Other Ways to Connect to the RDMS [CIT Research Documentation]

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====== Other Ways to Connect to the RDMS ======

So far, we have described how to access the RDMS through the [[rdms:webapp|RDMS web interface]]. The RDMS can also be accessed, however, through other clients and protocols. In this section of the Wiki and in its subsections, we will describe how to access and transfer data to the RDMS using first- and third-party clients that can be installed on your own machine. The reason to use other ways to connect to the RDMS is rooted in the fact that the web interface can only manage file transfers of 50 MB each. If the amount of data you want to transfer is larger than that, you will need to make use of one of the clients listed below.

**Note**: Only UG members with a personnel number (P-number) or student number (S-number) can log in to the RDMS directly. Please [[rdms-support@rug.nl| contact us]] if other UG accounts, for example, functional accounts (F-number), need access.

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=== Make sure you are in the network of the UG! ===

No matter how you are trying to connect to the RDMS, the system is only accessible from within the RUG network. This means that you need to be connected to the internet either on UG premises, for example, with an Eduroam connection, or by using the UG [[https://iris.service.rug.nl/tas/public/ssp/content/detail/service?unid=f4c53f8827c54588b267c5f267367505|VPN connection]], or alternatively by accessing the RDMS from the [[https://uwp.rug.nl|virtual Windows]] or [[https://vlwp.rug.nl/|virtual Linux]] environment of the UG.
==== Clients & Protocols ====

In the paragraph above, we mentioned the use of clients and different protocols to access the RDMS. What we mean when we talk about a client is a piece of software that you can install in your operating system and that allows you to perform a given set of operations. The protocol we mentioned above is the way the client talks to the RDMS, and it determines things such as transfer speed, maximum file transfer size, information shared with the system, etc. We will discuss the protocols used by the different clients directly in the wiki pages related to these clients.

=== First-Party Clients ===

The RDMS has a first-party client that runs in a Linux environment and is called ''iCommands''. This is the most direct way to connect to the RDMS and is based on working in a command-line interface. The ''iCommands'' have been developed by iRODS (hence the first-party label) and are available for Linux systems. We have a separate section of the wiki explaining how to set up and use the [[rdms:access:linux:icommands|iCommands]]. 

If you are unfamiliar with a command-line interface or are working on a different operating system, please refer to the clients listed below in the third-party section.

**Note**: If you are a more advanced Windows user, you can install [[https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install|WSL2]], a virtualization of the Linux kernel in the Windows OS, and then use it to work via the command-line using ''iCommands''.

=== Third-Party Clients ===

The [[rdms:webapp|RDMS web interface]] is the main third-party client to access the RDMS. However, since it is only possible to [[rdms:data:filesize|transfer files directly]] as long as they are not larger than 50 MB, you will have to use another third-party client to transfer your data to the system. Below is a list of third-party clients that we support and that are dependent on the operating system you are using:
  * **On Windows**
    * [[rdms:access:windows:cyberduck|Cyberduck]]
    * [[rdms:access:windows:winscp|WinSCP]]
  * **On MacOS**
    * [[rdms:access:mac:cyberduck|Cyberduck]]
    * [[rdms:access:mac:finder|Finder]]
  * **On Linux**
    * [[rdms:access:linux:irodsfs|iRODS Fuse lite]]
    * [[rdms:access:linux:webdav|WebDAV-based clients]]

We also have a page on [[rdms:access:other|OS-independent clients]] that also work to connect to the RDMS, but we do not officially support them.