Re: Automating file xfer with NFS

JK,

If acceptable and given the limited scope, I would go with the FTP option. I have used NFS attachment for processes, but it adds overhead to the network, although not a lot. It's also one more item to have to recover if something happens to your network. And, although not difficult, setting NFS up for the first using OS/400 can be kind of a pain - using the green screen help will go a long way to getting you started.

I have used FTP for some fairly sophisticated automation thanks to the ability to execute remote commands via FTP, something you do not get with NFS.

JK wrote:

All,

.....

Currently, a customer service rep in our little department receives a daily
email which contains a link to a .txt file on a server at the corporate
office. The operator clicks the link which imports the file into notepad.
She then does a 'save as' into her /home directory on the IFS and launches
an edit/import process from a green-screen menu. The link is always the same
value and is in the form of \\some_share_name\folder_name\file_name.txt
<file:///\\some_share_name\folder_name\file_name.txt> . All the desktops are
on the "corporateoffice.com" domain and I'm assuming that the link back to
the actual .txt file is handled through the magic of Windows and SMB.

My idea of an improved process would be to use NFS to establish a link to
the .txt file on the corporate server and submit the update process to batch
at a predetermined time. Assuming that we can address any firewall blockages
and CCSID issues, am I correct in my assumption that using NFS would pretty
much be a drop-in replacement for the manual email step? The existing CL/RPG
retrieves the data from an IFS link anyway and I'm thinking that NFS should
handle the actual transfer. What I don't know is:

.....

3) Or maybe I should use FTP instead?


Any pointers or war-stories will be greatly appreciated.

JK