Welcome

At StellarBridge, we believe that sharing files should be as simple as sending a message. Our mission is to provide enterprise-grade file transfer capabilities while maintaining the simplicity that users love.

We’re committed to security, reliability, and user experience, ensuring that your data reaches its destination safely and efficiently.

Stellarbridge is a platform that allows users and organizations to move files anywhere between the office and the edge.

You will often see stllr used as shorthand for stellarbridge.

• What is a file upload?
  • An upload sends a file from your device to a destination managed by your organization (a person, team, project folder, or an intake “inbox”). It’s simple and familiar: pick a file and send it.
• Why use uploads?
  • Simplicity: best for small to medium files and one‑off deliveries.
  • Compatibility: works from any modern browser with no extra setup.
  • Governance: optionally routes files through organization policies (approvals, retention, virus scanning, labeling).
  • Security: encrypted in transit; access controlled by roles and permissions.
• When to use uploads vs. streaming
  • Use uploads for quick, occasional transfers or governed intake into a central destination.
  • Use streaming for large files, unstable networks, or site‑to‑site transfers that must automatically resume. See File streaming.
• Key terms (plain language)
  • Upload: the action of sending a file from your device into Stellarbridge.
  • Uploader: the person who initiates the upload.
  • Destination/Inbox: where the file lands (person, team, project folder, or intake mailbox).
  • Policy: rules your org sets for who can upload, what is allowed, and whether approvals are needed.
  • Retention: how long the file is kept before automatic clean‑up.

Tip: If your upload is huge, or you expect flaky connectivity, consider using streaming instead: File streaming.

This section explains the typical upload flow you’ll see in the portal.

1. Prerequisites

• You have permission to upload to the chosen destination. If not, contact an admin.
• The destination (person, team, project, or inbox) is visible to you in the portal.
• Check any size or type limits defined by your organization.

2. Start an upload

• Choose Upload a file in the portal.
• Select the destination (person/team/project/inbox).
• Pick your file(s) or folder. For many files, consider zipping before upload if preferred by your org.
• Optional: add notes, labels, or retention settings if your organization uses them.
• Start. If approvals are required, your upload will wait until approved.

3. During upload

• Progress: you’ll see progress and estimated time remaining.
• Integrity checks: the portal verifies that the received file matches what you sent.
• Bandwidth awareness: uploads adapt to available bandwidth; admins may set limits.
• Security: data is encrypted in transit.

4. Completion and receipt

• You and the destination can view status and a receipt (time, size, who sent/received).
• If retention or clean‑up is configured, the portal enforces it after completion.

Limitations to keep in mind

• Huge files and unstable networks are better handled by streaming.
• Browser timeouts or sleep can pause uploads; refresh only if the portal instructs you.
• Organizational policies may require approvals or restrict file types and destinations.

Access and governance

• Roles and permissions: decide who can upload and to which destinations.
• Policies: enforce approvals, allowed file types, labeling, and destination restrictions.
• Retention and clean‑up: set how long items are kept and whether they are auto‑deleted or archived.

Admin requirements by deployment

Security and compliance

• Transport security: uploads use encrypted connections.
• Audit trail: track who uploaded what, when, and where; export logs as needed.
• Optional controls: antivirus scanning or data loss prevention rules where applicable.

Operations and limits

• Size limits: configure maximum upload size per user/group or destination.
• Bandwidth limits: set caps to avoid saturating links during business hours.
• Storage monitoring: watch available space and quota usage on target stores.

Troubleshooting

• If an upload doesn’t start, check permissions, size/type limits, or pending approvals.
• If performance is poor, review bandwidth caps and local network conditions.
• If uploads pause frequently, review device sleep settings and connectivity.

Disaster recovery considerations

• Brief service interruptions will not corrupt files; partial uploads can be retried.
• For unreliable links or very large payloads, guide users to File streaming.

• Intake of vendor or customer documents into a shared inbox with approvals.
• HR or Finance receiving sensitive documents with retention and audit trail.
• Project teams dropping assets into a central workspace from the browser.
• One‑off handovers to a specific person or team without setting up a stream.

