ENCS File Exchange Utilities

Objective:

1. Authorize anyone (including yourself) to upload large size files for you.
   
2. Upload large size files you want to share with a group of users.

Requirements:

1. ENCS User Name.
2. ENCS Password.

Restrictions:

This service or any Concordia computer system may not be used to upload any information that will infringe the Concordia copyright policy or any related legislation. (see https://www.concordia.ca/content/dam/common/docs/policies/official-policies/SG-2.pdf)

Your use of the system for the storage or exchange of copyrighted material such as software, movies, music, games, images, etc., for which you do not hold the copyright is strictly forbidden. Participation in this kind of activity may result in the suspension of your ENCS computer account and may also lead to criminal or civil liability. You will also be denied access to the File Exchange Utilities.

Procedure:

1. To authorize anyone to upload large size files for you, you have to fill out the File Upload Permission Form at:

   https://fis.encs.concordia.ca/fexch/fexch-grant-upload_authentication.cgi

   On this form you are authenticated as an ENCS account holder and you have to fill in the e-mail address of the person you authorize to upload files for you. Upon successfully completing the File Upload Permission Form an automatically generated e-mail message is sent to the e-mail address of the person you authorize to upload files for you. This message contains the user name and password he/she needs to use in the File Upload Form at:

   https://fis.encs.concordia.ca/fexch/fexch-file-upload.cgi

   in order to be allowed to upload files for you.
   Upon successfully uploading a file for you an automatically generated e-mail message is sent by the File Upload program to you informing you of the location of the file. You can then save the file in your own directory space.

2. To upload large files you want to share with a group of users (inside or outside of the ENCS domain) you have to fill out the form at:

   https://fis.encs.concordia.ca/fexch/fexch-file-share.cgi

   On this form you are authenticated as an ENCS account holder and you have to choose the file you want to share. The file is then copied to a reserved disk space area and you will receive an automatically generated e-mail message informing you of the location of the shared file(s). Then you have to e-mail to all the people you want to share the file(s) with the location of the file(s).

Concerns:

1. Security:

   • The File Upload Permission Form, File Upload Form and File Sharing Form run on a secure Web server. All communication with the secure Web server is encrypted ensuring a secure connection.

   • The uploaded and shared files location is in subdirectories with random string generated names, inside of a non-readable directory. If one does not know the full path of the uploaded/shared files he/she can not access them.

2. Expiration time:

   • The uploaded/shared files are kept on our reserved areas for 7 days after they have been uploaded on our systems. After this expiration time the file(s) are automatically deleted by a cron job. You have to download the uploaded files for you in this time frame (7 days after they have been uploaded on our systems). The same applies for the shared files: the people you share the file(s) with have to download them in the next 7 days after they have been uploaded.

3. File/directory limitations:

   • The maximum size of an uploaded/shared file for each upload is set for now to 1GB. We may increase this maximum size if necessary or upon request. You can upload multiple files sequentially in any time frame you like: there is no limitation on the amount of data you can upload, the only limitations are that each upload is limited to 1GB and all uploaded files older than 7 days are deleted from our systems. However, we allocated a finite disk space quota for the uploaded files and we monitor it in order to prevent reaching its limit and potential user abuse(users that may upload unreasonable large amounts of data).

   • You can not specify directories for uploading/sharing as the Web server upload facility accepts only files. If you want to upload/share a collection of files in a directory structure you have to archive it in a generally accepted format (.tar, .zip, .gz, .tgz, etc) and submit it as a single file.