aspera.conf - File System

The configuration options in aspera.conf's <file_system/>.

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This topic shows you how to modify aspera.conf's <file_system/> section in a Terminal.

  1. Open aspera.conf 
    /opt/aspera/etc/aspera.conf

    You can also find the configuration example in this path:

    /opt/aspera/etc/samples/aspera-everything.conf
  2. Add or locate the <file_system /> section using a template

    Here is a template that includes all options:

    <file_system>
   <access>
      <paths>
         <path>
            <absolute peer_ip="ip_address">/path/$(name)</absolute>      <!-- Absolute Path (conditional) -->
            <absolute>/path/$(name)</absolute>      <!-- Absolute Path -->
            <read_allowed>true</read_allowed>          <!-- Read Allowed -->
            <write_allowed>true</write_allowed>        <!-- Write Allowed -->
            <dir_allowed>true</dir_allowed>            <!-- Browse Allowed -->
         </path>
      </paths>
   </access>
   <read_block_size>0</read_block_size>                  <!-- Read Block Size -->
   <write_block_size>0</write_block_size>                <!-- Write Block Size -->
   <use_file_cache>true</use_file_cache>               <!-- Use File Cache -->
   <max_file_cache_buffer>0</max_file_cache_buffer>    <!-- Max File Cache Buffer-->
   <resume_suffix>.aspx</resume_suffix>                <!-- Resume Suffix -->
   <preserve_attributes> </preserve_attributes>        <!-- Preserve Attributes -->
   <overwrite>allow</overwrite>                        <!-- Overwrite -->
   <file_manifest>disable</file_manifest>              <!-- File Manifest -->
   <file_manifest_path> </file_manifest_path>          <!-- File Manifest Path -->
   <pre_calculate_job_size>any</pre_calculate_job_size><!-- Pre-Calculate Job Size -->
   <storage_rc>
      <adaptive>true</adaptive>                        <!-- Storage Rate Control -->
   </storage_rc>
   <file_create_mode> </file_create_mode>              <!-- File Create Mode -->
   <file_create_grant_mask>644</file_create_grant_mask><!-- File Create Grant Mask -->
   <directory_create_mode> </directory_create_mode>    <!-- Directory Create Mode -->
   <directory_create_grant_mask>755</directory_create_grant_mask> <!-- Directory Create Grant Mask -->
   <excludes>    <!-- Exclude Pattern -->
      <exclude></exclude>
      <exclude></exclude>
      ...
   </excludes>
   <partial_file_suffix>.partial</partial_file_suffix>     <!-- Partial File Suffix -->   
</file_system>
  3. Configuration options reference

    The following table lists all configuration options:

    Field Description Values Default
    Absolute Path
    The Absolute Path is a path to the docroot, the area of the file system that is accessible to Aspera users. The default empty value gives users access to the entire file system. In aspera.conf, you can set multiple docroots and make them conditional based on the IP address from which the connection is made. To do so, set the absolute path as follows:
    <absolute peer_ip="ip_address">path</absolute>
    Amazon S3 Docroots

    You may also specify an Amazon S3 docroot in the following URI format:

    s3://MY_ACCESS_ID:MY_SECRET_KEY@s3.amazonaws.com/my_bucket/my_path

    (where each of the MY_ACCESS_ID, MY_SECRET_KEY and my_bucket/my_path parts must be url_encoded).

    S3 server side options are specified through an additional query part in the URI, as shown below.

    s3://MY_ACCESS_ID:MY_SECRET_KEY@s3.amazonaws.com/my_bucket/my_path?storage-class=REDUCED_REDUNDANCY&server-side-encryption=AES256

    Valid values are as follows:

