Web User Interface (MSC Explorer)

The Multi-Storage Client (MSC) Explorer is a web-based user interface that provides a graphical way to browse and view files across multiple storage backends. It complements the CLI and Python SDK by offering a visual, read-only interface for users who prefer point-and-click interactions to explore their data.

Note

The Web User Interface is currently an experimental feature. Functionality and interfaces may change in future releases.

Overview

The MSC Explorer runs locally on your machine and connects to your configured storage profiles. It provides a unified, read-only view of your data, regardless of whether it resides on AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, or a local filesystem.

Key Features:

• Unified File Browsing: Navigate through directories and files across different cloud providers using a single interface.

• File Download: Download files from remote storage to your local machine.

Installation

The MSC Explorer is an optional component of the Multi-Storage Client. To use it, you must install the explorer extra:

pip install multistorageclient[explorer]

Starting the Explorer

Once installed, you can start the web interface using the msc CLI:

# Start the explorer on the default port (8888)
msc explorer

When the server starts, it will display the URL where the interface is accessible (defaulting to http://127.0.0.1:8888). Open this URL in your web browser to access the MSC Explorer.

Usage

Navigation

The main interface displays a file browser view. You can:

• Select a Profile: Use the profile selector to switch between your configured storage backends (e.g., s3-prod, gcs-backup, local-data).

• Browse Directories: Click on folders to navigate into them. Use the breadcrumb bar to navigate back to parent directories.

• Refresh: Click the refresh button to reload the current directory listing.

File Operations

The MSC Explorer provides read-only access to your storage backends with the following operations:

• View Metadata: See file information including size, type, and last modified date in an organized table view.

• Download: Download files from remote storage to your local machine.

Configuration

The MSC Explorer shares the same configuration as the core Multi-Storage Client. Any profiles defined there, after being uploaded into the explorer, will be available in the web UI.

See Configuration Reference for details on how to configure storage profiles.

See also

• Command-Line Interface - MSC Command Line Interface

• Quickstart - Getting started with MSC configuration

• Configuration Reference - Complete configuration reference