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File streaming

Layer 1 — Fundamentals (What and Why)

  • 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 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.

Note: For step-by-step send/receive instructions, see Transfer a file.

Layer 2 — How it works in practice (User view)

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

  1. Prerequisites

  2. You have permission to create a stream. If not, contact an admin.

  3. The destination (person, team, or site) is visible to you in the portal.

  4. Start a stream

  5. Choose Stream a file in the portal.

  6. Select the destination and pick the file/folder.
  7. Optional: set notes, labels, or retention if your organization uses them.

  8. Start. The transfer begins immediately or waits for required approvals.

  9. During transfer

  10. Peer-to-peer first: stellarbridge tries to connect endpoints directly for best performance.

  11. Automatic resume: if your connection drops or the device sleeps, the portal resumes from where it left off.
  12. Integrity checks: chunks are verified to ensure the destination receives an exact copy.

  13. Bandwidth awareness: transfers adapt to available bandwidth; admins may set limits.

  14. Completion and receipt

  15. You and the destination can see status and a receipt in the portal (time, size, who sent/received).

  16. 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.

Layer 3 — Administration and advanced options (Admin view)

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

Admin action Self-hosted Cloud-hosted Notes
Configure roles/permissions for streaming Yes Yes Control who can initiate/approve streams.
Approvals and policy enforcement Yes Yes As required by your org.
Enable/operate streaming relay Yes Managed Cloud provides managed relay when needed.
Configure firewall/NAT rules Yes Managed Self-hosted may need egress/ingress allowances; cloud relays are reachable over HTTPS.
Enforce HTTPS/TLS at the edge Yes Managed TLS termination at ingress/load balancer.
Set bandwidth caps/schedules Yes Yes Avoid saturation; may be org-wide or per site.
Monitor streaming health/metrics Yes Yes Monitor active streams, failures, retries.
Configure retention/clean-up at destinations Yes Yes Ensures compliant handling after delivery.

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.

Use cases

  • Remote site backup to HQ data store without a VPN.
  • Media production teams sending dailies between offices overnight.
  • Field engineers pushing large logs and telemetry from constrained networks.
  • Cross-border transfers with enforced approvals and audit trail.
  • Transfer a file — step-by-step send/receive
  • File uploads — when streaming isn’t necessary
  • RBAC — roles and permissions for streams
  • Need help? Contact support: Contact support