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BEAR Data Transfer Guide

There are several methods available for transferring data to and from the Research Data Store (RDS). The most appropriate method depends primarily on the size of the data to be transferred.

Data security

When transferring data, you should take appropriate measures to ensure that sensitive data is protected or encrypted before the transfer is undertaken.

Choosing the right transfer method

Small data transfers (up to a few hundred MB)

For small amounts of data (and assuming a reasonable data transfer speed), use simple drag-and-drop file transfer methods with the following technologies:

Native file managers with mounted network drives

Finder on macOS, File Explorer on Windows with SMB connection to RDS.

This method is suitable for occasional, small file transfers and requires minimal setup. See the information in the section on accessing project directories (Accessing RDS Storage) and home directories (Accessing Home Directories) for further details.

BEAR Portal using the "Files" tab

Drag and drop access to your home and project directories via a web interface. See the Accessing Files in BEAR Portal page for further information.

Cons with these methods

  • They're unsuitable for transferring large amounts of data due to potential timeouts and interruptions.
  • Recovery from failed transfers is manual and can be time-consuming.

Medium data transfers (up to a few GB)

For medium amounts of data use command-line file transfer tools.

  • scp
    Secure copy protocol that runs over an SSH connection.
  • rsync
    Remote synchronization tool that also runs over an SSH connection. rsync handles more complex copy operations, file exclusions, copy recovery etc.

Note that these tools only work if you have access to BlueBEAR.

Note

Whilst computational work isn't permitted on BlueBEAR login nodes, there are specific exemptions for these data transfer tools.

Large data transfers (multi-GB to multi-TB)

For large-scale data transfers, Globus Connect Server is the preferred solution.

Globus provides:

  • Background data transfers with automatic management.
  • Built-in integrity checks to ensure successful data transfer.
  • Support for parallel streams for faster transfers.
  • Ability to transfer data with external collaborators.
  • Resume capability for interrupted transfers.

Any researcher registered on a BEAR project with Research Data Store (RDS) facility can use the Globus endpoint to transfer data. Access to BlueBEAR is not required.

Encrypted Transfers

The Birmingham endpoint currently only supports encrypted transfers. If the remote endpoint doesn't support encrypted transfers, your transfer may fail.

VPN Compatibility

It's recommended you are not connected to the University's Remote Access Service (VPN) when transferring data using Globus Connect Personal.

For detailed instructions on using Globus, see the Using Globus guide.

Further Information

Further Assistance

If you need further help, please raise an Other BEAR Request ticket on the Service Desk.

If you need to report a fault with the service, please raise a Report a Fault with BEAR ticket on the Service Desk.