Data transfer (Isilon)🔗

A network share, Isilon, is available on FCBG’s facilities. This network share can be accessed from one of 3 networks: FCBG (campusbiotech.ch), EPFL (epfl.ch) and UNIGE (unige.ch). Each lab has a separate share with lab-wide credentials and can mount the share on their computer using those credentials.

The data acquisition PC (DACQ) has access to the shares from labs using the MEG faciliy, and recordings can be transferred to their owner via this network share.

Important

Isilon is a temporary storage location. The goal is to transfer data from our facilities to the users. The shares should be regularly clean-up by the users. Old datasets can be removed from both the DACQ and Isilon without prior notice. Neither the DACQ or Isilon is meant to store a backup of the recordings.

Request Isilon credentials🔗

If you confirmed with your lab members that you do not already possessed an Isilon share and account, you can contact FCBG’s IT service at helpdesk@fcbg.ch to create one.

Mount Isilon network shares🔗

Isilon uses samba to manage the network share. The address depends on the organization you belong to (and thus on the network you are connected to) and on the share name.

If you are connected to the FCBG network, e.g., if you are using the stimulation PC or the data analysis PC, the domain is campusbiotech.ch. For example, for the share 0000_CBT_EPFL_XXXXXX, the address is:

fcbgnasc.campusbiotech.ch/fcbgdata/0000_CBT_EPFL_XXXXXX

If you are connected to the EPFL network, the domain is epfl.ch. For example, for the share 0000_CBT_EPFL_XXXXXX, the address is:

fcbgnasc.epfl.ch/fcbgdata/0000_CBT_EPFL_XXXXXX

If you are connected to the UniGE network, the domain is unige.ch. For example, for the share 0000_CBT_EPFL_XXXXXX, the address is:

fcbgnasc.unige.ch/fcbgdata/0000_CBT_EPFL_XXXXXX

Once the address and credentials are known, mounting the network share differs depending on the OS. On the meguser account of the stimulation PC and data analysis PC, you can find a PDF describing the mounting procedure on the desktop.

On Windows, you can mount a network drive in the file explorer from This PC. In the menu bar, select Computer and Map network drive. Choose an available drive letter, set the field Folder to \\$(address) where $(address) is replaced with the network share address, and tick Connect using different credentials.

\\fcbgnasc.campusbiotech.ch\fcbgdata
_images/windows-address.png

Important

On the stimulation PC please deselect Reconnect at sign-in.

A pop-up will request your credentials. Enter your username and password.

_images/windows-credentials-dark.png _images/windows-credentials-light.png

Important

On the stimulation PC do not save the password. Please deselect Remember my credentials.

The network share is now mounted and appears in the left pane as a network drive.

_images/windows-connected-dark.png _images/windows-connected-light.png

Important

On the stimulation PC please disconnect the network drive when you are leaving.

On macOS, Finder can connect to network share. After opening it, hit Cmd + K, or select Go and Connect to Server... to open the corresponding pop-up. In the address field, enter smb://$(address) where $(address) is replaced with the network share address. For instance:

smb://fcbgnasc.epfl.ch/fcbgdata
_images/macos-address-dark.png _images/macos-address-light.png

A pop-up will request your credentials. Select Registered User, enter your username and password.

_images/macos-credentials-dark.png _images/macos-credentials-light.png

The network share is now mounted and appears in the left pane as an external drive.

_images/macos-connected-dark.png _images/macos-connected-light.png

Mounting the network share might differ depending on your Linux distribution. For an Ubuntu-based distribution, the network share can be mounted from the nautilus file explorer. It requires smbclient to be installed.

$ sudo apt install smbclient

In the left pane of the file explorer, select Other locations. At the bottom, in the field Connect to Server, enter smb://$(address) where $(address) is replaced with the network share address. For instance:

smb://fcbgnasc.campusbiotech.ch/fcbgdata
_images/linux-address-dark.png _images/linux-address-light.png

A pop-up will request your credentials. Select Registered User, enter your username, domain (campusbiotech.ch, epfl.ch or unige.ch) and password.

_images/linux-credentials-dark.png _images/linux-credentials-light.png

Important

On the stimulation PC or the data analysis PC, do not save the password. Please select Forget password immediately or Remember password until you logout.

The network share is now mounted and appears in the left pane as an external drive.

_images/linux-connected-dark.png _images/linux-connected-light.png

Important

On the stimulation PC or the data analysis PC, please eject (disconnect) the network share when you are leaving.

Tip

If you want to mount the network share automatically, e.g. on boot, you can edit /etc/fstab and use cifs.

$ sudo apt install cifs-utils
$ sudo mkdir /mnt/Isilon  # location in which the share is mounted
$ sudo nano /etc/fstab

In the fstab, add a line:

//fcbgnasc.$(network).ch/fcbgdata/$(share)  /mnt/Isilon  cifs  credentials=/root/.smbcredentials,uid=$(user),gid=$(user),file_mode=0770,dir_mode=0770  0  0

Where $(network) is replaced by the network you are connected to, $(share) is replaced by the share name, $(user) is replaced by your username. The credentials have to be defined in /root/.smbcredentials:

username=...
password=...
domain=...  # campusbiotech.ch, epfl.ch or unige.ch

If you are using systemd, you can add the flags:

  • x-systemd.automount to automatically mount the share if it was not already available when you navigate to /mnt/Isilon.

  • x-systemd.after=network-online.target to mount only after the target network is connected.