DreamObjects End User Guide

= Overview =

What is DreamObjects?
DreamObjects is an inexpensive, object-based, cloud storage service. It is built on top of the open source project Ceph, providing excellent performance, reliability, and scalability.

What can I do with DreamObjects?
DreamObjects allows you to store your data securely, redundantly, and inexpensively. It can be used by web app developers in need of scalable storage, site creators looking to offload content, and people looking to store data and access it anywhere.


 * Cyberduck or any third-party software that is compatible with SE allows you to access DreamObjects like a network drive by setting the server URL of an S3 bookmark to objects.dreamhost.com.
 * boto rsync is an rsync like wrapper for S3-compatible object storage.
 * DreamObjects supports multiple users, storage buckets, access control lists (ACLs), and migration tools for Amazon S3 and Swift.

How do I use it?
In order to be fluent in DreamObjects, you must understand the four main components you'll be working with:
 * Users
 * Keys
 * Buckets
 * Objects

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=Users=
 * DreamObjects Users are added separately, and are distinct from any other users in the panel. End-users will not see the cluster drop-down which is for testing only.
 * Users can have more than one set of keys so that access can be granted or revoked and can also have multiple buckets.

Navigating to DreamObjects to View your User List

 * 1) Open the DreamHost Panel.
 * 2) On the left side of the panel expand the Storage section and click DreamObjects.
 * You are navigated to the DreamObjects page where a list of Users is displayed.
 * [[File:Do1.png]]

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Creating a User

 * 1) Click the Create New User button on the Manage tab of the DreamObjects page.
 * [[File:Do18.png]]
 * 1) Enter a Username in the Username field.
 * Usernames should contain characters, numbers, dashes, dots, and underscores only. Usernames are unique on the cluster.
 * 1) Click the Add User button.
 * The User is created, but is not visible in the list until you refresh your screen.

Editing a User
Although you can add Keys and Buckets to User objects, other User properties cannot be changed.

Deleting a User
 Locate the User you wish to delete in the list of Users that are displayed on the Manage tab of the DreamObjects page.
 * You will see a Remove User link on the bottom right of the User object.
 * [[File:Do19.png]]

Click the Remove User button.
 * A confirmation dialog box opens.
 * [[File:Do20.png]]

If you are certain that you wish to permanently delete the user, click Remove on the confirmation dialog box.
 * ''The user is deleted.

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=Keys= Each user has at least one set, called a Key Pair, of a 20 character Access Key (similar to a username for a bucket), and a 40 character Secret Key (similar to a password for a bucket and automatically generated). The panel uses these credentials to access your buckets and objects, or in the case of Swift, to obtain a Swift token for future access.'' Some third party clients like Cyberduck, as well as APIs and tools that are written using the API, will also use these credentials to gain access to the DreamObjects programmatic cluster. When a Secret Key is displayed it looks like this: Back To Top

Copying Your Access Keys
As a convenience, if you click an Access Key or Secret Key the text will be selected (though not copied to the clipboard).

Adding a Key Pair
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 * 1) Either collapse your User object, or scroll to the bottom of your expanded User object to find the User Controls.
 * [[File:Do21.png]]
 * 1) Click the Add Key button.
 * A drop-down list will appear allowing you to choose S3 or Swift.
 * [[File:Do22.png]]
 * 1) Select either S3 or Swift.''
 * If you have selected S3, proceed to Step 5.
 * If you have selected Swift, an additional field will appear indicating that you will need to create a Sub-user name. DreamObjects Sub-users have full control, and are used in combination with the Secret Key to obtain a Swift token for future access.
 * [[File:Do23.png]]
 * 1) Enter a Sub-user name.
 * 2) Click the Add Access Key button.
 * An Access Key is added.

Deleting a Key Pair

 * 1) Navigate to the Key Pair you would like to delete and locate the Remove Key button on the right-hand side of that row.
 * [[File:Do25.png]]
 * 1) Click the Remove Key button.
 * A confirmation dialog box will open.
 * [[File:Do24.png]]
 * 1) Click OK.
 * ''The Key Pair is deleted.
 * ''The Key Pair is deleted.

