Data Fabric User Guide

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This is a quick overview to using the ARCS Data Fabric.

 

Introduction


The ARCS Data Fabric is a facility to enable researchers to store and share data across institutional boundaries. The ARCS Data Fabric can be accessed using a web browser, as a remote file system, or using a client such as Cyberduck or WinSCP.

 

Accessing the Data Fabric using a web browser

 

Click the Launch Data Fabric link on the ARCS home page, or use one of the following links:

AAF login to use your home institution identity.

ARCS login to use your ARCS username and password.

Your AAF and your ARCS login both identify you as the same Data Fabric user. Your AAF identity is completely administered by the University or other institution to which you belong. If you've registered to use the Data Fabric, an ARCS username and password is created that links to your AAF identity.

If you've forgotten or don't know your ARCS username or password, you can use the access service web page - click on the "Your Account" tab after logging in using your AAF login.

 

Web Interface Overview

Figure 1 shows the Home Screen of the ARCS Data Fabric and its major interface elements. For each user, the home screen shows all directories a user has access to. All group directories of the groups a user is a member of will also appear in the home screen.

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Figure 1: The Home Screen of the ARCS Data Fabric

Breadcrumb Trail

The Breadcrumb Trail shows the full path to the currently active directory. You may click on any part of the breadcrumb to access quickly other directories in the path. 

File Browser

The File Browser shows all file and directory objects in the currently active directory. It is used for navigation through the directory structure, accessing files and selection of objects for actions.

Action Buttons

The web interface ARCS Data Fabric has two sets of Action buttons. The top action buttons above the File Browser are for actions that relate to the currently active directory. The right action buttons execute actions on the currently selected objects.

To select a single object, click in the white space next to the object's name. To select multiple objects, click the whitespace next to each object's name while holding down the control key (command key for Mac OS X users).

Icons

The icons towards the top of the interface perform quick navigation to home or trash and other action tasks.

 

Accessing the Data Fabric as a remote file system

 

The ARCS Data Fabric can be accessed as a remote file system using most modern WebDAV clients including nearly all of those built into major operating systems.

To access the ARCS Data Fabric, you need to provide your WebDAV client with three pieces of information:

  1. The service URL: https://df.arcs.org.au/ARCS/home
  2. Your ARCS Username
  3. Your ARCS Password

For details on how to establish a new connection, please see the documentation of your individual WebDAV client.

Windows XP

  1. In Windows Explorer double-click ‘My Network Places’
  2. Click on ‘Add a network Place’, then Next
  3. Select ‘Choose another network location’
  4. Enter https://df.arcs.org.au/ARCS/home as the URL
  5. Give a name to this Network Place, for example "ARCS Data Fabric - home"
  6. Enter your ARCS Username and ARCS Password when prompted
  7. Once connected, name the connection and click ‘OK’
  8. The connection can now be found in ‘My Network Places’

Mac OS X

  1. Activate the ‘Finder’
  2. In the Menubar, select the ‘Go’ then ‘Connect to Server’
  3. In the dialogue window, type https://df.arcs.org.au/ARCS/home in the address field
  4. Click the ‘+’ to save the connection
  5. Click ‘Connect’ and enter your ARCS Username and ARCS Password when prompted
  6. Optionally, select to store your ARCS Username and ARCS Password when prompted for future connections
  7. Click ‘Ok’ to establish a connection
  8. The ARCS Data Fabric now appears as a network drive in the ‘Finder’

 

Accessing the Data Fabric using an SSH client


File transferring clients, such as Cyberduck and WinSCP, can also be used with the ARCS Data Fabric.

You will need to configure your client with the following information:

hostname: df.arcs.org.au

port: 2222

Note that you must use your ARCS username and password to log in.