Introduction

Globusis the recommended tool for data transfer, but it is not compatible with all cloud storage locations. In particular, Globus cannot connect to Dropbox, which is ASU’s main cloud storage platform. Another powerful transfer tool that can be used is rclone.

Before you can transfer with rclone, the different endpoints that you want to transfer data to and from need to be configured. This is a one time step for each endpoint, but it can be confusing. This guide will walk you through configuring cloud storage platforms for transfer to and from the RC supercomputers.

Configurations

Configuring rclone for Google Drive

Google Drive can be accessed from the supercomputer using rclone. It is highly recommended that these steps are followed from a Virtual Desktop session in our web portal.

This will now lead to a multi-step interactive configuration process to generate or update the configuration file $HOME/.config/rclone/rclone.conf. These steps are well documented by the rclone devs but shown here as well for the configuration of a shared drive rc-drive. For reference, these prompt steps will be partitioned.

Creating a Client ID and a Client Secret through the Google API Console

• Creating a Client ID and Secret through the Google API Console

• Prompt 1 – New Remote – Response: n

• Prompt 2 – Name Remote – Response: <your-project-name>

• Prompt 3 – Choose Cloud – Response: drive

• Prompt 4 – Client ID – Response: Client ID from the Green Info Box or None

• Prompt 5 – Client Secret – Response: Client Secret from the Green Info Box or None

• Prompt 6 – Remote Permissions (Scopes) – Response: 1

• Prompt 7 – Root Folder ID – Response: None

• Prompt 8 – Service Account File – Response: None

• Prompt 9 – Enter Advanced Config – Response: n

• Prompt 10 – Auto Config – Response: n

• Prompt 11 – Configure Shared Drive – Response: y

• Prompt 12 – Choose Shared Drive – Response: <integer_associated_with_shared_drive>

• Prompt 13 – Summary – Response: y

• Prompt 14 – Finished – Response: q

• Post Prompt

Prompt 1 – New Remote – Response: n

The first prompt looks like this:

We respond with n, as the rclone configuration does not yet exist for our shared drive.

Prompt 2 – Name Remote – Response: <your-project-name>

The second prompt:

This is arbitrary, but it’s wise to use the shared drive’s name. In this case, rc-drive.

Prompt 3 – Choose Cloud – Response: drive

The third prompt lists all the available cloud backends. Currently, there are 46 enumerated options, but for simplicity, only the relevant option (# 17) is shown (N.B. in the future the number associated with Google Drive may change):

drive or 17 are both proper responses.

Prompt 4 – Client ID – Response: Client ID from the Green Info Box or None

This prompt and the next involve creating an application on Google Cloud and may lead to improved throughput. Note that the steps for this are documented above in the green Info Box and also in the video documentation.

So the response here is to paste in the Client ID.

Prompt 5 – Client Secret – Response: Client Secret from the Green Info Box or None

This prompt and the previous involve creating an application on Google Cloud and may lead to improved throughput. Note that the steps for this are documented above in the green Info Box and also in the video documentation.

So the response here is to paste in the Client Secret.

Prompt 6 – Remote Permissions (Scopes) – Response: 1

Another big prompt here, but rclone needs full access to all files. We will specify that rclone is limited to our shared drive by Prompt 13. Scopes are addressed here by the rclone devs and defined here by Google.

drive or 1 are both sufficient responses.

Prompt 7 – Root Folder ID – Response: None

We leave this next prompt’s response blank, as we want to work from the root of our shared drive.

We accept the default empty string (just hit the return key).

Prompt 8 – Service Account File – Response: None

Another advanced Google Cloud application feature, we ignore. Service accounts may be used to automate certain tasks for users.

We accept the default empty string (just hit the return key).

Prompt 9 – Enter Advanced Config – Response: n

The basic configuration has been done by this point, and rclone offers to make it longer. The advanced configuration is optional and unrecommended.

n is the recommended response.

Prompt 10 – Auto Config – Response: n

We now inform rclone that we are on the supercomputer. Responding y here will lead to a remote browser session, which is not an issue if using a virtual desktop session as provided by our webapp. With ssh, n is recommended and assumed instead.

We respond with n.

Prompt 11 – Configure Shared Drive – Response: y

This prompt configures rclone to only associate with a shared drive. Note that rclone refers to the shared drive as a team drive.

y is the recommended response.