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=Buckets= A Bucket is a mechanism for grouping objects in DreamObjects, similar to a folder. Unlike a folder, Buckets exist in a global namespace, which means that bucket names must be unique, like a domain name, since they are used to create public URLs to stored objects.

Creating a Bucket
''The new Bucket is added to the bottom of your list of Buckets. Back To Top
 * 1) Open the DreamHost Panel.
 * 2) On the left side of the panel expand the Storage section and click DreamObjects.
 * You are navigated to the DreamObjects page where a list of Users is displayed on the Manage Objects tab.
 * [[File:Do99.png]]
 * 1) If you wish to view the list of Buckets that already exists for your User object, click the button on the left side of the screen that displays the number of buckets for that user, otherwise skip to Step 6.
 * 2) If you have expanded your User object to view the list of Buckets, scroll to the bottom to find the Add Key, Add Bucket, and View Objects buttons.
 * [[File:Do10.png]]
 * 1) Click the Add Bucket button.
 * ''A Bucket Name field will open above the Add Bucket button.
 * [[File:Do12.png]]
 * 1) Type a name for your Bucket in the Bucket Name field.
 * ''Bucket names must be a minimum of 3 characters long and can only contain lower case characters, numbers, dashes, dots, and underscores."
 * 1) Select a Permissions setting for the contents of your bucket. Choose either Private or Public.
 * 2) Click the Add Bucket button to create your new bucket.
 * 1) Click the Add Bucket button to create your new bucket.
 * 1) Click the Add Bucket button to create your new bucket.

Editing a Bucket
Options for editing a Bucket are limited. You can:


 * Modify the Permissions settings on an existing Bucket at any time.
 * Add or remove contents from a Bucket.

Understanding the Migrations Page
The DreamObjects Migrations Tab makes it easy to copy buckets or containers from other object storage services supporting S3 or Swift compatible APIs.

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Creating A Migration From an S3 Account

 * 1) 	Before you begin, locate your Access Key and Secret Key from the Amazon Web Services Security Credentials page on the Amazon S3 site.
 * 2) 	Open the DreamHost Panel.
 * 3) 	On the left side of the panel expand the Storage section and click DreamObjects.
 * You are navigated to the DreamObjects page where a list of Users is displayed.
 * 1) 	Click the Migrations Tab.
 * In the picture below, no migrations have been attempted.
 * [[File: Mig2.png]]
 * 1) 	Click the Create Migration button.
 * Several fields will display and a Choose Buckets button will become visible.
 * [[File:Mig3.png]]
 * 1) 	Enter your S3 Access Key  in the Access Key field, and your S3 Secret Key in the Secret Key field.
 * 2) 	Click the Choose Buckets button.
 * A list of your S3 Buckets will open. By default all of the buckets are highlighted in blue with a black check mark indicating that they have been selected.
 * [[File:Mig3.png]]
 * 1) 	Type a name for your Migration in the Name field above the buckets.
 * The name is for your use only. If you don't type anything a name will be automatically generated and assigned to your migration.
 * 1) 	Click to select or deselect the buckets you would like to migrate, or use the Select All or Select None buttons.
 * 2) 	Click the Start Migration button.
 * A green bar appears at the top of the screen indicating that your 'Migration has been successfully added.''
 * [[File:Mig4.png]]
 * You are returned to the main page of the Migrations Tab, and your active migration will display in the Active Migrations section of the page.

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Bucket Naming Convention Conflicts
If the naming conventions used for your S3 buckets or Swift Containers are not compatible with the naming conventions for DreamObjects, a Bucket Name Conflicts screen will open.

To avoid issues, modify your bucket names to resolve any naming conflicts and then click the Resolve Conflicts button. You are returned to the main page of the Migrations Tab, and your active migration will display in the Active Migrations section of the page until it has completed.

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Viewing Migrations
Once a Migration has been successfully added, it is viewable on the DreamObjects Migration tab. Migrations are grouped as either Active or Completed.

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View Migration Details
If you'd like to see how long your Migration has been running, you can click the View Details button.

View Migration Buckets
You can get information on the status of individual buckets by clicking the View Buckets button to display the buckets for your Migration.

