Install the data-transfer plugin with jf rt transfer-plugin-install

Install the data-transfer plugin on Artifactory with jf rt transfer-plugin-install.

Download and install the data-transfer user plugin on the primary node of Artifactory running on the local machine.

Synopsis

jf rt transfer-plugin-install <server-id> [options]

Aliases:

Prerequisites

  • JFrog CLI installed and configured with the source server ID (jf config add).
  • This command must be run on the same machine where the source Artifactory primary node is installed. It writes plugin files directly to the local filesystem.
  • The JFrog home directory (default /opt/jfrog) must exist and contain a valid Artifactory installation. If your installation uses a different path, identify it before running this command and use --home-dir to specify it.

Arguments

ArgumentRequiredDescription
<server-id>YesServer ID on which the plugin should be installed (typically the source server)

Options

FlagDefaultDescription
--dirLocal directory containing the plugin files to install instead of downloading them. The path to the Artifactory home directory is still required (via --home-dir or auto-detection).
--home-dir/opt/jfrogPath to the local JFrog home directory where Artifactory is installed. The path must already exist and contain a valid Artifactory installation (the CLI looks for var/etc/artifactory within this path).
--versionlatestPlugin version to download and install. Omit to install the latest version.

Examples

Install the Latest Plugin

To install the latest plugin version:

  • Run:
jf rt transfer-plugin-install <server-id>

Where:

  • <server-id>: JFrog CLI server ID for the source Artifactory instance (see Arguments).

Full example:

jf rt transfer-plugin-install my-server

Omitting --version installs the latest available plugin version.

Expected output:

[Info] Installing 'data-transfer' plugin...
[Info] Plugin installed successfully.

Install a Specific Version

To install a specific plugin version:

  • Run:
jf rt transfer-plugin-install <server-id> --version <version>

Full example:

jf rt transfer-plugin-install my-server --version 1.2.3

Expected output:

[Info] Installing 'data-transfer' plugin...
[Info] Plugin version 1.2.3 installed successfully.

Install from Local Directory

Use this when the machine does not have internet access. First, download the plugin archive from the data-transfer releases page on a connected machine, transfer it to the Artifactory host, and extract it to a local directory (for example, ./plugins/data-transfer).

To install from a local directory:

  • Run:
jf rt transfer-plugin-install <server-id> --dir <plugin-dir>

Where:

  • <plugin-dir>: Path to the directory that contains the plugin files.

Full example:

jf rt transfer-plugin-install my-server --dir ./plugins/data-transfer
📘

Note

--dir only replaces the download step. The CLI still requires a valid Artifactory installation on the local machine (auto-detected or specified via --home-dir).

Expected output:

[Info] Installing 'data-transfer' plugin...
[Info] Plugin installed successfully.

Use a Custom Home Directory

Use this when Artifactory is installed in a non-default location. The path must point to an existing Artifactory installation directory.

To install using a custom JFrog home directory:

  • Run:
jf rt transfer-plugin-install <server-id> --home-dir <jfrog-home>

Full example:

jf rt transfer-plugin-install my-server --home-dir /opt/my-jfrog

Expected output:

[Info] Installing 'data-transfer' plugin...
[Info] Plugin installed successfully.

View Command Help

To view command help:

  • Run:
jf rt transfer-plugin-install --help
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Note

Run all installation commands on the machine where the Artifactory primary node runs. The plugin is required for transfer-config and transfer-files operations.

Trace ID

Every invocation prints a Trace ID for JFrog Platform logs in the [Info] output. This ID is generated for each command run and can be used to search Artifactory's system logs ($JFROG_HOME/var/log/artifactory-service.log) when troubleshooting failures.

Verifying the Installation

After the command completes, confirm the plugin is active by checking the Artifactory system log for a line similar to:

[INFO] Plugin data-transfer loaded successfully.

Alternatively, you can verify the plugin files were written to $JFROG_HOME/var/etc/artifactory/plugins/.

To restart the Artifactory service if the plugin does not load:

  • Run:
$JFROG_HOME/app/bin/artifactory.sh restart

When to Use

This is the first step in any Artifactory-to-Artifactory migration and part of the Transfer Files Between Artifactory Servers workflow. Run it on the machine where the source Artifactory primary node is running, before using transfer-config or transfer-files.

Important Notes

  • Must be run on the same machine as the Artifactory primary node (it installs files into the local filesystem).
  • The default JFrog home directory is /opt/jfrog. Use --home-dir to specify a different path if your installation is in a non-standard location. The path must already exist and contain a valid Artifactory installation. Pointing to a non-existent or empty directory produces an error.
  • After installation, Artifactory loads the plugin automatically in most configurations. If it does not appear in the logs within a few minutes, restart Artifactory (see Verifying the Installation).
  • Use --version to install a specific plugin version if you need compatibility with a particular Artifactory version.

Frequently Asked Questions

This section provides answers to frequently asked questions.

plusFAQs
Q: How do I install the data-transfer plugin on Artifactory?

A: Run jf rt transfer-plugin-install <server-id> on the machine where the source Artifactory primary node runs. See Install the Latest Plugin for a full example.

Q: What happens if I run transfer-plugin-install on the wrong machine?

A: The command writes plugin files directly to the local filesystem, so it must run on the same machine as the source Artifactory primary node. Running it elsewhere fails because no valid Artifactory installation is found there.

Q: What is the difference between --dir and --home-dir?

A: --dir points to a local directory containing plugin files instead of downloading them, while --home-dir points to the JFrog home directory where Artifactory itself is installed. You can use both together for an offline install.

Q: What do I need before running jf rt transfer-plugin-install?

A: JFrog CLI must be installed and configured with the source server ID, and the JFrog home directory (default /opt/jfrog) must already contain a valid Artifactory installation.

Q: Can I install a specific plugin version instead of the latest?

A: Yes. Pass --version <version> to install a specific data-transfer plugin version instead of the default latest. See Install a Specific Version.

Related Topics



What’s Next

Plugin installed. Next, transfer your server configuration.

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