data collaboration

[roryirwin]

Hey everyone.

 

Would appreciate any insight/experience with the following! What would you say is the best way to share data between two collaborating research parties - aside from dropbox and email attachments?

 

Much science love

[Matthew Blackhand]

Hi,

I recently found this site, might be of usage: https://osf.io/

some kind of FTP server might work too, but not an expert in this.

[iNow]

Maybe google docs or smartsheets

[Sensei]

Would appreciate any insight/experience with the following! What would you say is the best way to share data between two collaborating research parties - aside from dropbox and email attachments?

 

Sounds like you bother about security.

Then the only way is heavily encrypted (plus better compressed with self-made compression algorithm) direct transmission between two parties.

Somebody would have to capture entire transmission (so, would be advised to split it, to thousands alone meaningless packets), then bother to decrypt, and find out personal decompression algorithm, to read data.

It would be better to have packet tracer implemented in sending algorithm, to check which IP are listening all your transmission.

Or going personally with CD/DVD/pendrive every time you need to exchange valuable data (also encrypted, compressed with self-made compression algorithm).

You can't send them by mail/courier and being absolutely sure that somebody unauthorized not read them.

 

Not bad security level is given by Skype data transmission protocol, as long as, one of you at least, sender and client, have public static IP address.

But still better try to send test (meaningless) data, each time, and see in personal firewall (with packet logger enabled) which IP were used by packet/transmission.

To be sure it's direct transmission p2p. IP must match your client.

 

If sender and client are private/dynamic IP, behind NAT etc, data transmission is not p2p, but through somebody else computer (who is either receiver from you and sender to your client), and they could intercept transmission.

 

Maybe google docs or smartsheets

 

Yet another ridiculous your post.

Why don't you simply send everything to CIA/NSA/everybody straight away... That's what you're suggesting..

Edited February 28, 2016 by Sensei

[iNow]

Sounds like you bother about security.

Then the only way is heavily encrypted (plus better compressed with self-made compression algorithm) direct transmission between two parties.

(snip)

Yet another ridiculous your post.

Why don't you simply send everything to CIA/NSA/everybody straight away... That's what you're suggesting..

Lol. First, please relax. No need for such hostility.

 

Second, perhaps I've missed something, but will you please elaborate what in the OP makes you believe they care so much about security?

[Sensei]

If I misunderstood OP intentions (I just drunk 2L of my wine 16%= 320 mL of ethanol), and he does not bother about security too much, he could try:

 

- setting up custom FTP server,

- setting up custom HTTP server, Apache for instance, better with HTTPS,

- setting up Direct Connect server,

- setting up SVN. It's especially designed to work with multi people team, to exchange data, and all have up to date files. With authorization per-person. With history what person changed in files. You can go back to older version of each file, from history. It's for programmers, but don't see a reason why not to use it by scientists.

 

All these require that you have static *) public IP address, or if you're behind NAT, that router-modem has at least one port forwarded (in the case of FTP, might be needed more)

 

*) there are special dynamic IP host renaming services as noip.com, I have been using it for many years when I had dynamic IP. It was updated every day, every local IP change.

 

ps. SVN is especially tempting. Ask programmers in your team how it works locally. It can be used without Internet connection in intranet.

Edited February 28, 2016 by Sensei

[iNow]

Appreciate your experience and expertise in this space. Love learning new things. Perhaps one day we can share a coupla liters of wine. In the meantime, cheers.