complete newbie question

[Daniel Wepplo]

Hi, I guess I'll just jump in and expose me ignorance.

We have a machining cell that is controlled be a server running OpenVMS Alpha (TM) Operating System, Version V7.1.

Everything works well regarding the communication between the server and the machine. The problem is communicating with the server from our network. We have to transfer machine code to the server file by file using a telnet termianal emulator. Again it works but it is very time consuming.

Our IT dept does its best but I was hoping I could give them a push in the right direction by offering a possible solution to make this system a little more user friendly.

Is there an application available allowing us to drag and drop text files from our microsoft pc's to the VMS server?

Thanks for any help or guidance,
Dan

[Bill Hall]

Dan,

I'd be willing to bet that this system was installed about 11 years ago and your IT department hasn't done anything to since. VMS 7.1 was released in early 1997. There has been a new OS release every 12-24 months on average since then...

I don't know what "transfer machine code to the server file by file using a telnet termianal emulator" means. The easiest solution might be to use a terminal emulator that has a built-in gui ftp client. That wouild only require your IT department to configure the ftp server that might already be installed but not configured on the server.

Using Advanced Server or even CIFS makes file transfers really easy (almost too easy). These two applications make a VMS server look like a Windows file server to your pc. Your IT department would need to do a series of OS upgrades to get to the current version that would support either of these options.

Bill

[Robert Gezelter]

Dan,

There are a variety of ways that this could be done. Which is best depends on what network connectivity there is between the OpenVMS system and the rest of the network.

As has been mentioned, there are several possibilities. One question is whether there is TCP/IP support present, or is TCP/IP connectivity being provided by a gateway. Even if such a gateway is in use, a package such as C-Kermit (available for little/no charge from Columbia University) would allow automation of the file transfers.

Key here is what level of OpenVMS expertise is available in-house. If, there is limited expertise in-house, it might be wise to obtain a small amount of outside assistance to discuss the options and assist in ensuring smooth implementation [Disclosure: My firm provides such services, as do several other regular contributors to this forum].

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com

[Hoff]

I don't think drag-and-drop is entirely appropriate here; that involves setting up file shares and CIFS/SMB/Samba and a whole lot of upgrades. That's probably counter to a machine control environment.

Here, I'd probably look to install some IP tools on the local Windows boxes and use ftp to transfer files around. This because you're probably much more willing to corrupt or crash the Windows boxes than spend time and effort and risk on the OpenVMS box. Something akin to FileZilla or various other ftp-aware packages are around and useful.

OpenVMS Alpha apparently already has telnet configured, which means it probably can also have the ftp server configured (or has ftp server configured) in whichever IP package is in use here, and ftp will give you easier file transfers between various platforms.

I'd tend to encourage not just a look at the IP network and network configuration here, but at the archives, disk backups, ECOs, disk fragmentation and related here; OpenVMS often runs without intervention fairly well, but it's not entirely maintenance-free. Some regular maintenance is required for best outcome.

That's an ancient OpenVMS version, FWIW.

[Brian Reiter]

Hi Daniel

If you could use FTP then perhaps something like FileZilla (runs on the PC) which puts an explorer type interface on top of FTP may be useful. FileZilla copes reasonably well with OpenVMS directories.


cheers

Brian

[Willem Grooters]

>transfer machine code<
...
>drag and drop text files<

That is confusing. Are you transferring binary code, of plain ASCII text (eg. source code).

Stated by others: FTP would do, but you will have the least problems if your code can be copied in one blow; it means your code needs to be stored in one directory tree - and just those files that need to be transferred.
Another possibility is to zip al your files on a PC, copy the ZIPfile to VMS and extract it, but you'll have to experiment with the right options on either side to make the files usable on VMS (if the files are binary, it's pretty straigh foreward but in case of text files, it may not work at all)

[John Travell]

>>transfer machine code<
>...
>>drag and drop text files<
>
>That is confusing. Are you transferring binary code, or plain ASCII text (eg. >source code).

Not necessarily... Some of the NC machines I have seen are controlled by a program that reads plain text files containing an encoded series of actions and co-ordinates.
Within the NC programmer these are referred to as 'machine code', in other words, a set of codes sent to the NC machine...
Just not 'machine code' as WE know it Scotty:-)

Concur about the suggested options for solving this problem.
JT:

[Willem Grooters]

Never too old to learn something new :D.

[Sheldon Smith]

Aye, Captain. "Code" does not mean "binary". For example, printers can do amazing things with PostScript or HP PCL, both of which are ASCII text.

[Daniel Wepplo]

Thanks for all the advice.

Yes the IT support here is not the best regarding VMS. They recently installed a new server and reinstalled Version V7.1??

From my experience with them they won't be extremely receptive to upgrading the OS on the server.

We do have TCP/IP support. When they installed the new server the ip address was wrong and we couldn't communicate with it over the network.

Right now we use TNVTPlus it is a FTP program dated to 1998. If I understand correctly we should be able to install a more user friendly FTP program (filezilla).

Our current FTP parameters are:
Connect using: Telenet
Terminal Type: VT140, VT320, VT220
Transfer Type: KERMIT
...


Is it safe to assume if I install filezilla with my current parameters I should be able to see the directory and their contents on the VMS server?

This server is for a machining workcell. Sorry about using the word code. You are correct that it is NC machine code.

It is a simple text file but when I looked under the Kermit parameters it is sending a binary file? It also says it strips away the dirctory path??

Thanks again for the advice,
Dan