Creating Data Links

Data links in Fileglancer allow you to create shareable URLs for your data on Janelia’s file systems without moving or copying files. They work similarily to how Google Docs does when you share a document with “Anyone with the link”.

What are data links?

• Persistent URLs: Stable web addresses that point to your data
• No data movement: Links point to data in original locations on the Janelia file system
• Internally shareable: Can be sent to internal collaborators or used with online tools on the internal network
• Revokeable: You can delete a data link at any time to revoke access to the data

Creating data links for OME-Zarr Data

Zarr and OME-Zarr data sets have special integration features for data links:

1. Navigate to your Zarr directory
   Browse to the target Zarr or OME-Zarr directory.

2. Click one of the tool icons under the image thumbnail
   Select one of the available tools, including Neuroglancer, Vol-E, Avivator, OME-Zarr Validator, or copy link. If you don’t have automatic data links enabled, this will open the data link creation dialog.

3. Review the data link creation dialog
   The dialog shows information about the link being created. Review the access settings.

4. Approve the data link creation
   Click “Create Data Link”. Choose the “enable automatic data link creation” option to streamline future link creation.

5. Share the generated data links
   When you open the data in a tool, it uses the data link to access your data. Certain tools, such as Neuroglancer, also save your viewer state in the URL. You can copy the URL in the address bar and send it to a collaborator and they will see the same view of the data.

Creating data links for non-Zarr data

You can create data links for any directory, not just Zarr files. This is especially useful for other image file formats such as the Saalfeld Lab’s N5 format.

1. Navigate to the target directory
   Use any navigation method to reach the desired folder. This can be any directory you have appropriate permissions for.

2. Open the Properties Panel
   Ensure the Properties Panel, located on the right side of the interface, is visible.
   

3. Access the Overview tab
   Click on the “Overview” tab within the Properties Panel. This shows general directory information and controls.

4. Enable data link
   Find the data link toggle switch in the Overview tab. Click the switch to enable sharing for this directory. The switch indicates whether sharing is active.

5. Use the generated link
   Copy the generated URL for sharing. The link provides access to browse the directory contents, and can be opened in compatible viewers such as Fiji.

Automatic Data Link Creation

When creating data links through the tool icon dialog:

1. Enable automatic creation
   Choose the option to enable automatic data links during the approval process. This will remove the dialog confirmation step for future link creation.

2. Managing automatic settings
   Review and modify automatic data link settings in your preferences at any time. Disable automatic creation if you prefer manual control.

Managing Your Data Links

Viewing All Data Links

1. Navigate to the data links page
   Click on the Data Links page link at the top of the interface. View the table with all currently active data links. Sort and filter links, if desired.

Disabling Data Links

Method 1 - From the data links page

1. Click the actions button
   The circle icon with three dots on the right side of the data links table.

2. Select delete data link from the pop-up menu
   Confirm deleting in the link in the dialog.

Method 2 - From the Properties panel

1. Navigate to the linked directory
   Use navigation to return to the directory with an active data link.

2. Open Properties Panel
   Access the Overview tab as before.

3. Disable the data link
   Click the toggle switch to turn off the data link. The link will immediately be deleted. If you re-enable the button, a new data link will be created. Therefore, collaborators who received the previous link will not be able to access the data until they receive the new data link.

Security Considerations

Understand access scope

• Anyone with the data link and using the Janelia network can view directory contents
• Be aware of what data is included in shared directories

Disable data links that are no longer needed

• Regularly review data links on the Data Links page and delete them if they are no longer needed

Sharing data outside of Janelia

Some file shares have a special folder called data_external. Any files or folders placed inside data_external are automatically made public on s3.janelia.org. You do not need to create a data link in Fileglancer for these items, since public access is already available. Whenever you open a image inside a data_external folder in Fileglancer, you will get a link that anyone on the internet can use to access the data.

Troubleshooting Data Links

Data Link Creation Issues

Problem: Toggle switch doesn’t respond

• Solution: Verify you have write permissions for the directory
• Check if you’re authenticated properly
• Try refreshing the browser

Problem: Properties Panel not visible

• Solution: Look for panel toggle buttons in the interface
• Check if the panel is collapsed or minimized
• Try different browser window sizes

Data Link Access Issues

Problem: Collaborators can’t access data links

• Solution: Verify collaborators have network access and updated data links
• Check if they’re on the correct network (Janelia internal)
• Confirm the data link is still active on your Data Links page

Problem: Data links stop working

• Solution: Check if the data has been moved or permissions changed
• Verify the data link wasn’t accidentally disabled
• Contact system administrators for file system issues

Remember that data links are a powerful feature for collaboration, but they should be used thoughtfully with consideration for security, permissions, and data management best practices.