6.2 Frequently Asked Questions

This page addresses common questions and issues encountered when using the Australian Dataspace Testbed Platform.

Getting Started

Q: I’m new to the platform. How do I get started?
A: Welcome! Follow these steps to get started:

1. Log in - Access the platform at https://d3h5czwloc3hot.cloudfront.net/ using your institutional credentials via AAF
2. Read the basics - Review the Platform Guide to understand key concepts and terminology
3. Set up SSH keys - Follow the SSH Keys guide to create keys for secure access
4. Create your first dataspace - Use the Creating a Dataspace guide to launch your first testbed environment
5. Connect to your dataspace - Follow the Connecting guide to access your environment
6. Explore the dashboard - Once connected, access the dataspace dashboard at https://<your-instance-ip>/dashboard

For a complete walkthrough, start with the Platform Guide section.

Q: What should I do first after logging in?
A: After logging in, you’ll see the platform dashboard. First, familiarise yourself with the interface and check your project credits. Then, create SSH keys before launching your first dataspace. The Dashboard guide explains all available functions.

Q: Do I need cloud computing experience to use this platform?
A: No cloud experience is required. The platform is designed to be self-service and handles the complex infrastructure automatically. Simply follow the guides to create and manage dataspace environments. However, basic familiarity with SSH and command-line interfaces is helpful.

Platform Access & Authentication

Q: I cannot log in to the platform. What should I do?
A: Ensure you’re using your institutional credentials through AAF. If your institution is not listed, contact your IT department to confirm AAF membership. Clear your browser cache and try again.

Q: My institution is not listed in the AAF login page.
A: Not all Australian institutions are AAF members. Contact your institution’s IT support to enquire about AAF membership, or contact platform support for alternative access options.

Q: I’m getting an “Access Denied” error after logging in.
A: Your account may not have been provisioned yet, or your project allocation may have expired. Contact platform support to verify your account status.

Dataspace Connection Issues

Q: I cannot connect to my dataspace environment.
A: This occurs when your computer cannot reach your dataspace instance. Try the following:

1. Log in to the Australian Dataspace Testbed Platform and ensure your dataspace is in the ‘Running’ state. If it shows “Stopped”, click the ‘Start’ button.

2. Verify your IP address is whitelisted:

   • Log in to the platform
   • Find your dataspace and select ‘Edit Security Group’
   • Click ‘Add to All’ to add your current IP address
   • Save and try connecting again

3. If using a VPN or changing networks, you’ll need to update the security group with your new IP address.

Q: I can connect via SSH but cannot access the web dashboard.
A: Ensure port 443 is open in your security group. The dataspace may still be initialising—check the SSH welcome message for installation status. Wait for the bootstrap script to complete (up to 40 minutes).

Q: My connection was working yesterday but not today.
A: Your public IP address may have changed. Update your security group with your current IP address following the steps above.

SSH & Authentication

Q: I’m getting “Permission denied (publickey)” when connecting via SSH.
A: This indicates an SSH key issue:

• Verify you’re using the correct private key file
• Ensure the key file has correct permissions: chmod 400 your-key.pem (Linux/MacOS)
• Confirm you’re using the correct username (typically ec2-user)
• Verify the key was properly associated with the instance during creation

Q: I lost my SSH private key. Can I recover it?
A: SSH private keys cannot be recovered once lost. You’ll need to create a new key pair and either:

• Launch a new dataspace instance with the new key
• Use alternative connection methods (NoVNC, Code-Server) to access your existing instance

Q: How do I connect from Windows?
A: Use an SSH client like PuTTY, Windows Terminal, or the built-in OpenSSH client. If using PuTTY, convert your .pem key to .ppk format using PuTTYgen.

Performance & Resources

Q: My dataspace is running slowly or becoming unresponsive.
A: This indicates insufficient resources:

• Check your instance size—upgrade to a larger flavour/size with more CPU and memory
• Monitor resource usage via SSH: top or htop commands
• Consider the size of datasets you’re working with
• Reduce the number of concurrent Docker containers if possible

Q: My dataspace suddenly stopped or crashed.
A: This typically indicates the instance ran out of memory or CPU resources. Upgrade to a larger instance size. For AWS, consider memory-optimised instances (r7i family). For Azure, try Standard_D8s_v3 or larger. For Nectar, try the ‘r’ series (memory-optimised) flavours such as r3.large or larger.

Q: How long does it take for a dataspace to be ready?
A: Initial deployment takes 5-10 minutes for the VM to start, plus 30-40 minutes for the bootstrap script to install and configure all components. You can SSH in earlier to monitor progress via /var/log/cloud-init-output.log.

Q: Can I resize my dataspace after creation?
A: This depends on your cloud provider. On AWS and Azure, you can stop the instance and change the instance type. On Nectar, you may need to create a new instance with a larger flavour.

Bootstrap & Installation

Q: The bootstrap script seems to have failed. How can I check?
A: Connect via SSH and check the cloud-init logs:

sudo tail -f /var/log/cloud-init-output.log

Look for error messages or check if the script completed. The final message should indicate “Image building finished”.

Q: Docker containers are not running.
A: Check Docker status:

sudo docker ps
sudo docker compose logs

If containers failed to start, check for port conflicts or resource constraints. Restart with: sudo docker compose restart

Q: Services are installed but not accessible via browser.
A: Verify:

• Security group has the required ports open (443, 8000, 8443, etc.)
• Services are running: sudo systemctl status code-server or sudo docker ps
• You’re using HTTPS (not HTTP) for secure services
• Your browser accepts the self-signed certificate

Network & Security

Q: What ports need to be open in my security group?
A: Required ports:

Q: Why does my browser show a security warning?
A: The dataspace uses self-signed certificates for development purposes. This is expected and safe for testing environments. Click “Advanced” and proceed to the site.

Q: Should I allow access from “Any” IP address?
A: No, for security reasons, restrict access to your specific IP address or your organisation’s IP range. Only use “Any” for port 443 if you need public access to the dashboard.

Q: How do I find my IP address for the security group?
A: Search for “what is my ip” in Google, or visit https://whatismyipaddress.com. Enter your IPv4 address in CIDR notation (e.g., 203.0.113.1/32).

Dataspace Components

Q: How do I access the dataspace dashboard after deployment?
A: Navigate to https://<your-instance-ip>/dashboard in your browser. Ensure port 443 is open in your security group.

Q: The DAPS is not responding.
A: Check if the DAPS container is running: sudo docker ps | grep omejdn. Review logs: sudo docker compose logs omejdn-server. Ensure the dashboard operator service is running: sudo systemctl status dashboard-operator.

Q: Can I deploy multiple connectors?
A: Yes, the default testbed includes two connectors (Connector A and Connector B). You can also deploy a single-connector configuration using the alternative bootstrap script.

Q: How do I integrate with Research Data Australia (RDA)?
A: Configure the RDA broker through the dataspace dashboard. You’ll need an RDA API key. See the RDA integration guide for details.

Cost & Billing

Q: Why are my costs delayed by 24 hours?
A: AWS billing data has a 24-hour delay. Costs displayed in the platform reflect usage from 24 hours ago.

Q: How can I reduce costs?
A:

• Stop dataspaces when not in use
• Use smaller instance sizes for development/testing
• Delete unused dataspaces
• Monitor your credit usage regularly

Q: What happens when I run out of credits?
A: Your dataspaces will be stopped automatically. Contact platform support to request additional credits or discuss your project allocation.

Still Need Help?

If your question isn’t answered here, please refer to the Getting Support page for contact information.