Frequently Asked Questions for FTP on the AS/400

This FAQ contains some answers to Frequently asked questions about FTP in the AS/400 environment.

The FAQ is currently maintained by perni@centrum.dk if you have a topic you would like to see on this list, feel free to mail me.

This FAQ was reformatted by Efrain Ortiz, Jr. 

This list is delivered as is, with no warranties what so ever. Regards Per Nielsen

FAQ for FTP on the AS/400

• How do I run FTP in batch
• How can I test my FTP command without a communication line?
• How do I transfer a textfile from my PC to an AS/400 sourcefile?
• How do I transfer a sourcemember from AS/400 to my PC?
• How do I transfer to/from a specific member on the AS/400?
• How do I transfer a savefile with FTP?
• From local AS/400 to AS/400?
• From remote AS/400 to local AS/400?
• Convert a savefile to a PF using FTP?
• Convert a pf to a savefile using FTP?
• Download from AS/400 to PC?
• Upload to AS/400 from PC?
• Transferring between file systems on the AS/400?
• My outputfile doesn’t have the correct recordlength.
• I’m doing a GET, but the file isn’t replaced
• I can’t find the FTP-user guide in IBM’s library
• How do I automate uploads/downloads from my PC?
• I can transfer files with FTP but what about programs, Queries etc ?
• I’m thinking of opening FTP access from the Internet is it secure ?
• I couldn’t find my answer in this FAQ what do I do?

YOURLIB/FTPSCRIPTS is a AS/400 sourcefile i.e. created with CRTSRCPF

Enter the ftp commands in member Script in file YOURLIB/FTPSCRIPTS using SEU or equivalent.

Add a member FTPLOG to YOURLIB/FTPSCRIPTS

Pgm

ClrPfm File(YOURLIB/FTPSCRIPTS) Mbr(FTPLOG)

OvrDbf INPUT ToFile(YOURLIB/FTPSCRIPTS) Mbr(SCRIPT)

OvrDbf OUTPUT ToFile(YOURLIB/FTPSCRIPTS) Mbr(FTPLOG)

Ftp TargetSystem

DltOvr INPUT

/* The Logfile could now optionally be parsed in a program */

DltOvr OUTPUT

EndPgm

It is vital to use the names INPUT and OUTPUT which is the only names AS/400 FTP will react on. This is pretty much like stdin and stdout as it is known in the dos/unix world.

Checkout the IBM-reference material on this:

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr/BOOKS/QB3ANL03/7.11.4

Try to use:

FTP loopback

This will start a session where the remote machine is actually the local AS/400

PCFile: C:\YOURPATH\TEXTFILE.CLP

Open host

Ascii

Put C:\YOURPATH\TEXTFILE.CLP YOURLIB/QCLSRC.TEXTMBR

Quit

This will transfer the Textfile.clp i directory C:\YOURPATH to the member TEXTMBR in Sourcefile QCLSRC in library YOURLIB on the AS/400

PCFile: C:\YOURPATH\TEXTFILE.CLP

Open host

Ascii

get YOURLIB/QCLSRC.TEXTMBR C:\YOURPATH\TEXTFILE.CLP

Quit

This will transfer the sourcemember TEXTMBR in sourcefile QCLSRC in library YOURLIB to Textfile.clp in directory C:\YOURPATH.

An example of a put:

Put c:\frompath\pcfile.ext YOURLIB/YOURFILE.YOURMEMBER

This will transfer the file pcfile.ext in directory c:\frompath to member YOURMEMBER in file YOURFILE in Library YOURLIB.

An example of get:

Get YOURLIB/YOURFILE.YOURMEMBER c:\topath\tofile.ext

This will transfer the member YOURMEMBER in File YOURFILE in Library YOURLIB to the file tofile.ext in directory c:\topath

From local AS/400 to AS/400

Transfering Savefile FROMLIB/FROMSAVF to savefile TOLIB/TOSAVF

Assuming that the target savefile does not exist.

ftp host

namefmt 1

bin

put /QSYS.LIB/FROMLIB.LIB/FROMSAVF.SAVF /QSYS.LIB/TOLIB.LIB/TOSAVF.SAVF

quit

Creating the Savefile using a remote command i.e. quote.

ftp host

qoute "CRTSAVF File(TOLIB/TOSAVF)

binary

put FROMLIB/FROMSAVF TOLIB/TOSAVF

quit

From remote AS/400 to local AS/400

Getting Savefile FROMLIB/FROMSAVF to savefile TOLIB/TOSAVF

ftp host

namefmt 1

bin

get /QSYS.LIB/FROMLIB.LIB/FROMSAVF.SAVF /QSYS.LIB/TOLIB.LIB/TOSAVF.SAVF (REPLACE

quit

 

ftp host

syscmd "CRTSAVF FILE(TOLIB/TOSAVF) "

bin

get FROMLIB/FROMSAVF TOLIB/TOSAVF (REPLACE

quit

 