Migrated and migrating Buckets will reflect one of the following five states: Back To Top
 * Queued – the Bucket or Container and all of its objects have been successfully copied to DreamObjects.
 * In Progress – the Bucket or Container is in the process of being copied to DreamObjects and has not yet completed the action.
 * Stopped – the migration process for the Bucket or Container has either failed, or was manually stopped by the user requesting the migration.
 * Partial – some Buckets or Containers and their contents have been migrated, and some have not. This may have been caused by a failure during Object Sychronization.  Such failures can be caused by deleting your S3 or Swift Buckets, or by revoking your S3 or  Swift credentials before the migration is complete.
 * Complete – the Bucket or Container and all of its objects have been successfully copied to DreamObjects.

Deleting a Bucket

 * 1) Open the DreamHost Panel.
 * 2) On the left side of the panel expand the Storage section and click DreamObjects.
 * You are navigated to the DreamObjects page where a list of Users is displayed on the Manage Objects tab.
 * [[File:Do99.png]]
 * 1) Click the button on the left side of the screen that lists the number of Buckets for that user to display the list of Buckets.
 * The list of Buckets will open.
 * 1) Scroll down till you see the Bucket you would like to delete and look on the left side of the row in which the Bucket appears.
 * You will see a Remove Bucket link on the far right of that bucket row.
 * [[File:Do16.png]]
 * 1) Click the Remove Bucket link.
 * A confirmation dialog box will open.
 * [[File:Do17.png]]
 * 1) Click OK.
 * The Bucket is deleted.

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=Objects= Objects are files that are uploaded into DreamObjects.

Introducing The Object Viewer
The Object Viewer opens any time you click the View Objects button on the bottom of your User object, or when you click the View Objects" link on a Buckets row in your list of Buckets. It's an easy way to navigate through your Buckets and Objects  On the bottom left corner of the Object Viewer are the following three Control''' buttons which allow you to:
 * Switch Bucket – Look at the contents of a different bucket
 * Reload Bucket – To see the changes (added or removed objects) to the bucket
 * Upload Object - Upload a new Object to the bucket

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Using the Object Viewer to View Objects in a Bucket

 * 1) Open the DreamHost Panel.
 * 2) On the left side of the panel expand the Storage section and click DreamObjects.
 * You are navigated to the DreamObjects page where a list of Users is displayed on the Manage Objects tab.
 * [[File:Do28.png]]
 * 1) Locate the User that contains the Bucket you want to work with and click the View Objects button.
 * ''The Object Viewer looks like this:
 * [[File:Do29.png]]
 * 1) Select a Bucket from the list of Buckets.
 * [[File:Do5.png]]

Other Ways to View Objects
You can also use third-party applications to connect to DreamObjects and View or Upload Objects.

For more information, please see the Compatible Applications section below.

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Creating an Object
Objects can be created using a compatible file transfer application. You'll find a list of compatible third-party apps and instructions for using them here: DreamObjects Compatible Applications.

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Object Properties
Double-click on any Object in your list to view the Object Properties. Properties visible on Objects include:
 * Object Name
 * Size
 * Last Modified
 * Permissions (Public or Private determined by use of credentials)



Downloading an Object Using the Object Viewer

 * 1) Double-click the object you would like to download.
 * The Object Properties will open in the viewer.
 * 1) Click the Download Object button in the Object Properties box.
 * Download objects (produces a signed link with credentials).

Deleting an Object

 * 1) Double-click the object you would like to delete.
 * The Object Properties will open in the viewer.
 * 1) Click the Remove Object button in the Object Properties box.

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=Compatible Applications= From CloudBerry to Cyberduck, DreamObjects works with some great applications! You'll find a list of them and instructions for using them with DreamObjects here: Third-Party_Applications

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= Billing = You have two options when it comes to DreamObjects pricing. Choose between a prepaid monthly storage plan or Usage-Based Billing. Download bandwidth is charged at 5¢/GB per month. Upload bandwidth is free! There’s no per-request charge for API requests but storage and transfer charges still apply when initiated through the API. Our mission is to make what you pay simple, predictable, and affordable!

Gigabyte? Gibibyte? It's more than tomato/tomato. Whatever your naming preference, we call it a GB and it's 230 bytes or even 10243 bytes. New math or old, it's 1,073,741,824 bytes.

