Installing Faspex with the default database

Perform a clean install on a new machine using the provided database.

Requirements

Attention: Review the Secret key management and password protection section before installing Faspex 5.
Operating system

Faspex 5 is supported only on Linux. For a complete list of supported operating systems refer to the Faspex 5 Release notes.

Important: Docker and Podman cannot be installed in the same instance.

Your Linux server must run Docker for Faspex versions 5.0.0 to 5.0.3. Faspex 5.0.4+ users can run either Docker or Podman. For tips on installing Docker on RHEL 8, see Tips for installing Docker or Podman.

Note: Podman is only supported on RHEL 8-9 and Rocky 8.

You should use a server with at least 32GB of available RAM with at least 16 CPU cores.

Your server must also have network access to the IBM Cloud Container Registry (icr.io). The installer pulls container images from icr.io.

IBM Aspera High-Speed Transfer Server (HSTS) version requirement

Faspex 5 uses nodes to store user-uploaded content. Your nodes must run HSTS version 4.3 or later to retrieve package information.

Aspera ecosystem
IBM only supports collocating Faspex 5 with HTTP Gateway. Do not collocate Faspex 5 with HSTS or any other Aspera application. You should create separate silos for the control plane (Faspex 5) and data plane (HSTS). If collocation is unavoidable due to specific requirements, it is advisable to create silos with different dedicated system users to run Faspex 5 and HSTS. Dedicated system users should not share access to any files.
Tip: Collocating an HTTP Gateway server with Faspex 5 requires changing the default TCP port or fronting it with Nginx.

Installation steps

Procedure

  1. Note: For Podman and operating system compatibility, see the Faspex 5 Release notes.
    Install these Podman components: podman-docker, podman-plugins, and skopeo. 
    yum install podman-docker podman-plugins skopeo
  2. Download and install the RPM file: 
    rpm -ivh ibm-aspera-faspex-version.build.x86_64.rpm
  3. You can customize deployment options by editing the .env files located at /opt/aspera/faspex/conf/docker. These options include:
    • Which ports to use for the various containers
    • Where to access the database (if you choose not to install the container)
    • What credentials to use for the database
    • What local folder to mount database backups

    For more information, see Reference: Faspex configuration files.

  4. Install Faspex containers: 
    faspexctl setup
  5. Select the containers that you would like to install, set the server address, and provide the credentials to create the first admin user.
  6. Confirm all containers are present and running:
    faspexctl status
  7. Log into your Faspex UI at https://your_server_hostname/aspera/faspex.
  8. Add a node:
    For instruction on setting up a node, see Adding a node to Faspex.
    1. In the Admin app, go to Nodes and Storage.
    2. Click Create node.
    3. Enter a unique name to identify the node.
    4. To encrypt the connection to the node using SSL, enable Use SSL.
    5. To verify the SSL certificate, enable Verify SSL Certificate.
    6. Provide Faspex the information needed to connect to the Node API on the transfer server:
      Field Description
      Host The node's hostname or IP address. To avoid connectivity problems, do not specify a hostname that contains underscores.
      Port The Node API port number. By default, the port is 9092.
      Username The Node API username on the node machine.
      Password The Node API password on the node machine.
    7. Click Create.
  9. Add a default storage location to Faspex.
    1. Select the node you just created.
    2. Go to the Storage locations tab.
    3. Click Create storage location.
    4. Enter a name for the file storage.
    5. Click Create.
    6. Right-click the storage location you just created and select Make default inbox from the overflow menu.
  10. Connect an email notification server for notifications.
    Faspex sends a welcome email to a new user's email account when a new user is created. New users cannot set their password and log in without the welcome email.
  11. Send a file to yourself to test that Faspex is working:
    1. Switch to the Packages application.
    2. Click Send files.
    3. Add yourself to the To field.
    4. Enter a package title.
    5. Add a test file to the package by clicking the Add files + button, selecting Files from the drop-down, and choosing a file.
    6. Click Send.
    7. Go to Received and find the package you sent yourself.
    8. Right-click and select Download from the drop-down menu.