Accessing and managing data
Choose your access method
We offer a wide range of different ways to access and use Mediaflux, each with its own benefits and features, suited to different users and use cases.
You should choose an access method that best suits your workflow needs and your computing competency. It might be that you choose a main one for your everyday Mediaflux use, and another for special tasks (such as transferring data to and from Spartan, sharing data with a colleague, and so on).
Use our access method choice guide to compare your options:
Get the most out of your access method
We have dedicated how-to guides on each of the available Mediaflux access methods.
Check them out to learn how to use and get the most out of your chosen access method.
Did you know? There is often no ‘one way’ to do something in Mediaflux, even for common things like ‘how do I upload my data to Mediaflux?’ Instead, the answer to how to do something often depends on how you use Mediaflux, that is, which access method do you use to access the system and work with your project? That’s why we have dedicated separate guides on how to use Mediaflux per access method.
Mediaflux Explorer
Mediaflux Explorer is a Java application that you run on your desktop computer. It interacts with the Mediaflux server via the secure HTTPS protocol.
SMB protocol
The SMB protocol allows you to connect to your Mediaflux project and interact with the files in the same way as you would any other network drive.
SFTP client
Mediaflux supports the SFTP protocol, so you can connect using your favourite SFTP client. This protocol is available outside the university network.
Mediaflux Desktop
Mediaflux Desktop is a web-based application that you access with a web browser. It interacts with the Mediaflux server via the secure HTTPS protocol.
Command line clients
We offer a set of command-line clients that speak Mediaflux’s native file transfer protocol. They are reminiscent of using other command-line file transfer tools like rsync and offer the maximum data-assurance with checksum checks offered by the native protocol.
rsync
Mediaflux supports rsync, a command line file transfer and syncing tool used to transfer and sync files and directories, often used in the HPC community.
NFS protocol
We recommend using the SMB protocol wherever possible, but if you absolutely need to use the NFS v3 protocol, you can apply for access.