Get something for nothing! DreamObjects provides 100GB of storage and 100GB of outbound bandwidth for free for your first month. Only usage exceeding those limits will be charged at usage-based billing rates. Once the one-month trial expires, you'll be automatically converted to Usage-Based Billing.

Current Promotions
There's always a good deal to be found! Check out our current promotions here: http://dreamhost.com/cloud/dreamobjects/

Usage-Based Billing
With Usage-Based Billing, you’ll be charged 2.5¢/GB per month for all data that you store. If your storage needs are variable, then Usage-Based Billing can work well because you just pay for the storage that you use. There's no need to worry about tiered pricing and downloading from DreamObjects is a flat 5¢/GB per month.

You can visualize your storage and bandwidth consumption charges and avoid billing surprises with easy-to-understand usage graphs right in the web panel.

How is my monthly data storage calculated?
Your total data usage is monitored regularly and stored in our system as bytes. We use the maximum bytes stored during the billing period, convert them to GB, then multiply by the appropriate rate.

How is my monthly transfer out bandwidth calculated?
Transfer out bandwidth is calculated based on metered data transferred out of DreamObjects. Similar to storage, transfer out bandwidth is stored in bytes. The aggregate number of bytes transferred out is converted to GB then multiplied by the transfer out bandwidth rate.

There is no charge for uploading data into DreamObjects.

Prepaid Monthly Storage Plans
Storage plans lower your effective price per GB for storage below the 2.5¢/GB rate. If you exceed your plan’s included storage, then it’s just 2.5¢/GB per month for additional storage.

There are several storage plans available to best match your needs. After selecting a plan, you’ll prepay the plan price each month. If you change your mind, you can upgrade the plan at anytime, or downgrade the plan effective your next billing cycle.

You can check out our available prepaid storage plans here.

How is my monthly data storage calculated?
Your total data usage is monitored regularly and stored in our system as bytes. We use the maximum bytes stored during the billing period and compare it to the prepaid storage amount of the plan. If you've used less than your plan allows, there's no other storage charges. If you use more than your plan provides, we convert the overage to GB, then multiply by the appropriate rate.

How is my monthly transfer out bandwidth calculated?
Transfer out bandwidth is calculated based on metered data transferred out of DreamObjects. Similar to storage, transfer out bandwidth is stored in bytes. The aggregate number of bytes transferred out is converted to GB then multiplied by the transfer out bandwidth rate.

There is no charge for uploading data into DreamObjects.

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=Managing Your Account=

The Account Management Tab
The Account Management tab will help you quickly pick the plan that's best for you, or easily adjust to a different plan that's a better fit.



Rates that Apply to All Plans
The following rates apply to all plans
 * 2.5¢ per GB for Storage Overages
 * 5¢ per GB for Data Transfer Out
 * FREE Data Transfer In

Choose the Plan that's Right for You
The more you store, the less you'll pay per gigabyte.



Use the cloud Slider to pick a plan, then confirm the change on the dialog box that opens up.

When Do Changes To Your Plan Take Effect?
If you are decreasing the amount of storage you need, the changes to your bill will occur at the start of the next billing cycle.

If you are increasing from a less expensive plan to a more expensive one, the difference will be charged immediately.

The Usage Reports Tab
The Usage Reports tab provides a quick snapshot of the status of your account as of our latest "usage scraping."

Current Usage
In the Current Usage section, you'll see a summary of how much of your prepaid storage you've used. If you've gone over your budgeted storage, this section also calculates how much overages will cost by multiplying each GB over your prepaid plan by 2.5 cents.

You can also see any Download charges you may have incurred, and the sum of your Prepaid, Overage, and Download costs which are totaled on the far right.

Recent Usage
Beneath the Current Usage section, the Recent Usage area displays a chart so you can quickly see how much of your reserved storage space you're currently using.



Monthly Usage Report
You can use the Create Usage Report drop-down at the bottom of the page to download CSV reports that display your monthly billing summary, or your daily usage.



Monthly reports display the following information:



Daily Usage Report
When you run a Daily Usage report, two additional dropdowns will open.

You can use these dropdown's to view information for All users, or for a specific user, and to select from one of the following Timeframes:



Daily reports display the following information:



Notifications
The Notifications area of the Usage tab allows you to set parameters and receive notifications when your account reaches a certain point.



