Table of contents of user guide

Managing volumes and virtual desktops

With the SD Desktop service, you can easily manage volumes and pause, reboot or delete your virtual desktops. Managing desktops and volumes happens via SD Desktop management page.

• Detaching a volume
• Attaching a volume
• Pausing or resuming a virtual desktop
• Rebooting a virtual desktop
• Deleting a virtual desktop

Note

These options are available only on virtual desktops created after February 2, 2023. Please contact service desk if you are working with older desktops.

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Detaching a volume

Detaching a volume can be compared to disconnecting a USB stick from your laptop. The volume and its content will be stored in the same CSC project where it was initially created.

Step 1: Set access permissions of the volume to read and write

• Ensuring full access to data on a volume across desktops

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  Before detaching a volume, make sure all files and folders have read and write access for all project members. This is due to fact that in the new virtual machine, where the volume will be used afterwards, the mappings between machine specific user ID numbers and user accounts may be different than in the original virtual machine. In practice this means that the user account that owns of the data may change on the way.

Method 1: Use CSC Tools to set access permissions

1. If you haven't SD Tools installer already installed on your virtual desktop, follow these instructions (Steps 1-2).
2. Launch SD Tools installer. Remember that you've to have Data Gateway application open for it to work.

3. Install CSC Tools by clicking corresponding button. Wait for confirmation.

4. Open terminal from to left side of the desktop. Type in pre-volume-detach. This command fixes the access permissions.

5. Next, the command tells if there are other project members who should run this command as well. You should inform them if this happens.
6. You are then asked whether you want to make a backup copy of your home directory to the volume, allowing you to import its contents to the new virtual machine. Type y or n (Yes/No).
7. Next, the command asks whether you want to make a backup copy of your shared directory, which contains software installations. Type y or n (Yes/No).

Method 2: Set access permissions manually

By default, permissions are limited to your access only (orange lock icon).

1. Right-click the folder and select Properties.
2. Open the Permissions tab.

3. Set permissions to Create and Delete Files:

   • Owner -> Access -> Select “Create and delete files”.
   • Group -> Access -> Select “Create and delete files”.
   • Others -> Access -> Select “Create and delete files”.

   

4. Next select Change Permissions for Enclosed Files button to adjust file permisssions inside the folder.

5. Set permissions to Create and Delete files:

   • Owner -> Files -> Select “Read and write”. Folders -> Select “Create and delete files”.
   • Group -> Files -> Select “Read and write”. Folders -> Select “Create and delete files”.
   • Others -> Files -> Select “Read and write”. Folders -> Select “Create and delete files”.
   • Click Change.

   

6. Close the permission tab (top right corner).

The orange lock icon will no longer be visible next to folders and files and they can now be edited by all project members.

Note: If you open the enclosed file permission settings again, it looks like the settings haven't changed even though the permissions have been set correctly.

Step 2: Detach a volume

1. Log in to SD Desktop. Access the correct virtual desktop on the homepage under All connections.

2. Save and close all the files on the volume to prevent data corruption and log out from the virtual desktop.

3. On the homepage, click SD Desktop management.

4. At the bottom of the page, under Available desktops choose the correct virtual desktop, and in the same row, on the right side, click Detach volume. Confirm the operation through the notification.

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Attach a volume to a new virtual desktop

When you want to access the data saved in the detached volume, you can attach it to a new virtual desktop. You can also attach the volume when creating a new virtual desktop to move data from the old desktop to the new one.

1. Log in to SD Desktop. On the homepage, click SD Desktop management.

2. At the bottom of the page, under Desktop selection choose the necessary options (CSC project, operating system etc.). Follow steps 1-2 in these instructions.

3. Under Add External Volume (optional) click Choose from existing volumes. Dropdown will show available volumes stored in the same CSC project. Leave fields Volume size and Volume name empty.

4. Click on Create desktop.

Note

• A detached volume can not be attached to an existing virtual desktop, only to new virtual desktops during creation phase.
• The content of a detached volume can not be accessed or deleted.
• If you want to access or delete content on the detached volume, you need to create a new desktop that uses same operating system as the volume and attach volume to it at the creation phase.
• Volumes can not be moved or transferred between CSC projects for security reasons.

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Pausing or unpausing a virtual desktop

Virtual desktops should be paused when not actively used for analysis, to reduce the use of CSC computing resources and prevent unnecessary consumption of Cloud Billing Units. Pausing is not intended as a long‑term method for storing data. Volume usage continues to consume Billing Units even while the desktop is paused.

Note

CSC cannot guarantee the functionality of desktops paused for extended periods or not updated after service upgrades, including situations where required actions have not been performed.

Pausing a virtual desktop

1. Log in to SD Desktop. Access the correct virtual desktop on the homepage under All connections.

2. Close all the programs, save or close all the files, and log out from the virtual desktop to prevent data corruption.

3. On the SD Desktop homepage, click Go To SD Desktop Management.

4. At the bottom of the page, under Available desktops choose the correct virtual desktop, and in the same row, on the right side, click Pause desktop.

5. Confirm the operation via the notification. Pausing a desktop may take up to 30 minutes.

Note

You can't access or detach a volume while a desktop is paused.

Resuming a paused virtual desktop

1. Log in to SD Desktop. On the SD Desktop homepage, click Go To SD Desktop Management.

2. At the bottom of the page, under Available desktops, select the correct virtual desktop. In the same row, click Options on the right, then choose Resume.

Note

Resuming a paused desktop is only possible for active CSC projects with available Cloud Billing Units.

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Rebooting a virtual desktop

If your virtual desktop or software becomes unresponsive, you can reboot it. After the reboot, all files and software saved on the virtual desktop will remain accessible.

Note

If the Data Gateway application becomes unresponsive due to old sessions running in the background, there's no need to reboot your desktop. Instead, you can utilize the terminal to identify and halt the process. For assistance, please contact CSC Service Desk, subject "Sensitive data."

To reboot a desktop:

1. Log in to SD Desktop. Access the correct virtual desktop on the homepage under All connections.

2. Close all programs and ensure you save or close any files to prevent data corruption.

3. On the SD Desktop homepage, click Go To SD Desktop Management.

4. At the bottom of the page, under Available desktops, select the correct virtual desktop. In the same row, click Options on the right, then choose Reboot.

5. Confirm the operation via the notification. Rebooting a desktop may take up to 30 minutes.

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Deleting a virtual desktop

At the end of your analysis, you can delete your virtual desktop, including the external volume and all files saved in it. You cannot undo this action:

1. Log in to SD Desktop. On the SD Desktop homepage, click Go To SD Desktop Management.

2. At the bottom of the page, under Available desktops, select the correct virtual desktop. In the same row, click Options on the right, then choose Delete.

Note

Please contact all the project members before deleting a virtual desktop. With this action, you will delete the entire workspace, including all files saved in the virtual desktop or external volume by other project members.

Your next steps in this guide

• Accessing virtual desktop
• Working with your desktop: tips and essentials
• Customisation - software & tools
• Importing data
• Exporting data via user interface
• Export data programmatically
• Troubleshooting

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