Backup to ERDA

NB only research data that can be open must be handled in ERDA. It is your responsibility to ensure that any backup you save to ERDA does not contain any other data categories.

Four methods for backup to ERDA

There are four different ways to backup research data to ERDA: automatic backup, server backup to ERDA with scripting, scheduled tasks, and data transfer. We walk through all four ways below.

Automatic backup to ERDA

With Duplicati, you can automatically save a backup of your PC on ERDA.

Duplicati saves backup files in a special wrapped format, which lets you save special files and files with exotic names to ERDA. Duplicati also offers an easy way to encrypt your backup. 

There are two versions of Duplicati available: a user friendly graphic version, and a command-line version. The latter is recommended for backup of servers and certain NAS-solutions.

We walk through the graphic version below.

Part 1: configuration on ERDA

  • Go to ERDA Setup and click the Duplicati header.
  • Enter the name of your backup in the Backup field.

The rest of the fields are optional.

NB The protocol you enter in the Protocol field (e.g. SFTP), must be set up for login with password in ERDA. For more information, see effective access to ERDA.

  • Click Save Duplicati Settings.
  • At the bottom og the page, you will see links to a .json file for each of your backups. Download the file by right clicking on the link and picking Save as.

Part 2: loading Duplicati configurations

Download and install the latest 2.x version of Duplicati. Chose the pack compatible with your system.

Upon installation, Duplicati will start up.

  • Pick Add backup, Import a file, and click Next.
  • Click Browse in the Configuration file field to find the saved .json file.
  • Click Import.

Complete the 5 phases of the Duplicati backup process outlined below.

1: General

Before clicking Next, decide whether to set up encryption.

  • Investigate whether encryption is demanded in the treatment of your research data. See the AU policy on cryptography.
  • Consider your need for encryption against the starin encrypting and deencrypting data places on your machine.

2: Destination

The ERDA settings will be pre-entered from the configuration file.

  • Enter the password for your chosen protocol (your ERDA WebDAVS password as standard). 
  • Click Test connection to ensure that connection and login are set up correctly.
  • Click Next.

3: Source data

Pick which folders to include in backup on ERDA.

Duplicati runs as your normal user profile, and therefore will not automatically have access to system files and -facilities. Either avoid including such folders in your backup, or run Duplicati as privileged user.

Click Next

4: Schedule

Configure the automatic backup frequency.

  • Leave the field under Allow days blank. This has the same effect as choosing all.
  • Consider correcting Keep backup to e.g. 3 years.
  • Click Save and Next.

5: Options

  • Click Continue without encryption or Cancel to go back and set up encryption.
  • Click Run now to begin backup.

When backup is complete, you can recreate files and folders with Restore from the Duplicati menu. Alternatively, Duplicati can guide you through the process. Open backup status and pick Restore files… to begin.

Server backup to ERDA with scripting

If you belong to a research groups with their own NAS server, you can script creation of ERDA backup archives of its contents via a project.

  • Pick your project (or create one - see Projects (VGrids)).
  • Create a subfolder in one of your folders, e.g. "backup".

For security reasons, we recommend not saving your ERDA password on the machine performing backup. Therefore, use either

  • SFTP/SSHFS with an ssh-key, or
  • Create a share link with read- and write-access (see Share Links).

With share links, you can control access to the folder via WebDAVS/SFTP link-sharing, using the share link ID as user name and password.

  • Use a command to upload files from the storage server (e.g. sftp or lftp).
  • Consider uploading ERDA as a network drive (see effective access) and use rsync or similar to limit the upload to file changes.
  • Set up a workflow rule in your group to integrate the creation of a backup archive in the backup process.

ERDA Workflows

  • To configure workflows, start by opening ERDA Settings.
  • Under Site Collaboration Links pick advanced in stead of default to access workflows.
  • Go to ERDA projects. You will now see a Workflows-pillar.
  • Click Open link and fill out the form with a new workflows-rule.

Scheduled Tasks

ERDA can perform both recurring and one-time tasks with Scheduled Tasks. You can schedule e.g. a new backup archive or a specific folder to be created every day at a set time.

Start by adding Scheduled Tasks to your ERDA front page:

  • Click Add
  • Pick Scheduled Tasks
  • Click Save

For an overview of available variables and commands, consult the two Help menus at the bottom of the page.

Monitor running and past Scheduled Tasks in View Logs.

Data transfer

If you work with larger datasets, you may need to im- and export research data effectively in ERDA. ERDA supports this workflow via various protocols (SFTP, RSYNC, HTTPS and WebDAVS).

Here, we walk through how to create an ssh-key, and how to use it to import files from an external server via SFTP-access.


  • Go to Home and click Data Transfer

On the transfers page you will see two headers: Manage Data Transfers and Manage Transfer Keys.

Manage Data Transfers lets you set up and monitor transfers.

Manage Transfer Keys lets you manags transfer keys

On the Manage Data Transfers page, by Login, select Login with key to create an ssh-key.

  • Enter your username
  • Click Generate Key. You will see the public part of the key and brief instructions. 
  • Paste the public part of the key to the machine, you wantr to transfer data to or from.

The ssh-key's private part is saved only to an unreachable space in ERDA, as security against unauthorised access.

You can now configure background transfer of one or several files to or from ERDA. Configuer the transfer to import the contents of the relevant folder on the remote server and save it to the ERDA dataimports folder.


Click Request transfer to queue the transfer.

Monitor the transfer from the overview, via the status-buttons, or in the destination folder by clicking on local component.

Transfers can be combined in many ways, all of which follow the same overall method. 

Click on Status files for more information, if the transfer fails.

Support

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