Orion/Server API/Transfer API

The transfer API is used for batch import and export of directory trees to/from an Orion workspace.

Import

Starting a file upload

** NOTE: The Orion Java server currently returns an invalid Location value in its response, which makes the approach of pairing this call with subsequent calls to the "Uploading a file" endpoint not work. The Orion client instead uses the "Importing a file via a single POST call" endpoint to perform its file uploads.

Overview

A resumable chunked upload is initiated via a POST request. The request URL indicates where the file should be located once the upload is complete. The request must indicate the total size of the file the server should expect.

HTTP Method

POST

Example Request

POST /xfer/import/{:workspace_id}/{:project_dir}/{:folder_path}
Orion-Version: 1.0
Slug: MyTitle
X-Xfer-Content-Length: 901024
X-Xfer-Options: raw

  

Example Response

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Location: /xfer/import/23A43

Detailed Explanation

The Location header in the response indicates the URL where chunks of the file should be uploaded. Once the server has received all chunks, the import into the workspace is completed. An upload that is not completed in a timely fashion from the initial POST is discarded by the server. The X-Xfer-Options header specifies what the server should do with the file when the upload completes. By default the server assumes the file is an archive and will attempt to extract it into the destination location. When importing a single file, the "raw" option can be used to indicate that the server should simply place the uploaded file at the specified location.

Uploading a file

After initiating the transfer, uploads are performed as many times as required using PUT actions:

Overview

Uploads a chunk of a file to the server.

HTTP Method

PUT

Example Request

PUT /xfer/import/23A43
Orion-Version: 1.0
Content-Length: 32768
Content-Type: application/zip
Content-Range: bytes 0-32767/901024

  

Example Response

HTTP/1.1 308 Resume Incomplete
Range: bytes 0-30000

Detailed Explanation

A response of 308 indicates that the server has not yet received all required bytes, and the Range response header indicates the bytes known to the server so far. When the server has received all bytes, a 201 Created response is returned, with a Location header specifying the location of the newly added file or directory.

Importing a zip

The chunked file upload service can also be used to import an archive file that will be expanded upon completion of import. This allows a large number of files to be imported into a project at once.

Overview

An upload is initiated via a POST request. The request URL indicates where the file should be located once the upload is complete. The request must indicate the total size of the file the server should expect.

HTTP Method

POST

Example Request

POST /xfer/import/{:workspace_id}/{:project_dir}/{:folder_path}
Orion-Version: 1.0
X-Xfer-Content-Length: 901024

  

Example Response

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Location: /xfer/import/23A43

Detailed Explanation

The Location header in the response indicates the URL where chunks of the file should be uploaded. Once the server has received all chunks, the file is unzipped into the destination location on the server. An upload that is not completed in a timely fashion from the initial POST is discarded by the server.

Importing from SFTP

SFTP import is a server to server operation for pulling content from an SFTP server into an Orion workspace.

Overview

An import is initiated via a POST request. The request URL indicates where the file should be located once the upload is complete. The X-Xfer-Options header indicates the type of import, and the request body provides details required to complete the import.

HTTP Method

POST

Example Request

POST /xfer/import/{:workspace_id}/{:project_dir}/{:folder_path}
Orion-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: application/json
X-Xfer-Options: sftp

{
 "UserName" : "nanush",
 "Host" : "example.com",
 "Port" : "22",
 "Path" : "/nanush/MyProj",
 "Passphrase": "secretpassword"
}  

Example Response

HTTP/1.1 201 Created
Location: /task/dfsfSDF7S_F7

Detailed Explanation

The Location header in the response indicates the URL of a progress resource that can be used to monitor the state of the import operation.

By default, this import will overwrite any files in your workspace with the same name. An X-Xfer-Options value of "sftp,no-overwrite" indicates that the operation MUST fail if the resource to be created already exists. A 412 return code is used to indicate that the "no-overwrite" option was specified and the destination resource already exists. An X-Xfer-Options value of "sftp,overwrite-older" will overwrite any files in your workspace with a timestamp older than the file on the source server.

The Port field is optional; if not provided port 22 is used.

Importing a file via a single POST call

Overview

Although the resumable chunk-based upload approach is recommended for large files, you can also import a file with a single POST call. Simply omit the X-Xfer-Content-Length header, and include the file to be uploaded as the request body.

HTTP Method

POST

Example Request

POST /xfer/import/{:workspace_id}/{:project_dir}/{:folder_path}
Orion-Version: 1.0
Content-Length: 901024
Content-Type: application/zip

This is the file contents  

Example Response

HTTP/1.1 201 OK
Location: /file/user-OrionContent/MyProj/SomeFolder

Detailed Explanation

If the POST method body contains the entire content, then 201 response is returned and the import is complete. If the entire content is not received, then a 308 response is returned along with the range received by the server. The client can then resume or complete the upload via a subsequent PUT operation with appropriate range. The file is only imported into the workspace once the entire content is received.

Import a file from a remote URL

Overview

You can also import a file located at an arbitrary remote URL. This example imports an HTML file from http://example.com/files.html, and imports it into SomeFolder on the Orion server.

HTTP Method

POST

Example Request

POST /xfer/import/{:workspace_id}/{:project_dir}/{:folder_path}?source=http%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Findex.html
Orion-Version: 1.0
X-Xfer-Options: raw

  

Example Response

HTTP/1.1 201 OK
Location: /file/user-OrionContent/MyProj/SomeFolder

Detailed Explanation

The X-Xfer-Options header specifies what the server should do with the file when the upload completes. By default the server assumes the file is an archive and will attempt to extract it into the destination location. When importing a single file, the "raw" option can be used to indicate that the server should simply place the uploaded file at the specified location.

Export

Export to client

Overview

Exporting files and directories to the client is performed via a GET

HTTP Method

GET

Example Request

GET /xfer/export/{:workspace_id}/{:project_dir}/{:folder_path}.zip
Orion-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: application/zip

  

Example Response

HTTP/1.1 201 OK
Content-Length: 901024
Content-Type: application/zip

File contents go here

Detailed Explanation

The final segment of the request must be the name of an existing workspace folder with ".zip" appended (for example, to export the contents of folder /a/b/c your :folder_path must be /a/b/c.zip). The body of the response will be the exported files/directories in the requested format. If no Content-Type is specified in the request, then the default response type is application/zip.

SFTP export to another server

SFTP export is a server-to-server operation for pushing content from an Orion workspace to an SFTP server.

Overview

A server to server export is initiated via a POST request. The request URL indicates the file or directory to export. The X-Xfer-Options header indicates the type of export, and the request body provides details required to complete the export.

HTTP Method

POST

Example Request

POST /xfer/export/{:workspace_id}/{:project_dir}/{:folder_path}/
Orion-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: application/json
X-Xfer-Options: sftp

{
 "UserName" : "nanush",
 "Host" : "example.com",
 "Port": "22",
 "Path" : "/nanush/MyProj",
 "Passphrase": "secretpassword"
}  

Example Response

HTTP/1.1 201 Created
Location: /task/dfsfSDF7S_F7

Detailed Explanation

The Location header in the response indicates the URL of a progress resource that can be used to monitor the state of the export operation.

By default this export will overwrite any files in the destination server with the same name. An X-Xfer-Options value of "sftp,no-overwrite" indicates that the operation MUST fail if the resource to be exported already exists. A 412 return code is used to indicate that the "no-overwrite" option was specified and the destination resource already exists. An X-Xfer-Options value of "sftp,overwrite-older" will overwrite any files in the remote server with a timestamp older than the file in the source workspace.

The Port field is optional; if not provided port 22 will be used.