Configuring for Faspex

IBM Aspera Faspex initiates transfers to and from a node by using the Node API. The Node API is a REST API that can be used to manage file systems and start and manage transfers. Faspex authenticates to remote node services by using a Node API username and password. Different nodes can use different Node API username and password pairs.

When you install Faspex on the same computer as High-Speed Transfer Server (HSTS), Faspex automatically configures aspera.conf and sets up a Node API user to communicate with the Node API. When you install Faspex on a computer without a transfer server, you must configure a remote transfer node for use with Faspex and connect that node to Faspex during the installation process.

The following instructions describe how to configure HSTS for Faspex. The instructions for modifying aspera.conf use the asconfigurator command line tool, but the configuration can also be done in the HSTS GUI.

Verify that you have a Connect-enabled HSTS license.
Run the following command:
```
ascp -A
```
In the output, look for the following phrase:
```
Connect Server License max rate
```
If you need to update your transfer server license, see Updating the Product License.
Ensure that the firewall is set up correctly on your transfer server
For details, see Configuring the Firewall.
Create a system user account named faspex.
1. Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups.
2. Click the lock button and enter your admin credentials to make changes.
3. Click the add button.
4. Name the user faspex.
5. Select Administrator from the New Account drop-down menu.
6. Enter and verify a password for the account.
7. Click Create User.
8. Click Login Options in the users panel.
9. Click the Join button next to Network Account Server.
10. Click Open Directory Utility.
11. In the Directory Utility window, click the lock button and enter an administrator account and password to make changes.
12. From the menu bar, select Edit > Enable Root User.
13. Enter and verify the password.
14. Click OK.
Configure the user's docroot.
The docroot is the path on the server to which the transfer user (faspex) has access. When this node is added to Faspex, users cannot access files or folders outside of the docroot.
CAUTION:
Aspera recommends that you not use spaces in your docroot. If your docroot contains spaces, you might not receive all email notifications relating to transfer activity.

Run the following command to set the docroot:
```
$ asconfigurator -x "set_user_data;user_name,faspex;absolute,docroot"
```
For example,
```
$ asconfigurator -x "set_user_data;user_name,faspex;absolute,/Library/project1"
```

Configure token authorization for the user.

$ asconfigurator -x "set_user_data;user_name,faspex;authorization_transfer_in_value,allow"
$ asconfigurator -x "set_user_data;user_name,faspex;authorization_transfer_out_value,allow"
$ asconfigurator -x "set_user_data;user_name,faspex;token_encryption_key,encryption_key"

The encryption key can be any string of numbers. Aspera recommends a string that is at least 20 characters long.

Set the IP address or hostname of the node.

$ asconfigurator -x "set_server_data;server_name,ip_or_hostname"

Configure the node for HTTP and HTTPS fallback.
The fallback settings on the node must match the fallback settings on Faspex. If the settings don't match, Faspex returns a "Package creation failed" error. Set the HTTP and HTTPS ports to the ports you configured in Faspex. For more information about HTTP fallback, see Configuring HTTP and HTTPS Fallback.
```
asconfigurator -x "set_http_server_data;enable_http,true"
asconfigurator -x "set_http_server_data;http_port,8080"
asconfigurator -x "set_http_server_data;enable_https,true"
asconfigurator -x "set_http_server_data;https_port,8443"
```
Restart the asperahttpd service.
```
$ sudo launchctl stop com.aspera.asperahttpd
$ sudo launchctl start com.aspera.asperahttpd
```
Configure faspex with a Node API username and password.
Aspera recommends that you use different names for the system user (faspex) and the Node API username in order to minimize confusion when tracing transactions and events.
Run the following command to configure the Node API username and password:
```
$ /opt/aspera/bin/asnodeadmin -a -u node_api_username -p node_api_passwd -x faspex
```
For example,
```
$ /opt/aspera/bin/asnodeadmin -a -u node_user -p AsperaPassWord -x faspex
```
Confirm that the user was successfully added by running the following command and observing the output:
```
$ /opt/aspera/bin/asnodeadmin -l
                user       system/transfer user                    acls
====================    =======================    ====================
           node_user                  faspex
```
Install the IBM Aspera Connect Browser Plug-In key.
1. Create the .ssh folder if it does not already exist in the system user's home directory:
```
# mkdir "/Users/username/.ssh"
```
2. Create /Users/faspex/.ssh/authorized_keys if it does not already exist.
  The file must be named "authorized_keys" without file extensions. Some text editors add a .txt extension to the filename automatically. Be sure to remove the extension if it was added to the filename.
3. Copy the contents of /Library/Aspera/Enterprise Server/var/aspera_id_rsa.pub, the Aspera RSA public key, into authorized_keys.

You can now connect the node to Faspex. For instructions, see "Adding a Node to Faspex" in the Faspex Admin Guide.