ITEM: BT8419L

AFTP, ACOPY, or SNAFTP to automate file transfers.

Question:

ENVIRONMENT:
   Model R30, AIX 4.1.4, SNA Server/6000 v3.1
DESCRIPTION:
   The customer wants to automate file transfers to the mainframe
   using AFTP, ACOPY, or SNAFTP.  The problems he has encountered are:
   AFTP: will allow him to specify block size, record length, and record
         format, but cannot be automated in a script because it requires
         user input of the user id and password.
   ACOPY: is command line oriented and can be automated via a script,
          but will not allow him to specify block size, record length,
          and record format.  The mainframe defaults to variable record
          length instead of fixed which causes problems later.
   SNAFTP: this TP was also included in the /usr/lpp/sna/samples/bin
           directory and appear to have all of the capabilities that the
           customer wants.  However, he cannot get this command to work.

Answer:

snaftp is only for risc to risc communications - the partner of snaftp
is rtrt.  To get around the block/record length problems, he may be
able to use aftpd on the rs/6000 and aftp on the host side.
Otherwise he is not going to be able to do what he wants from any
of the free sample programs, he'll need to get a regular file
transfer application like XCOM, ADSM or Netview DM.
The sample programs are not modifyable, they are just provided
as is to be used as tools.

ACTION:
   I spoke with the customer and informed him of the above info.
   He has come up with two possible work arounds on his own.
   1) preallocate the files on the MVS side to set the file size,
      then use xcopy to send the files.
   2) use aftp with security = same and just hit enter when asked for
      a user id.  This apparently bypasses the password prompt.



Support Line: AFTP, ACOPY, or SNAFTP to automate file transfers. ITEM: BT8419L

Dated: March 1997 Category: N/A

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