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navsection: userguide
title: "Using arv-copy"
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Copyright (C) The Arvados Authors. All rights reserved.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-3.0
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This tutorial describes how to copy Arvados objects from one cluster to another by using @arv-copy@.

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h2. arv-copy

@arv-copy@ allows users to copy collections and workflows from one cluster to another. By default, @arv-copy@ will recursively go through the workflow and copy all dependencies associated with the object.

For example, let's copy from the <a href="https://playground.arvados.org/">Arvados playground</a>, also known as *pirca*, to *dstcl*. The names *pirca* and *dstcl* are interchangable with any cluster id. You can find the cluster name from the prefix of the uuid of the object you want to copy. For example, in *zzzzz*-4zz18-tci4vn4fa95w0zx, the cluster name is *zzzzz* .

In order to communicate with both clusters, you must create custom configuration files for each cluster. In the Arvados Workbench, click on the dropdown menu icon <span class="fa fa-lg fa-user"></span> <span class="caret"></span> in the upper right corner of the top navigation menu to access the user settings menu, and click on the menu item *Current token*. Copy the @ARVADOS_API_HOST@ and @ARVADOS_API_TOKEN@ in both of your clusters. Then, create two configuration files in @~/.config/arvados@, one for each cluster. The names of the files must have the format of *ClusterID.conf*. Navigate to the *Current token* page on each of *pirca* and *dstcl* to get the @ARVADOS_API_HOST@ and @ARVADOS_API_TOKEN@.

!{display: block;margin-left: 25px;margin-right: auto;}{{ site.baseurl }}/images/api-token-host.png!

The config file consists of two lines, one for ARVADOS_API_HOST and one for ARVADOS_API_TOKEN:

<pre>
ARVADOS_API_HOST=zzzzz.arvadosapi.com
ARVADOS_API_TOKEN=v2/zzzzz-gj3su-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/123456789abcdefghijkl
</pre>

Copy your @ARVADOS_API_HOST@ and @ARVADOS_API_TOKEN@ into the config files as shown below in the shell account from which you are executing the commands.  In our example, you need two files, @~/.config/arvados/pirca.conf@ and @~/.config/arvados/dstcl.conf@.

Now you're ready to copy between *pirca* and *dstcl*!

h3. How to copy a collection

First, determine the uuid or portable data hash of the collection you want to copy from the source cluster. The uuid can be found in the collection display page in the collection summary area (top left box), or from the URL bar (the part after @collections/...@)

Now copy the collection from *pirca* to *dstcl*. We will use the uuid @jutro-4zz18-tv416l321i4r01e@ as an example. You can find this collection on <a href="https://playground.arvados.org/collections/jutro-4zz18-tv416l321i4r01e">playground.arvados.org</a>.
<notextile>
<pre><code>~$ <span class="userinput">arv-copy --src pirca --dst dstcl jutro-4zz18-tv416l321i4r01e</span>
jutro-4zz18-tv416l321i4r01e: 6.1M / 6.1M 100.0%
arvados.arv-copy[1234] INFO: Success: created copy with uuid dstcl-4zz18-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
</code></pre>
</notextile>

You can also copy by content address:

<notextile>
<pre><code>~$ <span class="userinput">arv-copy --src pirca --dst dstcl 2463fa9efeb75e099685528b3b9071e0+438</span>
2463fa9efeb75e099685528b3b9071e0+438: 6.1M / 6.1M 100.0%
arvados.arv-copy[1234] INFO: Success: created copy with uuid dstcl-4zz18-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
</code></pre>
</notextile>

The output of arv-copy displays the uuid of the collection generated in the destination cluster. By default, the output is placed in your home project in the destination cluster. If you want to place your collection in an existing project, you can specify the project you want it to be in using the tag @--project-uuid@ followed by the project uuid.

For example, this will copy the collection to project dstcl-j7d0g-a894213ukjhal12 in the destination cluster.

<notextile> <pre><code>~$ <span class="userinput">arv-copy --src pirca --dst dstcl --project-uuid dstcl-j7d0g-a894213ukjhal12 jutro-4zz18-tv416l321i4r01e
</code></pre>
</notextile>

h3. How to copy a workflow

We will use the uuid @jutro-7fd4e-mkmmq53m1ze6apx@ as an example workflow.

<notextile>
<pre><code>~$ <span class="userinput">arv-copy --src jutro --dst pirca --project-uuid pirca-j7d0g-ecak8knpefz8ere jutro-7fd4e-mkmmq53m1ze6apx</span>
ae480c5099b81e17267b7445e35b4bc7+180: 23M / 23M 100.0%
2463fa9efeb75e099685528b3b9071e0+438: 156M / 156M 100.0%
jutro-4zz18-vvvqlops0a0kpdl: 94M / 94M 100.0%
2020-08-19 17:04:13 arvados.arv-copy[4789] INFO:
2020-08-19 17:04:13 arvados.arv-copy[4789] INFO: Success: created copy with uuid pirca-7fd4e-s0tw9rfbkpo2fmx
</code></pre>
</notextile>

The name, description, and workflow definition from the original workflow will be used for the destination copy. In addition, any *collections* and *docker images* referenced in the source workflow definition will also be copied to the destination.

If you would like to copy the object without dependencies, you can use the @--no-recursive@ flag.