Convert a savefile to a PF using FTP

CrtPf MYLIB/MYPF RCDLEN(528)

FTP LOOPBACK

bin

Put MYLIB/MYSAVF MYLIB/MYPF

Quit

Convert a pf to a savefile using FTP

CrtSavf MYLIB/MYSAVF

FTP loopback

Bin

Get MYLIB/MYPF MYLIB/MYSAVF (Replace

Quit

Download from AS/400 to PC

Download the savefile FROMLIB/FROMSAVF to file tofile in directory c:\topath

On the PC

ftp host

bin

get FROMLIB/FROMSAVF c:\topath\tofile

quit

Upload to AS/400 from PC

Upload the file fromfile in directory c:\frompath to Savefile TOLIB/TOSAVF

Creating the savefile first if it doesn’t exist using quote

On the PC

ftp host

bin

quote "CRTSAVF File(TOLIB/TOSAVF"

put c:\frompath\fromfile TOLIB/TOSAVF

quit

FTP on the AS/400 can transfer between the different filesystem ,Qopensys, QDLS, Qroot and the default filesystem.

This is done with the FTP-command Namefmt or NM for short

A file in library filesystem is in namefmt 1 called,

File YOURLIB

Library YOURFILE

Member YOURMEMBER

Will be the following in IFS terms

/QSYS.LIB/YOURLIB.LIB/YOURFILE.FILE/YOURMEMBER.MBR

A file in Officevision is in the QDLS filesystem

Assume that you have a document YOURDOC.XYZ in folder YOURFLR in officevision. The name of this will in IFS terms be:

/QDLS/YOURFLR/YOURDOC.XYZ

So transfering file(YOURLIB/YOURFILE) Mbr(YOURMEMBER) to document TODOC.XYZ in folder YOURFLR would in FTP could be done with

FTP target

Namefmt 1

Put /QSYS.LIB/YOURLIB.LIB/YOURFILE.FILE/YOURMEMBER.MBR /QDLS/YOURFLR/TODOC.XYZ

Quit

If communicating with a nother AS/400 in binary mode is is often desirable to work in fixed record length. If the targetfile does not exist then FTP will create a file with recordlength of 512.

If communicating between AS/400’s use the Struct command

ftp Target

Struct R

Put fromlib/fromfile.frommbr targetlib/targetfile.targetmbr

Assuming the targetfile didn’t exist already then it would have been created with the correct record length

Use (replace after the local filename.

Get FROMLIB/FROMFILE.FROMMBR TOLIB/TOFILE.TOMBR (replace

The FTP-guide is part of TCP/IP TCP/IP Configuration and Reference: SC41-5420  

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr/DOCNUM/SC41-5420-03

Currently V4R4 it is in chapter 7.

Make a Scriptfile with the FTP-commands to execute. Start the FTP command with

ftp –n –s:ScriptFile host

The –n command turns prompting for userid and password off.

An example

The file MyScript.sess in directory MyPath has the following contents:

User myuserid mypassword.

Ascii

Put MyClPgm.clp MyLib/QCLSRC.MyClPgm

Quit

 

Assuming the host is ip-adress 123.123.123.123.

The command:

ftp –n –s:C:\Mypath\MyScript.sess 123.123.123.123

will perform an upload of MyClPgm.clp to Mylib/QclSrc member MyClPgm in Ascii mode

The unfortunate effect of this approach is that the password is stored on the PC. Concider the following setup instead.

 

Scriptfile.sess contains.

Ascii

Put MyClPgm.clp MyLib/QCLSRC.MyClPgm

Quit

 

A batfile ftpx.bat has the following

Del temp.txt

Echo user %2 %3>>temp.txt

Type %4>>temp.txt

ftp –n –s:temp.txt %1

del temp.txt

Same example of upload

ftpx 123.123.123.123 myuserid mypassword c:\Mypath\MyScript.sess

Save the objects using SAVOBJ to a savefile, transfer the savefile with FTP and then restore the objects with RSTOBJ.

Well……. You should never, never, never open FTP to the outside world before having implemented exit-programs for controlling the access.

Check out the following resources:

Redbook from IBM:

Cool Title about the AS/400 and the internet, SG24-4815-01

http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg244815.html

You could write your own exit programs, it is not that hard :), or try one of the packages already available. You could check out:

www.bvstools.com

www.patownsend.com

Disclaimer: I haven’t personally checked these resources.

Try to search in the FAQ’s www.tnt400.com

Search the newsgroup comp.sys.ibm.as400.misc on www.deja.com

Check the archives on midrange-l. www.midrange.com