Using the RDSS Globus Endpoint
This document describes how to transfer data to/from the Research Data Storage Service (RDSS) and FSMResfiles using Globus.
The Northwestern Quest RDSS endpoint allows you to transfer data between RDSS/FSMResfiles and Quest. Currently, all data to/from RDSS must go through Quest due to current system architecture.
Setup
To use the RDSS endpoint you must:
- Have a Quest Allocation: Follow the linked instructions to request a Quest allocation.
- Have access to an RDSS/FSMResFiles Allocation: See the linked page for more information about RDSS
- Request access to RDSS/FSMResFiles via Globus: Send an email to quest-help@northwestern.edu with the subject line "RDSS Globus Access". Include the following in the body of your email
- your NetID
- The path of the RDSS share you would like to access via Globus
Mounting your RDSS/FSMResFiles share
Once these steps are complete, mount RDSS on Quest. To do this, make sure you are either on campus, or are connected to GlobalProtect VPN. Then, open your terminal program of choice and type the following command
ssh <netid>@qglobus02.it.northwestern.edu
Where you replace <netid> with your Northwestern NetID. Enter your NetID password when prompted.
This operation will automatically mount your RDSS/FSMResFiles share. The share will remain mounted after you end your terminal session.
Note: You will need to repeat this process after Quest downtime.
Activating the endpoint
To activate the RDSS endpoint:
Open https://app.globus.org/file-manager in the browser and log in as a Northwestern user.
Then Search for the the RDSS endpoint "Northwestern Quest RDSS".
When you select this endpoint, Globus will then ask you to authenticate using your Northwestern NetID and password
Then, you should see the /rdss/ directory, which contains folders with users' NetIDs.
To navigate to access your RDSS/FSMResFiles content, navigate into the folder with your NetID as the name. Inside that folder, you will see a folder called "resfiles", "fsmresfiles", or "resfiles-audit", depending on where your allocation is located. Navigate into that folder. You should see the files contained in the directory that you requested access to in the Setup section.
We recommend bookmarking this folder to avoid having to navigate to this folder every time you initiate a file transfer. To create a bookmark, select the bookmark icon to the right of the path you would like to bookmark. The icon will appear yellow if the path is bookmarked.
Transferring files to/from RDSS/FSMResFiles
The Northwestern Quest RDSS endpoint only allows data transfers within RDSS and to the Northwestern Quest managed endpoint.
- To transfer to Quest: No staging is necessary.
- To transfer anywhere else: To transfer files from RDSS/FSMResfiles to any other endpoint, first transfer the data to Quest. Your Quest allocation must have enough storage space to accommodate the files that you're transferring. Then, you can transfer the files to any other Globus endpoint.
Extending RDSS/FSMResFiles endpoint activation
Northwestern Quest RDSS endpoint activation on Globus expires after 1 day by default. Once it expires, you must reauthenticate.
To extend the activation period:
First, on the Globus website, find the Northwestern Quest RDSS Endpoint in the File Manager window.
Then, select the Manage Activation icon that looks like a power button at the bottom of the column between the file browser windows (red box)
Click Extend Activation. Globus will ask you to reauthenticate with your Northwestern NetID
BEFORE YOU AUTHENTICATE, click Advanced under the password field. This will allow you to specify how long you would like the endpoint to remain activated up to 168 hours (7 days). Enter the amount of time you would like to extend the activation for in hours.
If you would like to create a stable endpoint that does not expire, you can create a Shared Collection on the RDSS Endpoint. See Globus's How to Share Data Using Globus documentation for more information.