Prompt 12 – Choose Shared Drive – Response: <integer_associated_with_shared_drive>

Assuming y was passed to Prompt 11, rclone retrieves a list of shared drives (referred to as team drives) from the user’s Google Drive.

To choose the shared drive noted in the example, either the integer associated with the shared drive or the alphanumeric string may be used as responses, that is 1 or 0XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.

Prompt 13 – Summary – Response: y

rclone then summarizes the configuration and asks for confirmation. The shared drive is specified by its alphanumeric ID from Prompt 12, and the access tokens are saved in the JSON structure token.

y confirms the summary.

Prompt 14 – Finished – Response: q

The configuration is complete, and rclone loops back to the first prompt but with an existing configuration.

Assuming there are no more remotes to configure, q may be passed to the prompt.

Post Prompt

Recalling that this was all done within an interactive session, the session should now be closed.

From here, rclone should be fully configured to interact with a previously created shared drive for a research project, and may now be used within new interactive sessions or preferably sbatch job submissions. When first learning how to use rclone, interactive sessions are prudent, but once the archiving section of the workflow is figured out, sbatch is highly recommended.

Configuring rclone for Dropbox

This section documents how to configure and use the command-line tool rclone on the supercomputer for use with your ASU-provided Dropbox account.

Instructions on Configuration

1. Log into the supercomputer

2. Start a Virtual Desktop session under the Interactive Apps

3. Use serial and normal for the partition and QOS

4. Once the desktop is available, launch the session

5. Open the terminal application

6. module load rclone

Rclone commands for Configuration

After starting the config you will be prompted to create a new “remotes” location with the “n” option

Fill in the name field (this can be any name) and hit Enter

Select “dropbox” for the storage connection and hit Enter

Leave the client_id blank and hit Enter

Leave the client_secret blank and hit Enter

Use "n" and hit Enter

Use "Y" to use auto-config (which is the default) to complete the Rclone configuration.

A browser window will open, click “Allow”

Open

Once completed, this should be set up and available via the command line. To check you the following command

Open

Copy files and directories to Dropbox with the Command Line

Use the rclone copy subcommand:

If the directory "test" does not exist in Dropbox, Rclone will create it when specified as above. Some recommended performance and logging flags are:

• --transfers=2*N where N is the number of cores allocated,

• --checkers=4*N where N is the number of cores allocated,

• -P -vv --log-file="<a-unique-log-file-name>" to enable Progress information to be printed, increased logging verbosity, and a unique log file to store that logging information (very important for ensuring successful transfers),

• --fast-list --use-mmap two options likely to improve performance (caveats on fast list, details on mmap)

• --dropbox-chunk-size=148M increase performance by better-utilizing memory caching (dropbox docs)

Quickly Verify transfers

Verify if the directory "test" exists in Dropbox by listing the directories using the command:

You can view the contents of "test" directory using the following command:

The flag, --max-depth 1 is included because the sub command ls will list ALL subdirectories AND files by default.

Synchronize live directories with Dropbox

The sync subcommand will mirror a source directory on the destination. As a result, if anything already exists in the destination path, those data are subject to being updated or deleted. This is a good tool to use for directories that are actively utilized and that have cruft uploaded from a previous upload.

Given that sync involves deletion on the destination, it may be good to first test the sync first with the --dry-run or use the --interactive/-i flag to avoid data loss.

Performance and logging flags are the same as with the copy command, but are included below:

• --transfers=2*N where N is the number of cores allocated,

• --checkers=4*N where N is the number of cores allocated,

• -P -vv --log-file="<a-unique-log-file-name>" to enable Progress information to be printed, increased logging verbosity, and a unique log file to store that logging information (very important for ensuring successful transfers),

• --fast-list --use-mmap two options likely to improve performance (caveats on fast list, details on mmap)

• --dropbox-chunk-size=148M increase performance by better-utilizing memory caching (dropbox docs)

Mount Dropbox Using Rclone In Linux for GUI use

First, create a mount point to mount Dropbox. For example, create a mount point named "dropbox" in your$HOME directory.

Next, mount the Dropbox using Rclone as shown below:

Here, "mydropbox" is the remote name, and "dropbox" is the mount point. Replace these values with your own.

Under “Application” → “File Manager,” you should see a Dropbox mount point with the following icon

Additional Help