Re: Automating file xfer with NFS -- MIDRANGE-L

JK

I strongly recommend NFS. You mount an NFS share over an existing IFS directory. It is much better and more consistent, in our experience, than QNTC.

I think I see a little confusion over NFS and FTP and QNTC. They are all different.

We have a number of knowledge base articles on our wiki - search for NFS at http://wiki.rjssoftware.com/wiki

There is mention of our products, of course, but not to worry, it is very easy to generalize. There is one article that shows you how specifically to set up a Windows box as an NFS server.

If you run into questions, feel free to call 888.RJS.SOFT (free call) and ask for Vern.

Regards
Vern (the same Vern as listed above!!)

JK wrote:

Scott,

Other than Netserver our only other experience with Windows Networking on i
was with QNTC on a local XP box where we wanted to include a few of its
directories on the nightly i5 tape backup. That worked OK but, if memory
serves, also required us to maintain duplicate profiles and passwords on
both boxes.

Using CPY was my first choice, but most of the trade journal articles and
threads I researched yesterday seemed to focus on using QNTC to pass files
between the IFS and a local PC, rather than a Windows share somewhere on a
corporate network. That's why I started researching NFS.

It is entirely likely, though, that I'm missing a simple and obvious
solution. Any guidance you could provide will be welcomed.

JK
-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Scott Klement
Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2010 12:01 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: Automating file xfer with NFS

Hello,

Since you're already using Windows Networking, and then (essentially) using Notepad as a 'copy command', I wonder why you don't just use the OS/400 copy command to copy from the Windows Network to the home directory?

Wouldn't that be a lot simpler than setting up and administering NFS?

Or have you had problems with Windows Networking on i?

On 2/24/2010 6:59 PM, JK wrote:

All,

I've been asked to automate a file transfer that is currently being

handled

manually via email and it seems that NFS would be a good solution. The
"Exploring NFS on AS400" redbook does a thorough job of explaining the
universe of possibilities but I'm having a bit of trouble narrowing them
down to what will address our particular issue. Is anyone aware of a
tutorial or 'how to' that might give me some pointers on configuring NFS

for

the following scenario?

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:

1) How is Windows resolving the SMB link and how do I translate that
to NFS lingo

2) Although this will happen inside the corporate firewall, I need

to

be mindful of security. I'm assuming that some of the iSeries NFS servers
need to be started but I'm not clear on which ones are necessary to

resolve

the link to the .txt file at the corporate office. It shouldn't be

necessary

to expose any of the iSeries folders.

3) Or maybe I should use FTP instead?
Any pointers or war-stories will be greatly appreciated.

JK