Transfer data

Transfer Appliance supports the following methods to copy data to the appliance:

After you copy data to the Transfer Appliance, verify that the data transfer to the Cloud Storage bucket is complete before you delete your source data.

File size and naming requirements

Files that are uploaded to the appliance must comply with Cloud Storage file size limits and naming guidelines:

Transfer Appliance does not validate file size or names. If the appliance contains files that don't comply with these rules when the appliance is shipped back to Google, we may be unable to transfer those files.

Use SCP or SFTP to copy data

To copy data to the appliance using SCP or SFTP, follow these steps:

Microsoft Windows

  1. Download an SCP or SFTP client that supports UTF-8 filenames, such as WinSCP.

  2. Using the SCP tool, connect to the appliance using the following settings:

    • File protocol: SFTP
    • Host name: The IP address for the appliance.
    • Port number: 22
    • Username: The appliance username provided by the Transfer Appliance Team.
    • Password: The appliance password provided by the Transfer Appliance Team.

    The destination directory on the Transfer Appliance must be /mnt/ta_data.

Linux

  1. Run the following command:

    scp PATH_TO_FILES USERNAME@IP_ADDRESS:/mnt/ta_data

    Replace the following:

    • PATH_TO_FILES: The path to the files you are copying.
    • USERNAME: The appliance username provided by the Transfer Appliance Team.
    • IP_ADDRESS: The IP address for the appliance.

  2. When prompted, enter the appliance password provided by the Transfer Appliance Team.

Apple macOS

  1. Run the following command:

    scp PATH_TO_FILES USERNAME@IP_ADDRESS:/mnt/ta_data

    Replace the following:

    • PATH_TO_FILES: The path to the files you are copying.
    • USERNAME: The appliance username provided by the Transfer Appliance Team.
    • IP_ADDRESS: The IP address for the appliance.

  2. When prompted, enter the appliance password provided by the Transfer Appliance Team.

Use NFS share to copy data

To copy data to the appliance using NFS share, follow these steps:

  1. To mount Transfer Appliance, run the following commands on your data source:

    Linux

    1. sudo mkdir /mnt/data

    2. sudo mount -o vers=4 IP_ADDRESS:/mnt/ta_data /mnt/data

      Replace IP_ADDRESS with the IP address for the appliance.

    Apple macOS

    1. cd ~

    2. mkdir ta_data

    3. sudo mount -t nfs -o vers=4,resvport IP_ADDRESS:/mnt/ta_data ~/ta_data

      Replace IP_ADDRESS with the IP address for the appliance.

  2. To copy data to the appliance, use a copy utility of your choice.

    Copying data is a long-running operation. On Apple macOS or Linux, we recommend using tmux or screen to ensure the copy process survives logout or network disconnects.

Use SMB to transfer data

To enable SMB file share, follow the steps below:

  1. Configure the appliance to use SMB using the following file share protocol flag:

     ta config --data_port=PORT --ip=IP_ADDRESS --fileshare=smb

    The ta_data directory is shared and the following user is created:

    • Username: ta_customer
    • Password: ta_customer

  2. Based on your host type, connect to the SMB file share:

    Microsoft Windows

    File manager

    1. Open the file manager and edit the file path to \\IP_ADDRESS\ta_data.

    2. Enter your username and password when prompted.

    Command line

    1. Enter the following at the Windows command prompt: net use X: \\IP_ADDRESS\ta_data

    2. Enter your username and password when prompted.

    Linux

    File manager

    1. Open the default file manager and click Connect to server.

    2. Enter smb://IP_ADDRESS/ta_data.

    3. Enter your username and password when prompted.

    Command line

    1. Install SMB client: sudo apt-get install smbclient.

    2. Connect to the SMB file share: smbclient //IP_ADDRESS/ta_data -U USERNAME

      An smb:\> prompt appears.