Configuring Transfer Token Authorization from the Command Line

A transfer token authorizes specific content uploads to a destination or content downloads from a remote source. Transfer-token-based authorization is generally used for FASP transfers initiated through Aspera web applications, such as IBM Aspera Shares, Faspex, and Sharepoint, but can be used in place of SSH authentication for other types of Aspera products.

When user accounts on a transfer server are configured to require transfer token authorization, only transfers initiated with a valid transfer token are allowed to transfer to or from the server. Transfer token authorization can be set independently for incoming transfers and outgoing transfers.

Requirements:

You have created a transfer user on your server.
You have set up the transfer user with an SSH public key as described in Setting Up Transfer Token Authorization.

The examples below use a transfer user called aspera_user_1.

Run the following command:

# asconfigurator -x "set_user_data;user_name,aspera_user_1;authorization_transfer_in_value,token;authorization_transfer_out_value,token;token_encryption_key,key"

Aspera recommends that the key be a random string of at least 20 characters. This command creates the following text in aspera.conf:

<user>
    <name>aspera_user_1</name>
    <authorization>
        <transfer>
            <in>
                <value>token</value>
            </in>
            <out>
                <value>token</value>
            </out>
        </transfer>
        <token>
            <encryption_key>gj5o930t78m34ejme9dx</encryption_key>
        </token>
    </authorization>
    <file_system>
          ...
          ...  
    </file_system>
</user>

You can also configure token-authorization settings in a <group> section to be applied to all users in the group or in the <default> section to apply them globally for all users. For instructions on how to run asconfigurator commands to do so, as well as to view other token configuration options, see User, Group and Default Configurations.

Optional: you can manually edit aspera.conf in a text editor with write permission.
Open the file from the following location:
/opt/aspera/etc/aspera.conf

Add text as needed to configure token authorization for the user, group, or globally. Save your changes.
Validate the aspera.conf file using the asuserdata utility:
```
# /opt/aspera/bin/asuserdata -v
```