Configure your transfer server as a tethered node

This is step 4 in tethering a node

Before you begin step 4, be sure you have completed step 3: Using an HTTPS proxy for outgoing ALEE and AEJD traffic from your tethered node.

1. Create (or select) at least one system user account for managing the transfer server.
   CAUTION:
   The transfer-server manager account cannot be root. In the process of configuring the server and creating the xfer transfer user account, root login is disabled. In addition, the transfer-server manager account must not be named xfer, which must be reserved for the transfer user account (see Create the transfer user for your tethered node).
2. Make sure that /etc/hosts includes the entry 127.0.0.1 localhost.
3. Ensure that your system is configured for SSH to use TCP port 33001.

   Do not use Port 22. For information on configuring TCP ports, see IBM Aspera High-Speed Transfer Server Admin Guide: Securing Your SSH Server.

4. Configure the transfer server to use a custom file extension to identify files that are partially transferred (during the transfer process).

   If using object storage, this setting is on and defaults to .partial. No changes required. If you use local storage or want to change the partial file suffix, continue with sub-steps a and b.

   The file extension appears only when a file is partially transferred. It is removed automatically once the transfer is complete.

   1. For local storage, run this command (example custom extension: .inprogress)

      # /opt/aspera/bin/asconfigurator -x "set_node_data;partial_file_suffix,.inprogress"

   2. For transfers through TrapD to object storage (the most typical case for a tethered node), configure this option in aspera.conf:
      Important: Be sure to use the same extension in this step that you used in the previous step (example custom extension: inprogress).

      /opt/aspera/bin/asconfigurator -x "set_node_data;pvcl_browse_partial_extension,.inprogress"

      and this option in the corresponding /opt/aspera/etc/trapd/*.properties file:

      aspera.session.browse.partial.ext=.inprogress

5. Configure your HSTS node to enable activity logging and activity event reporting.

   This will enable you to use the AoC logging and event reporting facilities.

   # /opt/aspera/bin/asconfigurator -x "set_server_data;activity_logging,true;activity_event_logging,true"

6. Enable recursive counts.

   Recursive counts must also be enabled for displaying file transfer numbers in AoC.

   Use the following command syntax:

   /opt/aspera/bin/asconfigurator -x "set_server_data;files_recursive_counts_workers,value"

   For value, use a number from one to eight. Aspera recommends starting with a value of one and adjusting if needed. For example:

   # /opt/aspera/bin/asconfigurator -x "set_server_data;files_recursive_counts_workers,1"

   Lower count values (one or two) result in slower updates but reduced load on the Redis database. Higher values (four to eight) increase the load on Redis; to use higher values, the platform should have twice as many cores.

7. Restart the asperacentral and asperanoded services.

   # systemctl restart asperacentral
   # systemctl restart asperanoded

8. Before you add your node to AoC, you must set up full backups for the Redis database.

   The node Redis database includes information about Node API users, their access keys, and transfer history. Scheduling full backups (in addition to Redis Persistence) is required for recovery from data loss that would otherwise be catastrophic for a tethered node.

   In your cron script, use the following command to create the backup file:

   /opt/aspera/bin/asredis -p 31415 BGREWRITEAOF

   This creates the file /opt/aspera/var/appendonly.aof, which your script should copy to a backup location.

   For information about Redis persistence, and Redis' recommendations for backups, see https://redis.io. For information about restoring the Redis database from a backup, see Backing up and restoring a tethered node database.

Next step in tethering a node

You've completed the HTTPS proxy configuration for your tethered node. For step 5 in tethering the HSTS node to your AoC organization, go to Configure Nginx reverse proxy and server certificates.