How-to access UT VSS user storage with Graphical User Interface

Owned by Sean Despres
Last updated: Jul 30, 2024 by JM Lopez
3 min read

Introduction

ITS Private Cloud users are allocated complimentary space for storing ISO and other Virtual Machine related files. There are a number of ways to interact with the storage, including CLI tools like SCP and SFTP and GUI tools that are S3 compatible. In this How-to we will access UT VSS user storage using a web browser and MinIO.

Step-by-step guide:

  1. Connect to the vskey-vn VPN and visit the vskey-stor service page, navigate to the MinIO section and click the to get started link.

  1. To get started with MinIO you must initialize your account, to begin the initialization process click on the service page link.

  1. You will be prompted for your VSS username and password, enter them to proceed to the initialization page.

  1. On the initialization page, click the initialize this service radio button to then click the click to execute the selected option button to continue.

  1. On the service options page, confirm that the service is configured, click the start this service radio button and then click the click to execute the selected option button to continue.

  1. On the service options page confirm the service is running, record your Access_Key (username) and your Secret_Key (password) and click the web browser link in the service access URLs section.

NOTE: The port number used in the link will be different for each user, the port number is based on the user VUN.

  1. On the Console Login page use your Access_key and Secret_Key to login.

  1. On the Dashboard page click on Buckets to access your storage containers.

  1. You will have 3 buckets, click the Browse button on the ut-vss bucket this is where files for vCenter should be stored:

    1. /dot-ssh: For the user's SSH authorized_keys file.

    2. /saved: for any files previously accessed via CrushFTP.

    3. /ut-vss: for files transferred to and/or from vCenter.

  1. To upload a file click on the upload icon in the upper right corner, you will be prompted to select a file.

  1. Once the file is selected the upload will begin, there is a thin status bar at the top of the page. When the upload is complete the file will appear in the Window.

  1. Before you can access the file via the ITS Private Cloud Portal or vss-cli you will have to synchronize the file by following the directions in this article: How-to Upload an ISO image to VSS

 

  1. Once the file has been synchronized it can be mounted by a Virtual Machine by following the directions in this article: How-to Load an ISO image in a Virtual Machine

 

Related Articles:

https://vskey-stor.eis.utoronto.ca/s3/intro.php

How-to Upload an ISO image to VSS

How-to Load an ISO image in a Virtual Machine

Announcing a new VSS user storage (vskey-stor)

 

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