File transfer using FileZilla¶
Learning outcomes
- Practice using the documentation of your favorite HPC cluster
- Can install FileZilla
- Can transfer files using FileZilla
For teachers
Teaching goals are:
- Learners have practiced using the documentation of their favorite HPC cluster
- Learners have installed FileZilla
- Learners have transferred files using FileZilla
Prior questions:
- Who has heard of FileZilla?
- Who has already used FileZilla?
- What are features of FileZilla?
Feedback questions:
- Q: What are features of FileZilla?
- A: visual
- A: intuitive to use
- A: can save passwords
- A: can use
.ppkfiles
- Q: What are weaknesses of FileZilla?
- A: cannot transfer between two remote locations
- A: an interrupted file transfer means a new transfer from the start
FileZilla in action
FileZilla being able to do file transfer to/from UPPMAX's Rackham HPC cluster.
Why use FileZilla¶
Fairly sure you'll want to upload or download files to your HPC cluster. Here we do so.
We use a free and open-source graphical tool to do this, called FileZilla. It works under Linux, Mac and Windows.
Exercises¶
Need a video?
Here are videos that do this exercises for the different HPC clusters:
| HPC Cluster | YouTube video |
|---|---|
| Alvis | YouTube video |
| Berzelius | Cannot: is not a NAISS cluster |
| Bianca | YouTube video |
| COSMOS | YouTube video |
| Dardel | YouTube video |
| Kebnekaise | Cannot: is not a NAISS cluster |
| LUMI | YouTube video |
| Pelle | YouTube video |
| Rackham | YouTube video |
| Tetralith | YouTube video |
| Vera | Cannot: is not a NAISS cluster |
How difficult will this be?
This depends mostly on your HPC cluster:
| HPC Cluster | Difficulty | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Alvis | Hard | Need .ppk files |
| Berzelius | Easy | Simple procedure, specialized documentation |
| Bianca | Easy | Simple procedure, specialized documentation |
| COSMOS | Medium | No specialized documentation yet |
| Dardel | Hard | Need .ppk files |
| Kebnekaise | Easy | Simple procedure, specialized documentation |
| LUMI | Hard | Need .ppk files, CSC refuses to document this, however there is specialized documentation at UPPMAX |
| Pelle | Easy | Simple procedure, specialized documentation |
| Rackham | Easy | Simple procedure, specialized documentation |
| Tetralith | Easy | Simple procedure, specialized documentation |
| Vera | Medium | No specialized documentation yet |
Exercise 1: transfer a file¶
Use the documentation of your HPC cluster for help.
- For maximally 5 minutes, search for the procedure on how to transfer a file to/from your HPC cluster using FileZilla. Take a look at the answer if you cannot find it: sometimes there is no documentation
Where is that documentation?
| HPC Cluster | Documentation |
|---|---|
| Alvis | None. Documentation that is closest. Use the UPPMAX documentation instead |
| Berzelius | Documentation |
| Bianca | Documentation |
| COSMOS | None. Documentation that is closest. Use this documentation instead |
| Dardel | None. Documentation that is closest, under 'Data management -> File transfer'. Use this documentation instead |
| Kebnekaise | Documentation (Linux and Mac) and documentation (Windows) |
| LUMI | None. CSC refuses to document this. Use the UPPMAX documentation instead |
| Pelle | Documentation |
| Rackham | Documentation |
| Tetralith | Documentation |
| Vera | None. Documentation that is closest |
- Follow that procedure to transfer a file
- Use the file explorer to verify that files indeed are transferred
(optional) Exercise 2: transfer a compressed file¶
One of the biggest bottlenecks for file transfer speed is file size.
In this optional exercise, we'll compress the file before transferring, and decompress it at its destination.
- Download an example file from
examplefile.com, that has the size you are interested in, for example this 100 MB text file - Compress the file in your file explorer
How do I do so?
This differs per operating system, but this approach will work in a lot of settings:
In your file explorer, click the right mouse button. A pop-up will appear, where you click on 'Compress file' or 'Zip file'
If a dialog appears with the question how to name the compressed file with/without the compression method, give it a proper name and select the 'Zip' format.
- View the file size in your file explorer. When uploading the compressed file, how much faster do you predict this to be?
Answer
In this case, the file size went from 100 MB to 0.3 MB:
From this, one can predict that the upload will be (100 / 0.3 =)
around 300 times faster
- Upload the compressed file and decompress it at the remote location.
Answer
How to decompress depends on the environment where it is uploaded to.
In some cases, with a graphical user environment, one has access to right-click on the compressed file and select 'Decompress' (or something similar)
In some cases, with a console environment, one has to use a command
called unzip to unzip the file, e.g unzip my_file.zip