Re: Access non-ibm file server fils from iseries -- MIDRANGE-L

Hi Tim,

Our shop has an iseries (520 v5r4) and some NT servers with some shared
folders. Is there a way of reading/accessing the NT server files from the
iseries. Using the IFS is not a consideration.


The System i provides access to Windows machines through the IFS.

A lot of the time, when people refer to the "IFS" they're referring to theability to store PC-like files on the System i. However -- that's NOTwhat I'm talking about today. The IFS includes many different things,including the ability to access Windows NEworking (SMB) file shares, theability to access Network File Systems (NFS), the ability to accessoptical drives, the ability to access other iSeries computers over thenetwork, the ability to access traidtional iSeries objects (You know,"library/object" objects) and the ability to store PC-style (stream) fileson the system i hard drive... all of these completely different filesystems are available through one integrated interface -- the "IntegratedFile System" (IFS) is the one interface!!

IT's not just for storing PC files on your System i! It's for accessingWindows PCs over the network as well!

In the world of Windows, you might access a file using a UNC path likethis:

    \\AcctServer\C\customers\5412\Letter20061210.doc

To access the same document from the iSeries, you change the path around alittle bit. Instead of starting with \\, you start it with /QNTC. And youuse forward slashes instead of backward ones. So to access the same filefrom an RPG program, you'd use the name:


    /QNTC/AcctServer/C/customers/5412/Letter20061210.doc

You must use that from the IFS interface. From an RPG program, if youwant to check if that file exists, you could use:


D filename        s            500A

 /free
   filename = '/QNTC/AcctServer/C/customers/5412/'
            + 'Letter20061210.doc';

   if (access(%trimr(filename): F_OK) = 0);
       // file exists!
   endif;

Obviously, you'd also need to create a prototype for the access() API.

(But, it'd work!) For more info on IFS programming, please see thefollowing document:


   http://www.scottklement.com/rpg/ifs.html

To launch Word, Excel, etc... well, those programs don't run on theiSeries! You'd need to run them on the PC. You could send a remotecommand to the PC, though. You could do something like this:


D QCMDEXC         PR                  ExtPgm('QCMDEXC')
D    command                 32702A   const options(*varsize)
D    len                        15p 5 const

D cmd             s            500A   varying

 /free
      cmd = 'STRPCO';
      callp(e) QCMDEXC(cmd: %len(cmd));

      cmd = 'STRPCCMD PCCMD(''start winword "\\AcctServer\C\'
          + 'customers\5412\Letter20061210.doc"'')';
      QCMDEXC(cmd: %len(cmd));

I don't currently have access to my iSeries -- I'm typing this from memory-- so I may not have everything 100% right, but maybe the above info willhelp you get started (or at least give you some command names to searchfor information about.)

Also, if you remove the "winword" from the MS-DOS "start" command, it'llsearch for the best program to use for the file you've given.