mapping OpenVMS ftp folder on Linux

[Nipun Patel]

Hello,
I tried using

SSFHS utitlity to map a FTP folder on the OpenVMS system. Unfortunately they have the Files-11 system and have versions

e.g filename.log;4 , filename.log;3, filename.log;2

Is there anyway we can map this kind of folder what are the options and limitations.

I am sure someone must have thought of this problem. Please let me know how we can read
Openvms related file systems. I CANNOT remove the version control system on OpenVMS

Any help in this matter will be appreciated

[Steven Schweda]

> I am sure someone must have thought of this
> problem.

What, exactly, is "this problem"? If you ask
for (plain) "filename.log", then you should
get the highest version of "filename.log".
If you try to feed a file spec like
"filename.log;3" into a UNIX(-like) shell,
then you'll need to quote it.

What, exactly, would you like to do? How,
exactly, are you trying to do it? What,
exactly, happens when you try?

> [...] what are the options and limitations.

That's a question?

On the VMS side, the limitations depend on
whether the file system is ODS2 or ODS5. On
the Linux side, I'd need to know more than
"SSFHS utitlity" even to make a guess.

[Nipun Patel]

Hello everyone.
Steven thanks for the prompt response. Now that you have provided some comments I can try to be more specific. In my experience initially providing too much information simply gears the talk in a wrong direction.

Linux OS: Ubuntu Server 9.10 (updated till Feb 18 2010 1:30 p.m E.S.T)


OpenVMS O.S: OpenVMS Alpha 7.3-2 (updates restricted by the vendor for different reasons)

Current setup: Users download data from 'vms_data' folder in OpenVMS via FTP and upload data to Linux system's linux_data folder via SFTP.

Problems due to the current setup:
- Time wastage for users to download/upload data
- Data duplication in the 'data' folder for both the systems.

Goal: To provide a 'mapped' folder in Linux O.S so that when users login to Linux system they are also able to access the mapped folder (this is the data folder in OpenVMS)

Approach considered:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SSHFS

Pros: Works great when connecting two linux/unix systems

Cons: Doesn't work for VMS systems. Why? I was able to map the vms_folder to linux os. however, the contents in vms_folder appear as

filenamea.log;3
filenamea.log;2
filenamea.log;1
filenameb.log;2
filenamec.log;1

The ';1',';3',.... messes up things in the linux o.s most the applications can work etc. When the users FTP the data the FTP software automatically removes the ';3' ,';2',..basicaly the version no. gets removed and only the latest file get's transferred. So in the above example
filenamea.log, filenameb.log, filenamec.log will be transferred

Ideally if the vms_data folder can be mapped in linux in such a way that we can see the latest versions only OR they can come as

filenamea.log_3
filenamea.log_2
filenamea.log_1
filenameb.log_2
filenamec.log_1


Please let me know if you need more clarification. I am new to both the O.S so details and patience would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Steven Schweda]

> Current setup: Users download data from
> 'vms_data' folder in OpenVMS via FTP and
> upload data to Linux system's linux_data
> folder via SFTP.

Huh? Who, exactly, where, exactly, transfers
what, from where to where, and how?

> Goal: To provide a 'mapped' folder in Linux
> O.S so that when users login to Linux
> system they are also able to access the
> mapped folder (this is the data folder in
> OpenVMS)

Do you mean like NFS? Why not use NFS?

> [...] however, the contents in vms_folder
> appear as
> [...]

That's how files look in VMS.

> The ';1',';3',.... messes up things in the
> linux o.s most the applications can work
> etc.

Messes up how, exactly? Anything which can't
be handled using apostrophes or quotation
marks?

> What, exactly, would you like to do? How,
> exactly, are you trying to do it? What,
> exactly, happens when you try?

Which part of "exactly" was unclear?

> Ideally if the vms_data folder can be
> mapped in linux in such a way that we can
> see the latest versions only

"Mapped" by whom?

Use the name without the version number.

> OR they can come as
>
> filenamea.log_3
> [...]

How about "filenamea.log.3"? That normally
works about as well as "filenamea.log;3".

The TCPIP NFS server offers an option to show
version numbers or not. There's a logical
name, TCPIP$CFS_SHOW_VERSION. The default is
not to show them.

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/tcpip54.html
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/732final/6526/6526pro.HTML
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/732final/6526/6526pro_044.html#nfs_server_chap

> [...] OpenVMS Alpha 7.3-2 [...]

That's reasonably modern. Better would be
actual output from "TCPIP SHOW VERSION",
assuming that the IP package there is TCPIP.

[Nipun Patel]

> Current setup: Users download data from
> 'vms_data' folder in OpenVMS via FTP and
> upload data to Linux system's linux_data
> folder via SFTP.

Huh? Who, exactly, where, exactly, transfers
what, from where to where, and how?

<<<< I am not sure what you are asking here.
I will try to be more elaborate if that helps.

There is OpenVMS o.s containing a folder assume Disk1:[user1.vms_data].Now user1 uses FTP to transfer data to his/her windows computer. From this windows computer the user will sftp data that was downloaded to his/her windows computer (can be text files, tif files, JPG files, DICOMS,etc. ) to the Linux system's folder:

/home/linux_user1/linux_folder

>>>>

> The ';1',';3',.... messes up things in the
> linux o.s most the applications can work
> etc.