Get started by clicking the Add New Rule button to see the available options.

You can set Notifications to be triggered by the status of your:
 * Storage
 * Total Costs
 * Outbound Transfers



You can trigger Notifications based on:
 * Percent of plan used
 * GB used
 * Cost



There is no limit to the number of notifications you can set.

Cancelling DreamObjects

 * 1) Open DreamObjects and navigate to the Account Management tab.
 * [[File:CancelDHO1.png]]
 * 1) Click the CANCEL DREAMOBJECTS button at the very bottom of the page.
 * ''The CANCEL DREAMOBJECTS dialog box will open with the CANCEL SERVICE button disabled and no radio button selected.
 * [[File:CancelDHO2.png]]
 * 1) Select a radio button.
 * Selecting any radio button except OTHER will enable the CANCEL SERVICE button and open a text box that is auto-focused to encourage the user to submit feedback. The text feedback is not required.
 * [[File:CancelDHO3.png]]
 * If you choose OTHER, a text box will open and the CANCEL SERVICE button will be disabled until you have typed something in the text box.
 * [[File:CancelDHO4.png]]
 * 1) Click the CANCEL SERVICE button to complete the cancellation of DreamObjects.
 * [[File:CancelDHO4.png]]
 * 1) Click the CANCEL SERVICE button to complete the cancellation of DreamObjects.

=FAQs=

How do I store files in DreamObjects?
There are two ways to store files in DreamObjects:
 * API - DreamObjects is API-compatible with the Amazon S3 and OpenStack Swift APIs.
 * Third-Party Applications - Any third-party application that connects to Amazon S3 or OpenStack Swift and allows configuring the server URL can be used with DreamObjects. An example is Cyberduck or CrossFTP which allows you to set the server URL to objects.dreamhost.com for an S3 bookmark.

Also,


 * Boto - Click this link to see more information on Boto and boto-rsync, which is is an rsync-like tool that leverages boto to synchronize local files with an object storage service.

How do I download files stored in DreamObjects?
Files you upload to DreamObjects can be downloaded in various ways:
 * DreamHost Panel - If you are the owner of the DreamObjects account, you can log into the panel and download the file from the file browser.
 * Signed URL - The file may also be downloaded through a web browser using a signed URL. A signed URL allows an object to be accessed regardless of its permissions.  In the DreamHost panel, navigate to the object in the DreamObjects file browser.  Right-click the download link to copy a URL.  By default, this link is valid for one hour.

How much does DreamObjects Cost?
DreamObjects makes it easy to pay only for what you use. You’re only billed for the data stored and the bandwidth used for outbound transfers each month. Pay as you go pricing is a simple 2.5¢ per GB stored, and 5¢ per GB downloaded from DreamObjects per month.

There is no charge for data transferred into DreamObjects. There is no charge for API requests (i.e., PUT, GET, and so on).

What are key terms I need to know?

 * Object
 * Files uploaded to DreamObjects.


 * Bucket
 * A mechanism for grouping objects, similar to a folder. One key distinction is that bucket names must be unique, like a domain name, since they are used to create public URLs to stored objects.


 * Access Key
 * Similar to a username for a bucket. One or more can be created for each bucket if desired.


 * Secret Key
 * Similar to a password for a bucket. A secret key is automatically generated for each access key and cannot be changed.


 * Key Pair
 * A singular term used to describe both an access key and its secret key.

Does DreamObjects support permissions?
DreamObjects supports basic permissions in the web panel as well as ACLs compatible with S3 on buckets and objects. In the web panel, permissions can be set as either Public or Private. Public buckets and objects can be accessed by anyone. Private buckets and objects can only be accessed via a signed URL or through the API with the proper credentials. DreamObjects also supports Access Control Lists (ACL) compatible with S3 to specify permissions on buckets and objects. Find more information at the DreamObjects ACLs document page.

What can I store in DreamObjects?
DreamObjects is capable of storing almost any file type meeting the DreamObjects Terms of Service (effective Tuesday, January 29, 2013).

Where can I find more information on the API?
API Documentation is available at here.

How do I get started?
If you don’t yet have a DreamHost account, sign up for DreamObjects here.

Does DreamObjects include tech support?
Yes, expert technical support via email is included at no additional charge.