It concerns about FUSE¹⁾ module, which is able to attach remote directory via SSH service using SFTP protocol. File operations are converted into the SFTP commands and executed on the server side. The communication on the server side is transparent - i.e. attached directories tree and its files is possible to use almost in the same manner as local files.

• package fuse
• package sshfs

Here you can continue with SSH service guide, because the setup is the same.

Here we create an empty directory (mountpoint).

$ mkdir mnt

Now we will connect remote directory from the data storage into the created mountpoint.

$ sshfs -o idmap=user username@server:/home/username/VO_storage-cache_tape mnt
$ ls -l mnt
total 12540
-rw-r--r-- 1 username users 10485760 Jun 22 14:16 MB10.dat
-rw-r--r-- 1 username users  8388608 May  3 12:51 MB8.dat
drwxr-xr-x 2 username users       10 Jun 13 15:34 backup
$ 

After first connection there will be printed RSA fingerprint of server and sshfs will ask you, whether it should continue with the connection (for future connection is the fingerprint stored and the request will not appear anymore. The RSA fingerprint is possible to verify at keys and fingerprints page).

According to the used user authentication can command sshfs require password to your data storage or password to decrypt SSH key (passphrase). By using Kerberos system is necessary before running sshfs obtain the ticket (see options for user authentication)

gpasswd -a username fuse

sshfs#username@server:/mnt /home/username/VO_storage-cache_tape fuse defaults,idmap=user 0 0

$ fusermount -u mnt
$ ls -l mnt
total 0
$

We can often require to connect our remote data storage automatically without entering a command i.e. transparently. For this case we can use AutoFS tool, which additionally execute reconnect in case of connection breakdown.

• repository autofs

Main configuration file of AutoFS is /etc/auto.master. Here we will insert the line:

/storage /etc/auto.sshfs uid=1000,gid=1000,--timeout=30,--ghost

By this way we specify, that if someone access the /storage directory, so there should be executed auto-mount using the /etc/auto.sshfs definition. Timeout specifies a disconnection after specific time of inactivity. UID and GID belong to the user, which can use FUSE.

We will insert following line into /etc/auto.sshfs

server1 -fstype=fuse,rw,nodev,nonempty,noatime,allow_other,max_read=65536 :sshfs\#username@server\:

Wherein server1 introduces subdirectory of directory /storage, i.e. remote data storage will be after connecting mounted into /storage/server1. Do not forget to change username and server address (username@server).

Now we have AutoFS configured to work with SSHFS.