Configure a personal Data Provider (CBRAIN)

The final option is to configure a personal data provider.

Creating a personal data provider will have great advantages such as connecting storage on systems like lab-based systems. However, the configuration will only work for systems that don't require 2-factor authentification.

Given the Alliance now requires 2-Factor authentication to connect to their supercomputers, the use of personal Data Provider is no longer supportable by CBRAIN for the Alliance systems and will no longer function. Although the personal Data Providers in CBRAIN no longer function for the Alliance systems, there are alternative ways to transfer files to the Alliance. Please contact us for assistance in this regard at [email protected].

To configure a personal Data provider, please follow the subsequent steps:

1. Go to CBRAIN Data providers

2. Click on Create Personal Data provider

3. Add New Personal SSH-based Data Provider

A new page will pop up asking you to complete the following form:

Complete the form as per:

Name: Name of the personal data provider
Description: Short description
Project: assigned project
Remote Hostname: this is the server name where you get the file. In this example, I want to move a file from Compute Canada Beluga to the personal data provider hosted in CBRAIN
Remote Username of your Compute Canada Account
Full Directory Path: where the file is located in Beluga

4. SSH KEY SET UP

Before saving your configuration, you will need to configure the SSH in your host storage. A public SSH key needs to be added to the authorized keys of the user on the host. Paste the SSH key provided on CBRAIN in a text file

If you use the nano or pico text editor, please make sure to use the -w option to prevent the editor from splitting the line of the key. The SSH key must all be in a single long line
Run a command to add it to the authorized keys file on the host, as for an example the below one: ssh-copy-id -f -i key.pub username@hostname

If you prefer, you can also directly create a .ssh directory on your host server, add the authorized key file in .ssh and copy the SSH key in that file without using the previous command line.

Now, you can click on Create new Data Provider

Note:

Please remember to manually push the CBRAIN SSH key to the cluster if you want the personal data provider to be connected directly, otherwise, you will get the following message:

To push the CBRAIN SSH key, please go to My account then edit your System SSH Key

5. TEST CONFIGURATION, REGISTER FILES and DELETE

To make sure your data provider has been successfully configured, you will have to test it before the files can be automatically registered. When you don't need it anymore, you will be able to deconfigure it as well.