How does Faspex work?

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Faspex is a centralized transfer solution that enables users to exchange files with each other using an email-like workflow. User-uploaded files and folders are sent to, stored on, and downloaded from nodes (also known as Aspera transfer servers).

When users send packages to recipients, they upload content to an Aspera transfer server for storage. Faspex notifies the recipients that the package is available. Recipients can then download a copy of the package from the remote server.

Faspex leverages the IBM Aspera FASP protocol to guarantee fast delivery times with high security over variable network conditions. The FASP protocol requires two ascp-enabled machines (client and node) to establish a FASP transfer session. To leverage FASP for transfers, Faspex either:
  • Requires users to install IBM Aspera for desktop, which handles the FASP transfer session with the HSTS node.
  • Requires users to transfer files (over HTTPS) through the IBM Aspera HTTP Gateway, which handles the FASP transfer session with the HSTS node.

Faspex does not perform the transfer, but connects the user's machine with Aspera for desktop or HTTP Gateway to perform the transfer.

If permitted, users can also send a package with content from a shared folder. Depending on your configuration, these transfers may involve more than one node in a node-to-node transfer.

How a transfer works

  1. The sender uses the Faspex UI to create a package for delivery a recipient.
  2. The Faspex UI makes a request to the Faspex server, which passes back a transfer specification used by either Aspera for desktop or HTTP Gateway to start the transfer.
  3. The Faspex UI passes on the information to Aspera for desktop or HTTP Gateway. In the case of HTTP Gateway, the Faspex UI also sends the package over HTTPS to the HTTP Gateway server.
  4. Aspera for desktop or HTTP Gateway initiates a FASP transfer session with the HSTS node and transfers the package to the HSTS node over FASP.
  5. The recipient requests to download a package using the Faspex UI.
  6. The Faspex UI makes a request to the Faspex server, which passes back a transfer specification used by either Aspera for desktop or HTTP Gateway to start the transfer.
  7. The Faspex UI passes on the information to Aspera for desktop or HTTP Gateway.
  8. Aspera for desktop or HTTP Gateway initiates a FASP transfer session with the HSTS node and the HSTS node transfers the package to Aspera for desktop or HTTP Gateway over FASP.
  9. Aspera for desktop saves the file to the recipient's machine. In the case of HTTP Gateway, HTTP Gateway uses the web browser's download manager to save the file.