Using VOS Tools¶
The most efficient way to transfer files in and out of CANFAR's Science Portal is to use the VOS Tools, which are also used for interacting with CANFAR's VOSpace.
Instructions for installing VOS Tools on your personal computer are located here under the section titled The vos Python module and command line client.
Instructions on how to use this tool, including some basic examples, are
found on the same webpage. In brief, this tool runs on the command line
with syntax similar to the linux scp command. File locations within
CANFAR systems are specified with vos for VOSpace and arc for the
Science Portal. For example, to copy a file from your personal computer
to your home directory in the Science Portal, you would type the
following command on your personal computer:
vcp myfile.txt arc:home/[username]
To copy a file from VOSpace to your personal computer, you would use:
vcp vos:[username]/myfile.txt ./
To copy files from the Science Portal to VOSpace, you would similarly use the command:
vcp myfile.txt vos:[username]
with the command being run on a terminal within the Science Portal. Note that it is not yet possible to initiate file transfers between the Science Portal and VOSpace from your personal computer.
Also, you may have noticed that the base directory structure differs
slightly between VOSpace and the Science Portal; the Science Portal
includes a home directory, while VOSpace does not. Other commands
such as vls to list files and vrm to remove/delete files may also be
useful. Note that VOS Tools use a security certificate which needs to be
updated periodically. If you get an error message stating:
ERROR:: Expired cert. Update by running cadc-get-cert
run the following command on your personal computer:
cadc-get-cert -u [username]
and enter your password for CADC/CANFAR services at the prompt. More information about VOS Tools can be found at: https://www.canfar.net/en/docs/storage/