Configuring the HttpExportService for Connection to XNAT Servers

This article describes how to use configure the CTP HttpExportService pipeline stage for efficient export to an XNAT server. The intended audience for this article is CTP administrators.

The HttpExportService configuration element has two child elements intended to invoke special features in coordination with an XNAT server. The Launcher application's Configuration tab allows the administrator to add these children and provides guidance in defining their attributes.

The xnat child element makes authentication of the transfers from the HttpExportService to the XNAT server more efficient. The element has these attributes:

    <xnat
        url="https://host:port/data/JSESSION"
        cookieName="JSESSIONID"
        password=""
        username=""/>

• url specifies the URL of the XNAT server's authentication service.
• cookieName specifies the cookie name in the set-cookie header returned by the XNAT server after a successful authentication.
• username specifies the username on the XNAT server for authentication.
• password specifies the password on the XNAT server for authentication.

When this element is present, the HttpExportService authenticates on the first transfer, obtains the session cookie, and passes that cookie back to the server on all subsequent transfers. The effect is to reduce the load on the server dramatically.

The compressor child element makes the actual file transfers themselves more efficient. The element has these attributes:

    <compressor
        cacheSize="0"
        structure="JSESSIONID"
        defaultString=""
        whitespaceReplacement="_"/>

• cacheSize specifies the URL of the XNAT server's authentication service.
• cookieName specifies the cookie name in the set-cookie header returned by the XNAT server after a successful authentication.
• username specifies the username on the XNAT server for authentication.
• password specifies the password on the XNAT server for authentication.

When this element is present, the HttpExportService authenticates on the first transfer, obtains the session cookie, and passes that cookie back to the server on all subsequent transfers. The effect is to reduce the load on the server dramatically.