Messes up how, exactly? Anything which can't
be handled using apostrophes or quotation
marks?

> What, exactly, would you like to do? How,
> exactly, are you trying to do it? What,
> exactly, happens when you try?

Which part of "exactly" was unclear?
<<<< I appreciate your efforts in trying to answer my response however, sarcasm is not something I am looking forward too. It is understood that the person posting for help in the forum is NOT an expert. Therefore one may not be able to supply all the information that may be relevant (as deemed by an expert). Such sarcastic remarks simply discourage people from posting their queries >>>>


> Ideally if the vms_data folder can be
> mapped in linux in such a way that we can
> see the latest versions only

"Mapped" by whom?

<<<< All I am trying to say is if I can mount the vms_folder on the Linux system. It is not clear to me as to what information you require - if you give me some possible scenarios I can maybe narrow it down >>>>


How about "filenamea.log.3"? That normally
works about as well as "filenamea.log;3".

The TCPIP NFS server offers an option to show
version numbers or not. There's a logical
name, TCPIP$CFS_SHOW_VERSION. The default is
not to show them.

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/tcpip54.html
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/732final/6526/6526pro.HTML
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/732final/6526/6526pro_044.html#nfs_server_chap


<<<< This is helpful. I will try to narrow down my query based on exploring this links that you have provided.

In terms of version for TCPIP

HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Alpha Version V5.4 - ECO 7
on a AlphaServer DS25 running OpenVMS V7.3-2
>>>>

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] his/her windows computer [...]

_That_ was an interesting new fact.

I still don't know exactly what the goal is.
If I wanted to move files from a VMS system
to a Linux system, then sticking a Windows
system into the middle of the operation would
probably not be the way I'd start. Why not
log into the Linux system (or the VMS
system), and move the files directly?

If the goal is to access a VMS file server
from a Windows system, then I might look into
something like Samba (or CIFS or Advanced
Server, depending).

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/
http://h71000.www7.hp.com/network/networking.html

> [...] sarcasm is not something I am looking
> forward too. [...]

It can be reduced by providing a clear
statement of the problem to be solved, and
precise answers to questions.

> HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Alpha Version V5.4 - ECO 7
> on a AlphaServer DS25 running OpenVMS V7.3-2

So, probably too old for CIFS, but an older
version of something similar might work.

> It is not clear to me as to what
> information you require [...]

Apparently. Most helpful would be a clear
statement of the _fundamental_ problem which
you are trying to solve. If the goal is to
move files from system A to system B, then
please say so. Asking how best to use a
particular tool running on some (unmentioned)
system C may or may not lead to an optimal
solution to the actual problem. It's easy to
get bogged down in the details of the
implementation of some sub-optimal
"solution" to a problem, when a better idea
would be to back up and take a good long
look at the actual requirements, and how best
to satisfy them. Unfortunately, with my weak
psychic powers, I don't know what those
requirements are, so I'm forced to ask, which
hasn't worked so well up to now, and I tend
to get sarcastic when frustrated.

[H.Becker]

I guess the "utility" is sshfs: a filesystem client based on ssh. You can map a VMS folder, when you have sftp running on VMS.

As far as I know you will always see the version numbers, they are part of the file name. Maybe you can configure sftp on VMS differently but I don't know and I doubt that it is possible.

As already said, you don't need to specify a version if you want to access the latest version.

You can limit the number of versions in a VMS directory. However, for VMS users this is unusual.

# sshfs user@decus.decus.de:x ./decus
user@decus.decus.de's password:
# ls -l decus
total 0
# touch decus/from-linux
touch: setting times of `decus/from-linux': Operation not permitted
# ls -l decus
total 0
-rw------- 1 14680125 224 0 Feb 22 23:01 FROM-LINUX.;1
# ls -l decus >decus/from-linux
# ls -l decus
total 4
-rw------- 1 14680125 224 0 Feb 22 23:01 FROM-LINUX.;1
-rw------- 1 14680125 224 63 Feb 22 23:02 FROM-LINUX.;2
# cat decus/from-linux
total 0
-rw------- 1 14680125 224 0 Feb 22 23:01 FROM-LINUX.;1
# cat decus/from-linux\;1
#

On the VMS system, set the version limit and purge older versions:
$ set dir/vers=1 [.x]
$ pu [.x]
$ set file/ver=1 [.x]*.*

# ls -l decus
total 4
-rw------- 1 14680125 224 63 Feb 22 23:08 FROM-LINUX.;2
# echo huhu >decus/from-linux
# ls -l decus
total 4
-rw------- 1 14680125 224 5 Feb 22 23:08 FROM-LINUX.;3
# touch decus/one-version
touch: setting times of `decus/one-version': Operation not permitted
# ls decus
FROM-LINUX.;3 ONE-VERSION.;1
# ls -l decus >decus/one-version
# ls -l decus
total 8
-rw------- 1 14680125 224 5 Feb 22 23:08 FROM-LINUX.;3
-rw------- 1 14680125 224 119 Feb 22 23:11 ONE-VERSION.;2
# fusermount -u decus
#