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Transfer Management

Xermius provides comprehensive transfer management capabilities for monitoring and controlling file transfers, especially cross-host transfers between remote servers.

Overview​

The Transfer Management system consists of two main components:

Task Manager​

A centralized interface for monitoring all active file transfers:

  • Real-time monitoring: Track transfer progress with live updates
  • Multiple transfers: Monitor multiple simultaneous transfers
  • Transfer control: Pause, resume, or cancel transfers
  • Progress tracking: View percentage, speed, and ETA
  • Transfer history: Access completed and failed transfers

Cross-Host Transfers​

Direct file transfers between two remote servers:

  • Server-to-server: Transfer files directly between hosts
  • No local download: Files never touch your local machine
  • Bandwidth efficient: Uses server bandwidth, not your internet
  • Large file support: Transfer files of any size
  • Background operation: Transfers continue in background

Task Manager​

Opening Task Manager​

Access:

Bottom-right corner → Task Manager button
Shows badge with active transfer count

Button States:

  • Idle: No active transfers
  • Active: Shows count of running transfers (e.g., "2")
  • Pulsing: Indicates active transfer in progress

Task Manager Interface​

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Task Manager                                    [×]    │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Running Transfers (2)                                  │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ backup.tar.gz                                          │
│ Production Server → Backup Server                      │
│ [████████████████        ] 65%                         │
│ 45.2 MB / 70 MB • 2.3 MB/s • 11s remaining            │
│ [Pause] [Cancel]                                       │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ website.zip                                            │
│ Staging Server → Production Server                     │
│ [████                    ] 15%                         │
│ 15 MB / 100 MB • 1.8 MB/s • 47s remaining             │
│ [Pause] [Cancel]                                       │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [View History]                                         │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Transfer Information​

Each transfer displays:

  • File name: Name of the file being transferred
  • Source → Destination: Host names or "Local" for local transfers
  • Progress bar: Visual representation of completion
  • Progress percentage: Exact completion percentage (0-100%)
  • Transfer size: Current size / Total size
  • Transfer speed: Current transfer speed (KB/s, MB/s)
  • Time remaining: Estimated time to completion (ETA)

Transfer Controls​

Pause Transfer:

  • Click "Pause" button
  • Transfer pauses immediately
  • Can resume later from same position

Resume Transfer:

  • Click "Resume" button (appears when paused)
  • Transfer continues from where it stopped
  • No data loss

Cancel Transfer:

  • Click "Cancel" button
  • Transfer stops immediately
  • Partial file may remain on destination
  • Cannot be resumed (must restart)

Transfer States​

Transfers can be in one of the following states:

Running​

Status: running
- Transfer is actively in progress
- Progress updates in real-time
- Can be paused or cancelled

Paused​

Status: paused
- Transfer temporarily stopped
- Can be resumed
- Progress preserved

Completed​

Status: completed
- Transfer finished successfully
- File fully transferred
- Moved to history

Failed​

Status: failed
- Transfer encountered error
- Error message displayed
- Can retry from history

Cancelled​

Status: cancelled
- User cancelled transfer
- Partial file may exist
- Cannot resume

Transfer History​

View all past transfers with detailed information.

Opening Transfer History​

From Task Manager:

  • Click "View History" button at bottom
  • Or click "History" tab

History Interface​

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Transfer History                                [×]    │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Filter: [All ▼] [Completed] [Failed] [Cancelled]      │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ✓ database.sql                                         │
│   Server A → Server B                                  │
│   250 MB • 5.2 MB/s • Completed 2 hours ago           │
│   [Delete]                                             │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ✗ logs.tar.gz                                          │
│   Server C → Server D                                  │
│   Failed: Connection lost                              │
│   [Retry] [Delete]                                     │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ⊘ backup.zip                                           │
│   Server E → Server F                                  │
│   Cancelled by user                                    │
│   [Delete]                                             │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

History Features​

Filter by Status:

  • All: Show all transfers
  • Completed: Only successful transfers
  • Failed: Only failed transfers
  • Cancelled: Only cancelled transfers

Transfer Details:

  • File name and size
  • Source and destination hosts
  • Transfer speed (for completed)
  • Completion time or error message
  • Duration

Actions:

  • Retry: Retry failed transfers
  • Delete: Remove from history
  • Clear All: Clear entire history

Cross-Host Transfer Workflow​

Step 1: Initiate Transfer​

From SFTP:

  1. Open SFTP for Source Server
  2. Open SFTP for Destination Server
  3. Drag file from Source to Destination
  4. Or use Copy/Paste between tabs

Step 2: Monitor Progress​

Task Manager opens automatically:

  • Shows transfer progress
  • Updates in real-time
  • Displays speed and ETA

Step 3: Transfer Completes​

On Success:

  • Notification: "Transfer completed"
  • Moved to history
  • File available on destination

On Failure:

  • Notification: "Transfer failed"
  • Error message displayed
  • Option to retry

Transfer Performance​

Speed Optimization​

Factors affecting speed:

  • Server bandwidth: Limited by slowest server
  • Network latency: Distance between servers
  • File size: Larger files transfer more efficiently
  • Compression: Some files compress during transfer
  • Server load: CPU and disk I/O on both servers

Tips for faster transfers:

  • Transfer during off-peak hours
  • Use servers in same region/datacenter
  • Compress files before transfer (if not already compressed)
  • Transfer multiple small files as one archive

Bandwidth Usage​

Monitor bandwidth:

  • Real-time speed in Task Manager
  • Average speed in history
  • Total data transferred

Bandwidth considerations:

  • Transfers use server bandwidth, not your internet
  • Multiple transfers share available bandwidth
  • Pause non-urgent transfers to prioritize important ones

Use Cases​

1. Server Migration​

Scenario: Moving website to new server
Solution: Cross-host transfer all files directly
Benefit: No need to download/upload locally

2. Backup to Remote Server​

Scenario: Backup production to backup server
Solution: Transfer backup files between servers
Benefit: Fast, efficient, no local storage needed

3. Content Distribution​

Scenario: Deploy same files to multiple servers
Solution: Transfer from master to all servers
Benefit: Consistent deployment, parallel transfers

4. Log Aggregation​

Scenario: Collect logs from multiple servers
Solution: Transfer logs to central log server
Benefit: Centralized logging, automated transfers

Best Practices​

1. Monitor Active Transfers​

  • Keep Task Manager open during transfers
  • Watch for errors or slowdowns
  • Pause non-critical transfers if needed

2. Use Transfer History​

  • Review failed transfers regularly
  • Retry failed transfers
  • Clean up old history entries

3. Plan Large Transfers​

  • Schedule during off-peak hours
  • Verify disk space on destination
  • Test with small file first

4. Handle Failures Gracefully​

  • Check error messages
  • Verify connectivity between servers
  • Retry with smaller chunks if needed

Troubleshooting​

Transfer Stuck at 0%​

Possible causes:

  • Connection not established
  • Authentication failed
  • Firewall blocking connection

Solutions:

  • Check SSH connectivity between servers
  • Verify credentials
  • Check firewall rules

Transfer Very Slow​

Possible causes:

  • Limited bandwidth
  • High server load
  • Network congestion

Solutions:

  • Pause other transfers
  • Check server resources (CPU, disk I/O)
  • Try during off-peak hours

Transfer Failed​

Common errors:

  • "Connection lost": Network interruption
  • "Permission denied": Insufficient permissions
  • "No space left": Destination disk full
  • "File not found": Source file deleted

Solutions:

  • Retry transfer
  • Check permissions on destination
  • Free up disk space
  • Verify source file exists

Next Steps​