Butler User Guide
Butler is the Replica assistant for moving data, managing shared workspaces, and supporting automated workflows. You can use Butler from your local Replica session and from inside each Virtual Environment.
Context aware: Features adjust based on where you are working.
Workflow agnostic: Supports browser-based and code-driven workflows.
Data transfer: Moves text and files between your desktop, environments, and enclaves.
Automation support: Works with Enclaves and Jobs for repeatable tasks.
Configurable: Availability depends on your organization's policies.
Butler Home
Butler is available from two places:
Local host access
On the Environments page in your browser, Butler actions appear in the top-right area of each environment card.
Virtual Environment access
Inside a Virtual Environment, open Butler from the applications menu or from the environment toolbox, depending on the feature you need.
Clipboard
Clipboard Translate Feature
If translation is enabled, click Translate in the Clipboard to translate the current text. By default, Butler auto-detects the source language and translates to English. You can change both languages from the dropdowns next to Translate.
Clipboard Transfer Feature
The Butler Clipboard is a temporary store for text. When you click Save, Butler keeps the text for one hour. Saving new text replaces the previous clipboard content. You can Load the saved text from either side, whether you started in your browser or in a Virtual Environment.
The example below moves text from a Virtual Environment to your desktop. Reverse the same steps to move text in the other direction.
Open Butler
Click the GML logo in the bottom-left corner, open the application menu, go to Replica, and click Replica Butler.
Access Butler
Butler opens in a browser tab. It does not display the Virtual Environment name.
Save text
Enter the text and click Save. A notification appears when the sync is complete.
Load clipboard content
Open the Clipboard from the Virtual Environment toolbox or from the Environments page, then click Load to retrieve the saved text.
Files
Butler lets you move files across the environments and enclaves you can access. This is useful when you need to download a file in one environment, hold it temporarily, and then move it into another environment, including one without direct network access.
File Manager
The File Manager supports secure, two-way file transfer to and from Virtual Environments and Enclaves.
Open the Butler File Manager
From your local Replica view, select the environment or enclave and click Files.
From inside a Virtual Environment, open Butler and click Files.
Upload files
Drag files into the upload area, or click the area to choose files manually.
Notifications
A notification appears when the upload finishes.
Download files
Click the download icon under Actions to download the file inside the Virtual Environment. To download it to your local computer, use the same file from the environment card on the Environments page.
File Transfer
Start transfer
Open File Manager on the source environment or enclave.
Initiate transfer
Click Transfer.
Select destination
Select the destination environment or enclave.
Submit
Click Submit.
Transferred files do not appear automatically on the destination Virtual Environment desktop. Download them from Butler File Manager inside the destination environment.
Code Editor
The Code Editor lets you view and edit supported file types in the browser.
Supported file types currently include:
Text (
.txt)Script (
.sh)Python (
.py)JavaScript (
.js)TypeScript (
.ts)CSV (
.csv)JSON (
.json)YAML (
.yaml)HTML (
.html)SQL (
.sql)PowerShell (
.ps)XML (
.xml)Cypher (
.cypher)
Select file
Select a file with a clean AV status. Files that are pending scan or marked infected cannot be edited.
Open editor
Click the Code Editor icon.
View and edit
The Code Editor opens the file for review and editing.
Save changes
Make any needed changes, then click the Save icon.
Secure Enclaves
Butler Enclaves let you share files with users and groups while keeping control over how data moves. You can only create an enclave outside a Virtual Environment.
Open Enclaves
In Replica, click Enclaves in the left-hand sidebar.
Enclave list
The Enclaves page opens and lists the enclaves available to you.
Create an Enclave
Click Create Enclave, then enter:
an enclave name
an enclave type:
Isolated: Loads files into an environment once when the environment starts. Strictly isolated - a user must manually choose to update files.
Synchronous: Loads files when the environment starts and keeps them synced. Persistent, sharable storage — content is accessible in real time by any user or environment with access.
an assignee for the enclave
Click Submit when finished.
A valid enclave name is 3 to 20 characters long and can contain letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores.
Enclave File Manager
Use File Manager to view, upload, and delete enclave files.
An enclave file named enclave.sh runs automatically when the Virtual Environment starts. Use this for automated startup tasks.
Quick Create Environment with Enclave
To quickly create an environment from an enclave:
Click Create Environment on the enclave.
Click Confirm.
Replica creates a new environment with the same name and assignee as the enclave, using a preset configuration.
File Requests
File Requests let you collect files from people who do not have access to your Replica instance. To work with uploaded files, use the enclave's quick-create flow to launch an environment with that enclave attached.
Invitations
Each File Request invitation is sent by email. The recipient uses the link in that email to upload files after completing two-factor authentication. You are copied on the invitation email, but you cannot use the link yourself because it is tied to the recipient's address and verification flow.
File Request Permissions
When a File Request is enabled on an enclave, it restricts what different users can do with the files in that enclave.
Enclave Permissions
File Request Creator
File Upload
Denied
File Download
Denied
File Delete
Allowed
File Copy
Denied
File List
Allowed
File Request Guest
File Upload
Allowed
File Download
Denied
File Delete
Denied
File Copy
Denied
File List
Denied
Environment Permissions
Environment Files
File Upload
Host Allowed / VE Denied
File Download
Allowed
File Delete
Allowed
File Copy
Allowed
File List
Allowed
Enclave Files
File Upload
Denied
File Download
Allowed
File Delete
Denied
File Copy
Denied
File List
Allowed
Create File Request
Click Create File Request on the enclave, enter a title and description, then click Next.
Enter the recipient email addresses. Add one address at a time by clicking Add Email after each entry.
When the list is complete, click Submit to send the request emails.
Edit File Request
Click Edit File Request, update the title or description if needed, and click Next.
To add email addresses, enter them and click Add Email after each one.
Adding email addresses does not automatically send invitations. Use Resend to deliver them.
Turn on Resend Mode to resend invitations. Click Resend for a single address, or click Send request to all emails to resend them all.
Turn on Delete Mode to remove addresses from the request. Click Delete on the address you want to remove.
API Documentation
If you have API access, you can open the API documentation from Butler. Butler also includes Python and curl samples to help you start quickly.
Jobs
Users with API access can manage Jobs from the Jobs link in the left-hand sidebar.
View Jobs
Open Jobs in the left-hand sidebar to view scheduled jobs. To change a job, click Edit or Delete on that item.
Create Job
To create a new job, go to Environments, click Create Environment, and select Virtual Job.
Create or Edit Job
Consider the resource impact of each new job. Jobs that run too often, such as every minute, can exhaust available capacity and block new Virtual Environment creation.
Complete the Jobs Form
Image: The Virtual Environment image the job uses
Name: The job name. Replica prepends
job-to the Virtual Environment name.Assignee: The user or group assigned to the job
Egress: Any egress assigned to you by your administrator
Enclave: The enclave used for file transfer
Expires / Time-To-Live: Job environments run for at least 5 minutes and at most 60 minutes
Save
Click Save to create or update the job.
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