work around local space.
Storage managed by policy. Lifecycle rules tier and expire data automatically, so retention and cost are decisions made once and applied consistently.
Partners keep SFTP, with control. Partner systems keep their SFTP connections while access moves to scoped users, roles and a recorded history.
Clear answers on access. When someone asks who touched a file, the answer is a search on the activity log, with an export available for review.
Where it is used
- Replacing an aging SFTP server that runs short of disk with managed SFTP on cloud storage.
- Receiving large partner deliveries directly into cloud storage, then tiering older files to cheaper storage.
- Giving each outside vendor a separate space with its own users, roles and activity history.
- Scanning files for sensitive information as they arrive and before they are shared further.
Frequently asked questions
Does this remove all storage limits?
No claim of unlimited storage is made. Files sit in your own cloud storage account, so capacity and quotas follow that service and your subscription. The change is that a single server disk is no longer the constraint.
Can partners keep using SFTP?
Yes. Managed SFTP is available, with scoped users and credentials that can be rotated. Browser access and one-time links are the alternatives for people who do not use SFTP.
Where is the data stored?
In your own cloud storage account, in the region you choose. Zapper Edge governs access to it, so data residency remains your decision.
How does lifecycle tiering work?
You set rules that move data from hot to cooler and archive tiers and expire it after a period you choose. Archived files can be rehydrated when needed, subject to your storage service.
See it on your own documents and data
Tell us what you want to automate and we will show you how it runs inside the harness.