LSDF Online Storage: WebDAV
WebDAV or Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning is an extension of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) allowing to access files over the internet. WebDAV access to the LSDF Online Storage is provided via a cluster of servers reachable at the address https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu.
Using WebDAV from a Web Browser
To access the starting page enter the following URL in your web browser
https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/
Project directories are accessible at the usual location:
https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu//kit/<OE>/projects/<PROJECTNAME>
where <OE> is the name of your organizational unit, e.g. scc, and <PROJECTNAME> ist the name of the project. Your home directory is accessible at the following URL:
https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu//kit/inst/<OE>/<USERNAME>/
where <USERNAME> is you KIT username.
Using WebDAV on Linux
Using DaviX in the Command Line
The DaviX project provides a library and a set of client tools for file management over HTTP-based protocols. The command line client tools can be either installed as a regular package in you linux distribution, e.g. in RedHat based distributions with
$ yum install -y epel-release $ yum install davix
or from the home page of the DaviX project.
Listing a Directory
The content of a directory or individual files can be listed with the following command:
$ davix-ls -l davs://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/kit/scc/xy1234 Basic authentication - server is asking for username and password: Login: xy1234 Password: -rwxrwxrwx 0 10485760 2019-05-20 09:29:18 a_small_file
Copying a File
To copy a file from the WebDAV share to you local directory:
$ davix-get davs://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/kit/scc/xy1234/testfile testfile Basic authentication - server is asking for username and password: Login: xy1234 Password: Performing Read operation on: davs://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/kit/scc/xy1234/testfile [==================================] 100% 10MiB/10MiB 0B/s
Recursively Uploading Files
Uploading files recursively with 6 transfers in parallel:
$ davix-put -r6 a_directory davs://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/kit/scc/xy1234/a_new_directory Basic authentication - server is asking for username and password: Login: xy1234 Password: Populating task queue for a_directory/ Files processed: 0
Recursively downloading files
Files and directories can be downloaded recursively
$ davix-get -r6 davs://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/kit/scc/xy1234/a_new_directory downloaded_dir Basic authentication - server is asking for username and password: Login: xy1234 Password: Crawling davs://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/kit/scc/xy1234/a_new_directory/ Files processed: 1
davfs2 is a file system driver that allows mounting a WebDAV server as a local file system, like a disk drive. This way, applications can access resources on a WebDAV server without knowing anything about HTTP or WebDAV. davfs2 does extensive caching to make the file system responsive, to avoid unnecessary network traffic and to prevent data loss, and to cope for slow or unreliable connections.
Installation
On CentOS or RedHat like systems install the package davfs2 which is available in the epel repository:
$ yum install -y epel-release $ yum install davfs2
To mount an LSDF WebDAV share issue the following command as root:
$ mkdir /mnt/webdav mount.davfs https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/ /mnt/webdav >/dev/null 2>&1 Please enter the username to authenticate with server https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/ or hit enter for none. Username: xy1234 Please enter the password to authenticate user fg9068 with server https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/ or hit enter for none. Password:
or
$ mount.davfs -o username=xy1234,uid=xxx,gid=yyy,rw https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/inst/projects /mnt/webdav
WebDAV mount check:
>df | grep webdav https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/ 26666664 13333332 13333332 50% /mnt/webdav
Mount WebDAV share using fstab
>cat /etc/fstab | grep webdav https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/kit/inst/projects /mnt/webdav davfs rw,noauto,user,uid=xy1234 0 0 >mkdir /mnt/webdav >cat /etc/davfs2/secrets | grep os-webdav https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/kit/inst/projects xy1234 *** >mount /mnt/webdav >/dev/null 2>&1
WebDAV umount:
>umount.davfs /mnt/webdav
davfs2 makes mounting by unprivileged users as easy and secure as possible.
User must be a member of the davfs2 group:
>usermod -a -G davfs2 xy1234 >grep davfs2 /etc/group
Example:
>cat /etc/fstab | grep webdav https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/kit/inst/projects /mnt/webdav davfs rw,noauto,user,uid=xy1234 0 0 >chmod 600 /lsdf/kit/inst/xy1234/.davfs2/secrets >cat /lsdf/kit/inst/xy1234/.davfs2/secrets | grep os-webdav https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/kit/inst/projects xy1234 *** >mount /mnt/webdav >/dev/null 2>&1 >umount /mnt/webdav umount: /mnt/webdav: umount failed: Operation not permitted
You can mount the above-mentioned WebDAV share using sudo utility.
WebDAV client cadaver
cadaver is a command-line WebDAV client, with support for file upload, download, on-screen display, in-place editing, namespace operations (move/copy), collection creation and deletion, property manipulation, and resource locking.
Installation:
yum install cadaver
Example:
cadaver https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/kit/inst/xy1234 dav:/kit/inst/xy1234/> help Available commands: Available commands: ls cd pwd put get mget mput edit less mkcol cat delete rmcol copy move lock unlock discover steal showlocks version checkin checkout uncheckout history label propnames chexec propget propdel propset search set open close echo quit unset lcd lls lpwd logout help describe about Aliases: rm=delete, mkdir=mkcol, mv=move, cp=copy, more=less, quit=exit=bye
Connection via File Manager
- Nautilus (Gnome)
- Kubuntu (Dolphin/Konqueror) (KDE)
- Xubuntu (Thunar) (Xfce)
- Lubuntu (PCManFM)
Using WebDAV on Windows
Add network address
Example: Computer => Add network address => Continue => https://os-webdab.lsdf.kit.edu/kit/inst/projects
Network drive over WebDAV
Examples:
>net use * https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/kit/inst/projects /user:xy1234 Laufwerk W: ist jetzt mit https://os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu/ verbunden. Der Befehl wurde erfolgreich ausgeführt. or >net use * \\os-webdav.lsdf.kit.edu@SSL\ /user:xy1234 ...
