Computer Laboratory

Information for Windows users

Contents

Remote file access using WebDAV

You can access the file store at the Computer laboratory using WebDAV over https to the server svr-webdav.ad.cl.cam.ac.uk.  The area of your private filespace that is visible can be controlled by users according to their needs.  File protection and access rights via this method are identical to those available within the laboratory.  You should not use WebDAV with a VPN, the latter is not needed and will result in much poorer performance.

To use the service you first need to set the scope of the filespace you will expose over WebDAV.  This is determined by the contents of the folder (directory) webdav in your superhome.  It can either be a real folder or a symbolic link to something else; creating the latter must be done from the Linux operating system.  To expose the superhome itself you need to loopback via ../crsid rather than creating a link to the current directory pointer '.'. 

cd /auto/userfiles/crsid

will get you to your superhome. Then you can either create a new folder there and put files there explicitly: 

mkdir webdav

Or you could link to an existing folder in your current unix (or windows) home: 

ln -s unix_home/public_html webdav

This would make your www pages accessible via WebDAV. To see all your files you need to link as follows 

ln -s ../crsid webdav

In all cases above, replace the string crsid with your own login identifier.

Connecting from MacOS

MacOS supports direct connection to WebDAV folders via the Finder.  Click on the screen backgroup to make the finder active.  Then select Go form the finder menu and then Connect to Server.  A dialogue box will pop up requesting a server address, this should be https://svr-webdav.ad.cl.cam.ac.uk/webdav/crsid where your login identifier is used in place of the 'crsid' tag.  Add the string by clicking the + button, then click on the Connect button.

Connect to server dialog

A dialogue box will appear asking for your username and password.  The username must be in the form crsid@ad.cl.cam.ac.uk and the password is your laboratory systems password.  Once entered a folder should open on the desktop with the files displayed.

macos credential dialog

Connecting from Windows

Open an explorer window by clicking on My Computer.  Select Map Network Drive (this is either in a bar at the top of the window or member of one of the menu items depending on the version of Windows you are running).  In the dialog box enter as the name of the folder https://svr-webdav.ad.cl.cam.ac.uk/webdav/crsid where your login identifier is used in place of the 'crsid' tag. 

map network drive dialog

Click on the finish button.  In the dialog that follows insert your laboratory credentials as shown

credentials dialog

and click OK.  The folder will open showing the files.

Connecting from Linux

You first need to load the appropriate package e.g.

apt-get install davfs2

You can then mount the WebDAV folder using a command such as

% sudo mount -t davfs https://svr-webdav.ad.cl.cam.ac.uk/webdav/gt19 /mnt
[sudo] password for gt19: 
Please enter the username to authenticate with server
https://svr-webdav.ad.cl.cam.ac.uk/webdav/gt19 or hit enter for none.
  Username: gt19@ad.cl.cam.ac.uk
Please enter the password to authenticate user aa19@ad.cl.cam.ac.uk with server
https://svr-webdav.ad.cl.cam.ac.uk/webdav/gt19 or hit enter for none.
  Password: 
%

The WebDAV folder should then be mounted on /mnt.