The easy way to transfer files to Azure from another cloud location
A version of this post originally appeared as a guest post on the Azure Marketplace blog, discussing how file transfer issues in the cloud can be solved via Azure Marketplace using an SFTP solution.
You need to quickly migrate data from another cloud provider to Azure.
Or perhaps you need to move data the other way. Maybe you have a development team that’s doing their coding in one place and the data they need is stored in Blob. They’ll want a simple way to pull down the files.
Even though the world is moving to the cloud, companies around the globe still have users who send files via SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) for projects like this.
But, transferring a file to the cloud via SFTP isn’t always easy.
Here’s the good news: Thorn Technologies is a Microsoft-endorsed partner with an Azure Marketplace product called SFTP Gateway, designed to meet all the needs mentioned above and more. It’s a simple, secure and affordable way to access cloud storage locations.
“With its multi-cloud capabilities, SFTP Gateway from Thorn Technologies gives our customers a simple way to migrate their data to Azure Blob storage from other cloud locations. It’s also secure, affordable and easy to manage through the Azure marketplace. It’s a great way for businesses and their customers to move files to Azure.”
— Yvonne Muench, Director of Marketplace and ISV Journey for Microsoft
SFTP Gateway for Azure also comes with a 30-day free trial. After that, you’ll pay just six cents an hour, plus the Azure infrastructure costs for the virtual machines on which you will be running this software. It’s an inexpensive alternative to building something yourself.
Next, let’s talk about the problems SFTP Gateway solves and how it works.
Why SFTP Gateway was created and how it works
Not too long ago, when data was transferred between companies, it was done from server to server. The files were sent securely via SFTP. But then, businesses moved to the cloud and data is now kept in storage locations like Azure Blob.
This created a problem for some organizations — maybe yours is one of them. Legacy servers needed to talk to the cloud, but they were still set up for server-to-server SFTP transactions. A change in process would be required to make server-to-cloud SFTP transfers possible. And changes in processes can be expensive and time-consuming.
That’s where SFTP Gateway comes in. Thorn Technologies created it as a simpler way to access cloud storage locations via SFTP, eliminating the need for costly process changes. Using SFTP Gateway and the SFTP client of your choice, servers can talk to your cloud storage locations like they’re any other server.
With SFTP Gateway, there’s no need to spin up a server in each cloud. Users can access multiple cloud storage locations with a single SFTP connection. It’s as simple as setting up two folders, with each one pointing to a different cloud storage location and you can instantly transfer all your files to Blob.
Easy deployment of SFTP Gateway from the Azure Marketplace
SFTP Gateway also includes a web interface that streamlines user management and folder permissions, whether you’re supporting a single user or thousands of them. Plus, straight-forward deployment, self-configuration and minimal administration allows you to be up and running in minutes.
Security is a priority with SFTP Gzateway
You can also trust that this solution is secure. Preconfigured with industry standard security settings, SFTP Gateway complies with corporate security policies that require encryption, key-based authentications and more.
It gets even better with Cloud Computing Add-Ons
Through Thorn Technologies products called cloud computing Add-Ons, things like PGP decryption, checksum validation, email notifications, virus scanning and more can be added on to your SFTP Gateway solution. SFTP Gateway Add-Ons are stand-alone functions automatically triggered when an event takes place in the cloud. They can be used with SFTP Gateway or your existing cloud applications.
For example, the PGP Decryption Add-On automates the process of decrypting PGP encrypted files that were transferred via SFTP. Or, the Email Alert Add-On monitors a cloud storage location and notifies you when a file is uploaded to it, telling you its location, size and MD5 hash. There are also Add-Ons for checksum validation, virus scanning and more.
Get started in the Azure Marketplace
Check out the positive reviews for SFTP Gateway in Azure Marketplace, then trial it for 30 days for free. After that, you’ll pay six cents an hour plus the Azure infrastructure costs for the virtual machines to run the software. It’s an inexpensive alternative to building something yourself.
Read about more companies using SFTP Gateway in the Success Stories on the Thorn Technologies website. You can also learn about Thorn’s responsive support team and how they can assist you (free email support, SFTP Gateway deployment, custom integrations, cloud application development, cloud computing add-ons like PGP decryption, email notifications, and more) on thorntech.com.
Learn more about SFTP Gateway on YouTube.
