Data Upload

As the data sets being transferred are very large it is useful to compress the data. This makes the file smaller and quicker to transmit. Files are usually compressed in one of two ways, depending on what Operating System you are using.

Windows

• There are many ZIP utilities available for Windows. Instructions are given here for 7-Zip, which is free to download and install.
• After installation, open Windows Explorer and navigate to the file you want to compress.
• Right Click on the data file.
• Select the menu item '7-Zip -> Add to zip file'. (this will vary depending upon the program being used).
• If no such menu entry exists open the program directly from the Windows Start Menu and consult its help files or use that programs Zip File creation wizards to compress your data file.

Linux/Unix

• All UNIX and LINUX machines come with the TAR utility that can be used to create compressed files.
• Navigate to the directory containing the file you want to compress in a command window. e.g. cd /home/myname/mydata
• Use the TAR command to compress the file. e.g. If your file is called datafile, the following command will create a new compressed file called datafile.tar.gz:tar -cvzf datafile.tar.gz datafile

To upload a file you will need to have access to our FTP server. This consists of a server URL, a username and a password. If you do not have these already, please contact Aileen Hogan.

The easiest way to upload a data file with FTP is to use a program with a Graphical User Interface. This can be something like Filezilla, available on Windows and Linux. If no FTP program with a GUI is available then you can use a command line client. Instructions for both are given here.

With A GUI

• In the Local Site bar (outlined in red), navigate to the directory containing the file you want to upload.
• In the Server Connection bar (outlined in black) enter the information as provided for the host URL, username and password and click Quick Connect.
• Ensure the Connection is established from a message in the Message Window. A file listing should appear in the Remote Site Listing Window (outlined in blue).
• Double click on the data file in the Local Site listing window. It should be listed in the Queued Files window (outlined in green).
• Ensure the upload is completed - the Queued Files list should be cleared.
• Close the program.

From The Command Line

• Navigate to the directory containing the file you want to compress in a command window. e.g. on linux: cd /home/myname/mydata
• Type 'ftp host URL' to start the FTP program from the command line.
• At the prompts enter the username and password you were provided with.
• To upload the file type 'put datafile', where datafile is the name of the file to be uploaded.
• Type 'quit' and enter to close the program.