• When uploads aren’t ideal (large/unreliable): File streaming
• Permissions and roles (who can upload and where): Permissions and RBAC
• Need help? Contact support: Contact support

• What is file streaming?
  • Streaming lets you send files directly from one location to another without first staging or re-uploading the full file to a central server. It’s optimized for large files and unreliable networks.
• Why use it?
  • Reliability: transfers resume automatically after interruptions (power, network, laptop sleep).
  • Speed: peer‑to‑peer where possible; parallel chunks; optional relay fallback.
  • Security: end‑to‑end encrypted paths; access controlled by your organization’s roles and policies.
  • Control: you decide who can send, receive, and approve transfers.
• When to use streaming vs. a simple upload
  • Use streaming for large files, multi‑site transfers, edge/remote locations, or when transfers must resume automatically.
  • Use a simple upload for small, one‑off files that don’t need advanced controls. See also File uploads.
• Key terms (plain language)
  • Stream: a secure connection used to send files between two endpoints.
  • Sender/Source: where the file originates.
  • Receiver/Destination: where the file is delivered.
  • Relay: a Stellarbridge service that helps when peers cannot connect directly (e.g., strict firewalls/NAT).
  • Policy: rules that decide who can start a stream, which data is allowed, and any approvals required.

Tip: If you only need the steps to send a file, see How to stream a file.

This section explains the typical flow you’ll see in the portal.

1. Prerequisites

• You have permission to create a stream. If not, contact an admin.
• The destination (person, team, or site) is visible to you in the portal.

2. Start a stream

• Choose Stream a file in the portal.
• Select the destination and pick the file/folder.
• Optional: set notes, labels, or retention if your organization uses them.
• Start. The transfer begins immediately or waits for required approvals.

3. During transfer

• Peer‑to‑peer first: Stellarbridge tries to connect endpoints directly for best performance.
• Automatic resume: if your connection drops or the device sleeps, the portal resumes from where it left off.
• Integrity checks: chunks are verified to ensure the destination receives an exact copy.
• Bandwidth awareness: transfers adapt to available bandwidth; admins may set limits.

4. Completion and receipt

• You and the destination can see status and a receipt in the portal (time, size, who sent/received).
• If retention or clean‑up settings are applied, the portal will follow those after completion.

Common scenarios you can rely on

• Large media or scientific data sets between sites.
• Overnight transfers on unstable links; the stream will resume in the morning.
• Edge devices sending logs or captures back to HQ without babysitting.

Limitations to keep in mind

• Extremely restrictive firewalls may require a relay. Stellarbridge provides the relay as part of the service.
• Your organization’s policies may require approvals or restrict destinations.

Network and connectivity

• NAT traversal: the system attempts direct peer‑to‑peer using standard techniques. If blocked, it falls back to a relay.

Admin requirements by deployment

Security and compliance

• Encryption: data is encrypted in transit.
• Access: manage who can start streams via roles and permissions.
• Audit trail: transfer logs (who, what, when, where) are available for review and export.
• Data handling: configure retention and automatic clean‑up at destination if required by policy.

Operations and troubleshooting

• Monitoring: watch active streams, completion rates, failures, and retry counts in the portal.
• Health checks: verify endpoints are online and authenticated; confirm relay availability if used.
• Common fixes:
  • If a stream doesn’t start, check permissions and policy blocks.
  • If performance is poor, review firewall/relay usage and bandwidth limits.
  • If transfers pause frequently, inspect local power/sleep settings and network stability.

Disaster recovery considerations

• Streams will resume after service restarts or temporary outages.

• Remote site backup to HQ data store without a VPN.
• Media production teams sending dailies between offices overnight.
• Field engineers are pushing large logs and telemetry from constrained networks.
• Cross‑border transfers with enforced approvals and audit trail.

• How to stream a file (step‑by‑step): How to stream a file
• File uploads (when streaming isn’t necessary): File uploads
• Permissions and roles (who can start/approve streams): Permissions and RBAC
• Need help? Contact support: Contact support