Creating Manifest and Signature Files

Topics

The manifest and SIGNATURE files describe how to upload data from your storage device into the AWS cloud. You attach the manifest file to a CREATE JOB e-mail, as described in the next section, Using AWS Import/Export. You must save the corresponding SIGNATURE file to the root directory of your storage device. We recommend that you create both files at the same time to make sure the shared contents match. If the shared contents do not match, AWS Import/Export will not be able to complete your job and will return your storage device.

The manifest file contains instructions for processing the data on your storage device. Each manifest file is associated with one or more AWS Import/Export jobs; each AWS Import/Export job has exactly one manifest file. For more information about the manifest file, see Manifest File.

The SIGNATURE file uniquely identifies the AWS Import/Export job and authenticates your request. For more information, see SIGNATURE File.

AWS Import/Export compares the contents of the manifest file that you attach to a CREATE JOB e-mail with the contents of the SIGNATURE file, which you save in the root directory of the storage device. This comparison validates that instructions in the manifest file have not changed.

You must create a manifest file and a matching SIGNATURE file for each of your data upload jobs.

How to Create Manifest and Signature Files Using Third Party Tools

Topics

This section describes the third party user interface tools, S3 Fox Organizer and Bucket Explorer, that help you create manifest and SIGNATURE files. If you use one of these tools, you can skip the remainder of the section and proceed to the next section, Using AWS Import/Export.

Bucket Explorer

Bucket Explorer provides a user interface for Amazon S3. One of Bucket Explorer's functions is to facilitate the creation of manifest and SIGNATURE files.

For a step by step tutorial on importing data into Amazon S3 using Bucket Explorer, go to http://www.bucketexplorer.com/documentation/amazon-s3--aws-import-export-service.html.

S3 Fox Organizer

S3 Fox Organizer facilitates the creation of manifest and SIGNATURE files.

To create manifest and SIGNATURE files using S3 Fox Organizer

In Firefox, click Tools and S3 Organizer.
Click AWS Import/Export.
The Create Manifest File pane appears.
Enter values in the fields.
Note
Optionally, click Preview Manifest File to preview the manifest file in the Manifest File Contents area.
Click Save Manifest, navigate to a place on your hard drive where you want to save the manifest file, click Save, and on the Create Manifest File pane click Next.
Note the location of the manifest file. You will attach it to a CREATE JOB e-mail later.
The Create Signature File page displays.
Enter the job ID and optionally click Preview Signature File.
If you elect to preview the file, the contents appear in the Signature Contents area.
Click Create Signature File.
The Browse For Folder window appears.
Navigate to the root directory of your storage device using the Browse For Folder window and click OK.
The tool automatically saves the file with the name SIGNATURE.
On the Create Signature File page, click Finish.
You have now created the manifest file, which you will e-mail as an attachment with your CREATE JOB request and you have saved the corresponding SIGNATURE file on the root directory of your storage device.

How to Create Manifest and Signature Files Without Third Party Tools

Topics

This section describes how to create manifest and SIGNATURE files without using third party tools. If you have used one of the third party tools to create those files, you do not need to use this section. Instead, skip to the next section, Using AWS Import/Export.

How to Create a Manifest File

This section describes how to create a manifest file.

To make a manifest file

Use a text editor to create a YAML file with the required parameters.
For more information about parameters in the manifest file, see Manifest File Parameters.

The following is a sample manifest file.

bucket: [Amazon S3 bucket where AWS Import/Export loads your data]
accessKeyId: [Your Access Key ID]
manifestVersion: 1.1
eraseDevice: No
deviceId: [Device ID]
returnAddress:
  name: Amazon.com ATTN:Joe Random
  street1: 5555555 5th Ave 
  city: Seattle
  stateOrProvince: WA
  postalCode: 98104
  phoneNumber: 206-555-1000
  country: USA

In the example manifest file, replace:

[Amazon S3 bucket where AWS Import/Export loads your data] with the name of the Amazon S3 bucket that you created that you want to use to store your data.
For more information about creating an Amazon S3 bucket, see Amazon S3 Bucket Creation.
[Your Access Key ID] with your AWS access key ID.
For more information, see Viewing Your AWS Identifiers.
[Device ID] with an identifying number, such as a serial number, on your storage device.
returnAddress fields with the address where you want us to return your storage device.

	Important
	Your return address must be a physical street address that UPS can deliver too. UPS does not deliver to post office boxes.

Note

If you change your Secret Access Key before we complete your AWS Import/Export job, your job will fail and we will return your storage device. If we return your storage device, you need to create a new CREATE JOB request and SIGNATURE file. If you change your key and have not yet shipped your storage device, you just need to generate a new SIGNATURE file, new manifest file, and a new CREATE JOB request. We use the SIGNATURE file to authenticate your job.

To see how specific manifest fields affect the loaded files, see Examples.

How to Create a SIGNATURE File

The SIGNATURE file uniquely identifies the AWS Import/Export job and authenticates your request. You copy the SIGNATURE file to the root directory of your storage device. The SIGNATURE file incorporates into it the manifest file, job ID, and a signature value, which is an HMAC SHA-1 encrypted value.

The SIGNATURE file does two things:

The file labels your storage device with your job ID. In this way, we have instructions on the storage device that tell us how to process your data.
We use the job ID in the SIGNATURE file to locate the CREATE JOB request that you e-mailed previously. We then validate the manifest included in the SIGNATURE file to the manifest file attached to your CREATE JOB e-mail. If the two manifest files are not the same, we do not process your data.

To create the SIGNATURE file, you need your job ID, manifest file, and Secret Access Key. For more information about the Secret Access Key, see Viewing Your AWS Identifiers.

Important

Your Secret Access Key is a shared secret between you and AWS. You should never include it in plain text in an e-mail because it represents your identity as a customer. AWS authenticates requests by the Secret Access Key and bills people accordingly. If you suspect that the secrecy of your Secret Access Key has been compromised, generate a new one immediately. For more information about generating a new key, go to http://aws.amazon.com, hold the mouse over Your Account, and click Access Identifiers.

	Note
	If you generate a new secret access key after sending a `CREATE JOB` e-mail, your job will fail and we will return your storage device.

For more information, see SIGNATURE File Parameters.

To create a SIGNATURE file

From the command line, navigate to the directory where you decompressed AWSImportExport.zip.
Enter the name of your manifest file, the job ID, and the SIGNATURE filename as arguments to the jar file.
```
java -jar lib/AWSImportClientSignatureTool-1.0.jar manifest-file job-ID SIGNATURE-file-name
```
The following example (on Linux) uses the manifest file, Manifest.txt (located in the examples directory), the JOBID 49382, and a SIGNATURE filename of SIGNATURE.
```
java -jar lib/AWSImportClientSignatureTool-1.0.jar examples/Manifest.txt 49382 SIGNATURE
```
The service responds by prompting you to enter your Secret Access Key.
Enter your Secret Access Key at the command prompt.
```
Please enter Secret Access Key> R2lzSsampleGaNG038402849204830d9w028e0283SJD9802 
```
The tool creates a new SIGNATURE file.
Copy the SIGNATURE file to the root directory of your storage device.
Make sure to name the file SIGNATURE.

	Note
	Optionally, click Preview Manifest File to preview the manifest file in the Manifest File Contents area.