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Downloading your Research Data

Downloading your Research Data

Before you start — check the status of your Research Data (folder size, expiry date, and a direct link to Globus) at any time in the Research Data Hub.

For retention timelines, expiry notifications, and what happens after your data expires - see the Research Data Retention & Access Guide.

↩ Back to the Data Access Guide

The Australian Synchrotron uses https://www.globus.org/ - a secure, high-performance file transfer platform, as the primary method for download of research data.

This page walks you through setting up Globus, linking it to your Synchrotron identity, finding your data, and starting a transfer.

1. Getting Started with Globus

1.1 Log in to Globus

  1. Go to https://www.globus.org and click Log In.

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  1. Authenticate using one of these options:

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Globus Web App - Login Page

  1. After successful login, you will land on the Dashboard.

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Globus Web App - Dashboard Page

1.2 Set up Globus Connect Personal (recommended)

Download options: Use the browser when you only need to download a single file.
To download multiple files or folders, you must transfer to a destination collection. If your destination is your own laptop or PC, set it up with Globus Connect Personal.

  1. Download the installer for your operating system (Windows, macOS or Linux) from the Globus Connect Personal page.

  2. Install the application, then sign in with the same Globus account you use to access your Synchrotron data.

  3. When prompted, create a name for your personal collection (also known as an endpoint). Choose a clear name, such as your laptop or workstation name, so you can find it later in Globus.

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Example of the GCP Setup Process

  1. Choose the local folder(s) that Globus is allowed to access. Make sure they sit within the collection's accessible path and have enough free storage for your data.

  1. Leave Globus Connect Personal running and stay connected to the internet while transfers are in progress.

For additional help with using Globus Connect Personal, see the https://docs.globus.org/globus-connect-personal/troubleshooting-guide/.

2. Connecting Globus to your Synchrotron Identity

You only need to do this once. Until this step is complete, your Australian Synchrotron research data will not appear in Globus.

  1. Log in to your User Hub profile:
    https://userhub.synchrotron.org.au/account

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Australian Synchrotron User Hub - Profile Page

  1. In the Details section, click Edit.

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  1. Under the Data Access section, enter your Globus ID.

    Not sure what your Globus ID is? See How to find my Globus ID below.

  2. Save your changes.

2.1 How to find my Globus ID

  1. Log in to Globus.

  2. Go to your Account Settings → Identities.

  3. Your Globus ID is displayed on this page — it is a 36-character UUID string (e.g. a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890).

Tip: Your Globus and Synchrotron Account email addresses can differ based on your account setup, but your Globus ID must match in both systems.

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Globus Wep App - Account Settings Page

3. Finding your Data (Collection) in Globus

Can't see any data in Globus? Make sure you have connected Globus to your Synchrotron identity.

3.1 Using the File Manager Search

  1. In the Globus File Manager view, click the Collection search field.

  2. Search using any of these terms:

    • ANSTO

    • ASynch

    • Your beamline name (e.g. IMBL, PD, MX, SAXS/WAXS, XFM)

    • Your Experiment Proposal Number (e.g. 23716a)

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Globus Wep App - File Manager: Collections Search

  1. Click on the matching collection to load it in the File Manager. Follow any permission prompts that appear.

  2. Use the Path field or folder icons to navigate into directories within the collection.

3.2 Using the Collections Search

  1. In the Globus Collections view, enter any search terms from Section 3.1.

  2. Check the search filter that Globus is using. The Collections search may default to Recent Tasks, which only shows collections from transfer tasks you have initiated recently. If you have not completed any recent transfers, this list may be empty even when collections have been shared with you.

  3. Select the Shared With You filter instead, then search again to list Australian Synchrotron collections that have been shared with your Globus account.

  4. Choose the matching collection to open it in Globus.

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Globus Web App - Collections Search

Alternative — direct link from the Research Data Hub:
You can also go to https://data.synchrotron.org.au, find your research data, and click the Globus link shown there. This takes you straight to the correct collection.

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Tip: Many beamlines allow you to access your data during the experiment — check this with your Beamline Science team.

4. Transferring your Data

Globus works by transferring files between two collections — a source (your research data) and a destination (your institution's endpoint or your personal computer).

4.1 Set up a destination

  • Institutional endpoint: Ask your organisation's IT department whether they already have a Globus endpoint you can use.

  • Personal computer: Install and run Globus Connect Personal. Make sure the application is running and the device is connected to the internet.

4.2 Start the transfer

  1. With your data collection open in the left panel, click "Transfer or Sync to…". A second panel opens on the right.

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  1. In the right panel's Collection field, search for and select your destination collection.

  2. Select the files and/or folders you want to download in the left panel. The Start button becomes active.

    • The first time you connect to a destination, you may need to accept access permissions.

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  1. Click Start.

  2. Globus will display a green notification confirming the transfer request was submitted. You can monitor progress in the Activity tab.

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For more detailed information of Globus transfers, see the official Globus tutorial:
https://docs.globus.org/guides/tutorials/manage-files/transfer-files/

5. Information regarding ASCI Desktop

If you use ASCI Desktop for data processing, make sure you save all processed results into your assigned research data folder.

Any files stored outside your research data folder (for example, in your home directory) will not be available for file transfer or download via Globus.

6. Additional Globus Help

Learn more about the Globus platform and how to get started in the Globus User Guide.

7. Still Having Trouble?

For general data access inquiries, reach out to your Beamline Science team.

For help with technical issues downloading data, email as-scicomp-support@ansto.gov.au with:

  • Your name

  • Experiment Proposal Number (EPN)

  • Beamline name

  • Description of the issue

The Scientific Computing Support team will respond as soon as we can.