Initiating a managed file transfer using IBM Sterling Connect:Direct

Use a CDOutput node to send a file from a specified directory on your primary Connect:Direct® server (PNODE) to a filename and directory on a secondary Connect:Direct server (SNODE).

Before you begin

  1. Ensure that WebSphere® MQ is installed on the same machine as your integration node. Information about file transfers is held on storage queues that are controlled by WebSphere MQ, so you must install WebSphere MQ on the same computer as your integration node if you want to use the capabilities provided by the CDOutput node.
  2. Ensure that a queue manager has been specified on the integration node; this queue manager will own the system queues that store information about the file transfer. For information about specifying a queue manager on the integration node, see mqsicreatebroker command.
  3. Create the system queues that will store the file transfer information. For more information about creating the system queues, see Creating the default IBM Integration Bus queues on a WebSphere MQ queue manager.
  4. Create a message flow containing a CDOutput node; for example, create a simple flow containing an MQInput connected to a CDOutput node.

About this task

Multiple CDOutput nodes can be deployed to the same integration server, or to different integration servers in the same integration node. CDOutput nodes can send one file per transfer. Each file can have multiple records; each record can have multiple elements. Transfers from the CDOutput node are non-blocking.

Procedure

  1. Set the required node properties on the CDOutput node.
    If you set the Destination file name only, and leave all the other options at their default values, the file is transferred:
    • From the primary Connect:Direct server (PNODE) back to itself
    • Into the default transfer directory using the default process name.
    Additionally, the file is created if it does not exist, or replaced if it already exists.
    The following table summarizes the CDOutput node properties that you can set, on which tab they appear, and a value that you can select:
    Tab Property Value
    Basic Process name You can use any name you want for the process. Note, however, that the name must be a maximum of eight characters and cannot contain any spaces.
    SNODE The secondary Connect:Direct server to which the file is being transferred.
    Destination file directory TestDir on secondary Connect:Direct server (SNODE).
    Destination file name Filename on secondary Connect:Direct server (SNODE).
    Disposition RPL
    Transfer mode Text mode
  2. Setup the username and password that is required for the CDOutput node to connect to the primary Connect:Direct server using the mqsisetdbparms command.
  3. Deploy the message flow to the integration node. See Deploying integration solutions.
  4. Send the file to the In terminal of the CDOutput node.

Results

The following actions occur when you perform these steps:
  1. The file is constructed in accordance with the values set in the properties of the CDOutput node.
  2. The file is staged in the local file system and then a command is sent to the Connect:Direct server to cause the transfer to occur.
  3. If a file of the same name exists in the selected directory on the secondary Connect:Direct server, the processing of the existing file is determined by the value of the Disposition property; in this example, the file is replaced.

    Once the transfer has completed the local, staged file is deleted.

Note, that when sending a file, you can dynamically set the following properties:
  • Secondary Connect:Direct server (SNODE)
  • Process name
  • Accounting data
  • Destination file directory
  • Destination file name
  • Copy from options
  • Copy to options

You have complete control of the Copy statements.

For example: 
LocalEnvironment.Destination.CD.Copy.To.Option.PERMISS = '777'
causes IBM Sterling Connect:Direct to set the permissions on the destination file to 777 (or RWX RWX RWX) if the destination file is on a UNIX operating system, or within Unix System Services on z/OS®.

However, if you enter an incorrect format, a syntax error is detected when the process script is submitted and this causes an error to be thrown in the node.

For example:
LocalEnvironment.Destination.CD.Copy.To.Option.PERMISS = '7xddd'
causes a syntax error because '7xddd' is not of the format nnn. When an error occurs the process script is available in the exception thrown and the user trace.
Tip: To help you with problem determination, you can view the script generated by the CDOutput node by turning on user trace.