rsync on VAX VMS or OpenVMS

[Jov]

Hi Guys,
Can anyone on this board provide any pointers to deploying rsync on VMS? If not is there a better way of transferring files between VMS and Unix other than FTPing?

Cheers

JKV

[Jeroen Hartgers_2]

FTP is the best and secure way to send files from unix to vms and from unix to vms

[Willem Grooters]

well not the best and secure (that would requires somthing more!) but surely a usable one.
However, be aware of incomptabilities between Unix and VMS. To name a few:

* VMS is (by default) case-insensitive.
* VMS keeps a history (the number after ";") so if you PUT a file, a new version of the file will be created.
* VMS will not allow you to read of write a file if you lack the access rights to the directory or file itself, or when it is locked by any process (open for update, for instance).
* VMS has (in the default setting) a limited characterset for filenames, and a length limitation for name and extension. Some characters can NOT be used within VMS, nor can you use multiple dots in a filename.
The maximum size for both name and extension is 39 chars (so you _can_ specify up to 78, plus separating dot). However, there are possibilities within the system- and user-environment that allow you to get around these limitations. Check VMS system manager (manual) for details.
* VMS has a different way of specifying locations, both in concept as in syntax.

The last two are the ones you are quite likely to run into.

I found some Unix's are quite good in handling the differences, others are much more troublesome.

[Martin P.J. Zinser]

Shameless plug:-). Have a look at

http://www.decus.de:8080/www/vms/sw/ftp_mirror.htmlx

to 'rsync' between a VMS and Unix system.

I am not aware of a generic rsync port.

[Antoniov.]

Hi,
perhaps may work NFS too (but I never used it and anc cannot help you for use).
Bye
Antoniov

[Willem Grooters]

"Shameless plug:-)" ? So what. These are differences you will have to take in account. It has nothing to do in plugging VMS (if it did, no big deal. The Unix guys 'n dolls use it too (let alone Windows).)

[Jov]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the responses. At the moment the ftp mirror is the closest to what I am after at the moment, but it is still not as elegant as I like.

The reason I am after something like rsync is for its smarts and security (tunnel via ssh). We're trying to get logs off a VMS server to a Unix host and parse it for error messages to generate alarms. Someone you might suggest getting some SNMP agent, but the applications on the VMS is custom s/w.

Also the business is very unlikely want to spend the money for the system that will only be around for 12-15 months.

If I can get the logs to a Unix server I can you the OVO agent to do the work.


Cheers

JKV

[Bruno Ganino]

Hi JKV, perhaps this is useful
http://rsync.samba.org/
or directly
http://ftp.samba.org/ftp/rsync/
Bye
Bruno