Transferring Files
In order to get work done on your Jetstream2 instance you will probably need to copy source code and data files to the instance and copy computational results from the instance back to your own computer. Such file transfers must be performed using mechanisms that satisfy Jetstream2's security requirements. This page describes several approaches for transferring files to and from your instances and contains links to additional information about those approaches.
Using Guacamole
The Web Shell and Web Desktop that are provided in Jetstream2's Exosphere web interface have built-in functionality for transferring files. That functionality is provided by the web interface's underlying Guacamole platform, and is described here.
Guacamole only allows a single file at a time to be downloaded from an instance to your browser's default download folder. It does allow multiple files to be uploaded from any folder on your computer to a folder of your choosing on the instance. It is a very convenient way to transfer a small number of files of moderate size, but may not be suitable for long transfers involving many file or large files.
Using SCP, SFTP or rsync
Several Linux commands can be used to securely transfer files between computers. The relative advantages and usage of the SCP, SFTP and rsync commands are described in the Data Transfer roadmap. All three commands are included in Jetstream2 instances and featured instances typically run the SFTP server, making it easy to use these functionalities.
These commands require you to authenticate with the instance, which can be done by supplying either the user's passphrase or the private half of an SSH key pair that is known on the instance. These commands can also easily be included in scripts.
Using Graphical File Transfer Clients for SCP/SFTP
Several graphical applications are available to perform secure file transfers. These programs allow you to view the file systems of both your own computer and a Jetstream2 instance and then interactively specify which files to transfer between them. The authentication requirement for these applications are the same as for their underlying commands, described above. Some of the most popular free applications are: