To connect to a bucket from the Digital Archive using an S3 client, you need:

• For IPv4-only systems:
  • Server name: https://digitalarchiv.hcp-carl-s3.dasi.rwth-aachen.de
  • Port: 8483
• For IPv6-only systems:
  • Server name: https://digitalarchiv.hcp-carl-s3.dasi.rwth-aachen.de
  • Port: 443
• For IP DualStack:
  • Server name: https://digitalarchiv.hcp-carl-s3.dasi.rwth-aachen.de
  • Port: 443
• Access Key
• Secret Key
• Bucket Name

You can view the endpoint on the data project info page. You will get this from the admins of the corresponding data project in SeviRe to which your s3-bucket belongs.

If you want to establish the connection via WinSCP, the following steps are necessary:

• Install WinSCP
• Configure a new connection
• Open bucket
• Interacting with files
• Optimizing data transfer in WinSCP

 

Note

Screenhots still show Coscine ressources. Please refer to the text for correct data.

Install WinSCP 

Based on WinSCP version 5.19.3

Download WinSCP and run the installation program:

https://winscp.net/eng/download.php

For the installation you need admin rights.

Alternatively, you can download the portable version, which you can use without installing and thus without admin rights. We will work with the portable version in this tutorial.

Download the portable version:

Configure a new connection

Step 1

Start WinSCP via the WinSCP executable:

Step 2

Immediately after startup, an input window will open, allowing you to configure a new connection.

Step 3

Select "Amazon S3" in the "File protocol" field and copy the values listed in the table below into the respective fields of the input mask.

There are a total of five input fields to fill in - please refer to the resource configuration in Coscine [link to instructions] or RWTH Publications for the corresponding values. In the case of RWTH Publications, you will find the document "Datenzugang_DataAccess.pdf" for your data set. All relevant data is stored there. Note that the Host name field in WinSCP corresponds to the Entry point field in Coscine. If you copy the value, you should paste it without https:// prefix and without port postfix in WinSCP, otherwise an incorrect redirection will be made. For simplicity, you should copy the host name value given below.

Step 4

Now click "Login" to connect to the resource. You can save the connection configuration beforehand for later reuse by clicking on the "Save" button. This is recommended so that you do not have to re-enter the above data over and over again.

If you are prompted with a certificate error, you are probably using an outdated version of the WinSCP client. Compare the version you are using with the version on the download page given in section 1 and update if necessary. You should always use the latest version of the WinSCP client.

Open bucket

After the connection is established, you will be connected to the "root" directory only and not your s3 bucket.

You now have to open the directory (in this case the corresponding S3 bucket) to get access to the data.

Step 1

Click on the "Open directory/bookmark" button or press the key combination (Ctrl+O):

Step 2

An input mask opens, in whose input field you have to enter your "Bucket Name"

Step 3

Confirm your input by clicking the "OK" button. If everything went smoothly, you should now be able to see your files in the right part of the window and interact with them.

Interacting with files

Select the files you want to interact with and right-click on them. A context menu will open, allowing you to perform various actions on the selected files. 

Please note: Changing the data in the DigitalArchive is not intended. Due to the use of WORM storage in the DigitalArchive, direct editing of files is not possible. Changes can only be made by downloading, modifying and then uploading with a customized file name.

Optimizing data transfer in WinSCP

WinSCP transfers files in foreground mode by default, whereby only one file at a time is processed.

This can take a lot of time when transferring many files.

By adjusting the settings, WinSCP can be configured to transfer multiple files simultaneously.