    • For storage-class: STANDARD (default if not specified) or REDUCED_REDUNDANCY.
    • For server-side-encryption: AES256 is the only valid value.
    		file path or Amazon S3 URI blank
    Read Allowed Setting this to true allows users to transfer from the designated area of the file system as specified by the Absolute Path value.
    • true
    • false
    		 blank
    Write Allowed Setting this to true allows users to transfer to the designated area of the file system as specified by the Absolute Path value.
    • true
    • false
    		 blank
    Browse Allowed Setting this to true allows users to browse the directory.
    • true
    • false
    		 blank
    Read Block Size (bytes) This is a performance-tuning parameter for an Aspera sender (which only takes effect if the sender is a server). It represents the maximum number of bytes that can be stored within a block as the block is being transferred from the source disk drive to the receiver. The default of 0 will cause the Aspera sender to use its default internal buffer size, which may be different for different operating systems. positive integer, where 500MB or 524,288,000 bytes bytes is the maximum block size. 0
    Write Block Size (bytes) This is a performance-tuning parameter for an Aspera receiver (which only takes effect if the receiver is a server). It represents the maximum bytes within a block that an ascp receiver can write to disk. The default of 0 will cause the Aspera receiver to use its default internal buffer size, which may be different for different operating systems. positive integer, where 500MB or 524,288,000 bytes bytes is the maximum block size. 0
    Use File Cache This is a performance tuning parameter for an Aspera receiver. Enable or disable per-file memory caching at the data receiver. File level memory caching improves data write speed on Windows platforms in particular, but will use more memory. We suggest using a file cache on systems that are transferring data at speeds close to the performance of their storage device, and disable it for system with very high concurrency (because memory utilization will grow with the number of concurrent transfers).
    • true
    • false
    		 true
    Max File Cache Buffer (bytes) This is a performance tuning parameter for an Aspera receiver. This value corresponds to the maximal size allocated for per-file memory cache (see Use File Cache). Unit is bytes. The default of 0 will cause the Aspera receiver to use its internal buffer size, which may be different for different operating systems. positive integer 0
    Resume Suffix File name extension for temporary metadata files used for resuming incomplete transfers. Each data file in progress will have a corresponding metadata file with the same name plus the resume suffix specified by the receiver. Metadata files in the source of a directory transfer are skipped if they end with the sender's resume suffix. text string .aspx
    Preserve Attributes Configure file creation policy. When set to none, do not preserve the timestamp of source files. When set to times, preserve the timestamp of the source files at destination.
    • none
    • times
    		 blank
    Overwrite Overwrite is an Aspera server setting that determines whether Aspera clients are allowed to overwrite files on the server. By default it is set to allow, meaning that clients uploading files to the servers will be allowed to overwrite existing files as long as file permissions allow that action. If set to deny, clients uploading files to the server will not be able to overwrite existing files, regardless of file permissions.
    • allow
    • deny
    		 allow
    File Manifest When set to text a text file "receipt" of all files within each transfer session is generated. If set to disable, no File Manifest is created. The file manifest is a file containing a list of everything that was transferred in a given transfer session. The filename of the File Manifest itself is automatically generated based on the transfer session's unique ID. The location where each manifest is written is specified by the File Manifest Path value. If no File Manifest Path is specified, the file will be generated under the destination path at the receiver, and under the first source path at the sender.
    • text
    • disable
    		 none
    File Manifest Path

    Specify the location to store manifest files. Can be an absolute path or a path relative to the transfer user's home.

    Note: File manifests can only be stored locally. Thus, if you are using S3, or other non-local storage, you must specify a local manifest path.

    		text string blank
    Pre-Calculate Job Size Configure the policy of calculating total job size before data transfer. If set to any, follow client configurations (-o PreCalculateJobSize={yes|no}). If set to no, disable calculating job size before transferring. If set to yes, enable calculating job size before transferring.
    • any
    • yes
    • no
    		 any
    Storage Rate Control Enable/Disable disk rate control. When enabled, adjust transfer rate according to the speed of receiving I/O storage, if it becomes a bottleneck.
    • true
    • false
    		 true
    File Create Mode Specify file creation mode (permissions). If specified, create files with these permissions (for example 0755), irrespective of File Create Grant Mask and permissions of the file on the source computer. Only takes effect when the server is a non-Windows receiver. positive integer (octal) undefined
    File Create Grant Mask Used to determine mode for newly created files if File Create Mode is not specified. If specified, file modes will be set to their original modes plus the Grant Mask values. Only takes effect when the server is a non-Windows receiver and when File Create Mode is not specified. positive integer (octal) 644
    Directory Create Mode Specify directory creation mode (permissions). If specified, create directories with these permissions irrespective of Directory Create Grant Mask and permissions of the directory on the source computer. Only takes effect when the server is a non-Windows receiver. positive integer (octal) undefined
    Directory Create Grant Mask Used to determine mode for newly created directories if Directory Create Mode is not specified. If specified, directory modes will be set to their original modes plus the Grant Mask values. Only takes effect when the server is a non-Windows receiver and when Directory Create Mode is not specified. positive integer (octal) 755
    File Exclude Pattern List Exclude files or directories with the specified pattern in the transfer. Add multiple entries for more exclusion patterns. Two symbols can be used in the setting of patterns:
    • * (Asterisk) Represents zero to many characters in a string, for example, *.tmp matches .tmp and abcde.tmp.
    • ? (Question Mark) Represents one character, for example, t?p matches tmp but not temp.
    		 text entries. blank
    Partial File Name Suffix

    Filename extension on the destination computer while the file is being transferred. Once the file has been completely transferred, this filename extension is removed.

    If hot folders will be used as the upload destination, the partial filename suffix should be set even if it means setting it to the default value .partial. Setting it prevents partial files from being downloaded from a hot folder.

    Note: This option only takes effect when it is set on the receiver side.

    		 text string blank
  4. Validate aspera.conf

    When you have finished updating aspera.conf, use this command to validate it:

    $ /opt/aspera/bin/asuserdata -b -v -a