Transfer Appliance is a physical device for offline migration of large data volumes to Google Cloud when network transfers would take too long.
What is Google Transfer Appliance?
Transfer Appliance is a physical storage device provided by Google for offline transfer of large data volumes to Google Cloud Storage. The service is ideal for situations where network transfers would take weeks or months due to data volume or limited bandwidth. Google ships the device to you, you copy data locally, send it back, and Google uploads the data to your Cloud Storage bucket.
Two capacity levels are available: TA40 with 40 TB usable capacity for medium data volumes and TA300 with 300 TB for large migrations and datacenter exits. For even larger data volumes, multiple appliances can be deployed in parallel. Each device offers high copy speeds via USB 3.0, 10 GbE, or 40 GbE interfaces.
Security is top priority: All data is encrypted with AES-256 and customer-managed encryption keys. The device is shipped sealed with tamper evidence. After upload, all data is securely erased. The entire shipping chain is trackable and documented.
Common Use Cases
Datacenter Exit and Cloud Migration
A company closes a datacenter and migrates to Google Cloud. 500 TB of data would take months over the network. Two TA300 appliances transfer the data in 3 weeks in parallel. The datacenter can be closed on schedule.
Archive Digitization
A broadcaster digitizes historical tapes. 200 TB of video material is digitized locally and copied to Transfer Appliance. Upload to Cloud Storage happens offline while digitization continues. Archive Class stores long-term cost-effectively.
Backup Initial Load
A company starts cloud backup for 100 TB of production data. The initial full copy would take 2 months over WAN. Transfer Appliance delivers the baseline in 2 weeks, then incremental backups synchronize online via Storage Transfer Service.
Scientific Data Collaboration
A research institute shares 80 TB of genome data with partners worldwide. Transfer Appliance copies data to Cloud Storage, from where partners can download. Faster and cheaper than international data lines.
Media Production Workflow
A film studio backs up raw footage after wrap. 150 TB of 8K footage is copied to Transfer Appliance and sent to Cloud Storage. The material is available from the cloud for post-production, local storage is freed up.
Integration with innFactory
As a Google Cloud partner, innFactory supports you with Transfer Appliance: migration planning, data preparation, encryption setup, and Cloud Storage integration.
Contact us for a consultation on Transfer Appliance and Google Cloud migration.
Available Tiers & Options
TA40
- 40 TB capacity
- Compact design
- Fast delivery
- Limited capacity
TA300
- 300 TB capacity
- Higher throughput
- Ideal for petabyte migrations
- Larger and heavier
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Google Transfer Appliance?
Transfer Appliance is a physical storage device that Google ships to you. You copy data locally to the device, send it back, and Google uploads the data to Cloud Storage. Ideal for terabytes to petabytes of data that would take too long over the network.
When should I use Transfer Appliance?
Transfer Appliance makes sense when network transfers would take too long. Rule of thumb: If an online transfer would take more than a week, Transfer Appliance is faster. Typically from 10 TB upwards with limited bandwidth.
What capacities are available?
TA40 offers 40 TB usable capacity for medium data volumes. TA300 offers 300 TB for large migrations. For even larger data volumes, multiple appliances can be used in parallel.
How is data protected?
All data is encrypted with AES-256 and customer-managed keys. The device is shipped sealed, any tampering is detectable. After data transfer, all data is securely erased and the device prepared for the next customer.
How long does the process take?
Total time includes delivery (3-5 days), data copying (depends on data volume and local infrastructure), return shipping (3-5 days), and data upload to Cloud Storage. Typically 2-4 weeks from order to data available.
In which countries is Transfer Appliance available?
Transfer Appliance is available in select countries, including USA, UK, and some EU countries. Availability varies. Contact Google Cloud for current information about your country.
