PDB Focus: Using rsync to Mirror the PDB FTP Site

One freely available method for establishing and maintaining a local copy of the PDB FTP Site is rsync. The RCSB-created script, rsyncPDB.sh, is a template for using rsync to mirror the FTP archive from an anonymous rsync server. This script can be found at ftp://ftp.rcsb.org/pub/pdb/software/, and the comments in the script explain its usage. Prior to running it, users will need to set three variables in rsyncPDB.sh to suit their local setup. This script is used by the PDB to maintain its FTP mirrors.

General rsync documentation can be found at www.samba.org/rsync. An overview of PDB FTP mirroring procedures is offered at www.rcsb.org/pdb/ftpproc.final.html, and the layout of the PDB FTP archive is accessible at www.rcsb.org/pdb/ftp_plan.html.

For more information about rsync or mirroring the PDB FTP Site, please send e-mail to info@rcsb.org.