Jungle Disk Plus is an optional companion service for Jungle Disk, which offers new functionality beyond what is provided by the basic Amazon S3 platform. The new functionality is enabled by custom Jungle Disk servers running directly in the Amazon datacenters.

 

Jungle Disk Plus enhances Jungle Disk with additional features not possible with Amazon S3 alone.

 

The current features of the service include:

• Web-based access to your files
• Block-level file updates, allowing you to upload only the changed portions of large files
• Upload resume, allowing you to resume uploads of large files where they left off

You can read more about each of these features in the FAQ below.
Note: Jungle Disk Plus features are currently only available for use with the US Amazon S3 endpoint.

 

 

Jungle Disk Plus Frequently Asked Questions

 

What are block-level file updates?

When updating existing files, Amazon S3 requires you to upload the entire file rather than just the changed portions. For large files, this can mean gigabytes of uploads for only a few kilobytes of changes. Uploading the unchanged data takes time and also costs money, as Amazon charges for each gigabyte uploaded. The block-level update feature of Jungle Disk Plus allows you to upload only the changed portions of large files, saving time and bandwidth. Jungle Disk Plus uses a technique similar to rsync to detect the changed parts of a file and upload only those changed parts to the Jungle Disk Plus server, which then combines the changes with the original file to update your file. Block-level updates are important for backing up large files such as Outlook PST files, databases, or other files that change regularly by only by a small amount relative to the overall size of the file.

 

What is upload resume?

Currently if an upload or backup of a large file is cut off for any reason (loss of connection, computer shutdown, etc), Amazon S3 requires you to restart the upload from the beginning of a file. This can take a significant amount of time for large files. With Jungle Disk Plus, large file uploads are routed through Jungle Disk Plus servers in the Amazon datacenters which keep copies of partial files and allow you to resume a disconnected upload where it left off.

 

What is web based access?

Amazon does not provide any web browser based method to access your files stored on Amazon S3. To access your files you currently need to use client software such as Jungle Disk. While we've tried to make Jungle Disk easy to use on any machine (Windows, Mac, or Linux) via a USB keychain, there are some situations where you may not be able to use the software but still want access to your files. The web access feature of Jungle Disk Plus provides a custom, secure web-site (located at https://<yourname>.MyJungleDisk.com) where you can download any files stored on your Jungle Disk and even upload new files from any machine using a standard web browser. Note: After signing up for Jungle Disk Plus you must enable web access and pick your custom domain name on the Web Access Configuration page.

 

How much does Jungle Disk Plus cost?

The Jungle Disk Plus service costs $1/month and is only available to users who have purchased the Jungle Disk software. Note that you are still responsible for the standard Amazon bandwidth charges for any data uploaded or downloaded via Jungle Disk Plus ($0.10/$0.17 per GB uploaded/downloaded). Bandwidth charges for Jungle Disk Plus features will be added to your monthly Jungle Disk Plus fee and are not included in your monthly S3 bill. You can cancel Jungle Disk Plus at any time and your lifetime software purchase is unaffected.

 

How is Jungle Disk Plus billed?

Jungle Disk Plus is billed using Amazon Payments, the same system used for purchasing Jungle Disk. You can choose to pay via a credit card or bank account.

 

Why do we have to pay for Jungle Disk Plus? I thought Jungle Disk came with free upgrades?

Your Jungle Disk purchase does include free lifetime upgrades for the product, however that does not include other products or services (such as Jungle Disk Plus) that we may offer. We are continuing to add features to the core Jungle Disk product and those will be available for all users.

 

How is the security of my data affected by block-level updates and upload resume?

When designing the update and resume features we have gone to great lengths to ensure the continued privacy and security of your data:

• The Jungle Disk Plus servers are located directly within secure Amazon datacenters, we do not use an outside hosting company
• All transfers between your computer and the upload/resume servers are encrypted with SSL by default
• If you have encryption enabled, your files are never decrypted on the server and your encryption keys are never sent out of your machine. Neither us nor Amazon can access your encrypted file data at any time.
• Requests to upload or download data from your S3 account via Jungle Disk Plus are made via individual, one-time, signed requests. Your AWS Secret Key is never sent to our servers.
• The Jungle Disk software calculates secure hash values for uploaded files, and compares them to the values returned from Amazon S3, to ensure your files were uploaded successfully without modification.

 

How is the security of my data affected by web based access?

It is important for users to understand that the web based access feature of Jungle Disk Plus is different from any other feature currently available in Jungle Disk.
Because the Jungle Disk software is not being used to authenticate and decrypt files, enabling Web based access requires storing your Amazon Web Service keys on the Jungle Disk Plus servers. While we would prefer not to handle user keys in any regard, this is currently the only method available to enable this highly requested feature.
It is important to note that the web access feature of Jungle Disk Plus is completely optional. You must explicitly enable it and re-enter your keys on the Jungle Disk Plus site. Your keys are never sent from the Jungle Disk software to our servers.
Note that you can use all of the other Jungle Disk Plus features, such as block-level updates and resume, without enabling web access and without disclosing your keys.
The web access option is only present for users who are willing to store their keys online as a trade-off for easy access from any computer.
We do take great lengths to ensure the security of your keys, should you decide to enable web access:

• Your keys are input on a secure, SSL protected web page
• The keys are stored in an encrypted database
• The keys can only be unlocked using your user account and password
• When in use, the keys are only stored in memory in the Jungle Disk Plus servers
• When you disable web access, all keys are deleted immediately

 

Does Jungle Disk Plus change where my files are stored?

No, your files are always stored in your own Amazon S3 account, on the Amazon S3 servers, in multiple Amazon datacenters around the country. The Jungle Disk Plus servers are only used as a "gateway" between the Jungle Disk software and the Amazon service, in order to add functionality not offered directly by Amazon S3. Your files continue to be stored on the Amazon S3 service, not on Jungle Disk servers.

 

Where can I ask additional questions about Jungle Disk Plus?

Feel free to post any questions not covered in this FAQ in our General Questions forum.