Steps for storing a file as a named pipe in the z/OS FTP server UNIX file system using the z/OS FTP client

Before you begin

You must start an application that can read from the named pipe, and it must open the named pipe, before FTP can transfer data into the named pipe.

Procedure

Optional: Create the named pipe on the server host:
1. Issue the SIte subcommand to configure the server UMASK value. For example: site UMASK=<mask>
  You can also configure the server UMASK value by coding the UMASK statement in the FTP.DATA file. See the UMASK (FTP client and server) statement information in z/OS Communications Server: IP Configuration Reference for more details about the UMASK statement.
  
  Tip: After you create the named pipe, you can change the file permissions by issuing the SIte subcommand with the CHMOD parameter.
2. Issue the the MKFifo subcommand to create the named pipe at the server. For example: mkfifo <pathname>
  See MKFifo subcommand—Create a named pipe at the FTP server host for information about the MKFifo subcommand.
  Tips:
  - You do not need to create the named pipe with FTP before initiating the transfer. FTP creates the named pipe during file transfer if the named pipe is not already in the file system, or another process on the server host can create the named pipe for you.
  - After you create a named pipe, you can display and manipulate it with the following FTP subcommands:
    - DELEte
    - DIr
    - Ls
    - REName
    - SIte subcommand with CHMOD parameter
Do one of the following to set the UNIXFILETYPE FIFO value at the server host:
- Code a UNIXFILETYPE statement in the server FTP.DATA file before you start the FTP daemon. See the UNIXFILETYPE (FTP client and server) statement information in z/OS Communications Server: IP Configuration Reference for more details about the UNIXFILETYPE statement.
- Issue the SIte subcommand with the UNIXFILETYPE parameter after you log in to the server. See SIte subcommand—Send site-specific information to a host for more information about the SIte subcommand.
Do one of the following to set the FILETYPE=SEQ value at the server host:
- Code the FILETYPE statement in the server FTP.DATA file before you start the FTP daemon. See the FILETYPE (FTP client and server) statement information in z/OS Communications Server: IP Configuration Reference for more details about the FILETYPE statement.
- Issue the SIte subcommand with the FILEtype parameter after you log in to the server. See FILETYPE statement information in SIte subcommand—Send site-specific information to a host for more details about the SIte subcommand.
Tip: FILETYPE=SEQ is the default FILETYPE value. You can use the stat (filetype subcommand from the z/OS® FTP client to determine whether you need to reset the FILETYPE value.
Optional: Do one of the following to set the FIFOOPENTIME and FIFOIOTIME values at the server:
- Code FIFOOPENTIME and FIFOIOTIME statements in the server FTP.DATA file before you start the FTP daemon. See z/OS Communications Server: IP Configuration Reference for more information about the FIFOOPENTIME and FIFOIOTIME statements.
- Issue the SIte subcommand with the FIFOOPENTIME and FIFOIOTIME parameters after you log in to the server. See SIte subcommand—Send site-specific information to a host for more information about the SIte subcommand.
  The FTP server uses default values for the FIFOOPENTIME and FIFOIOTIME configuration options if you do not configure these values explicitly.
On the FTP server host, start the process that reads from the named pipe.
Issue the APpend subcommand to send the file from the client to the server, specifying a target file in the z/OS UNIX file system as follows: append localFile named_pipe

Results

You know that you have completed these steps correctly when the following occurs:

The server sends reply 226 or 250 to the client to indicate that it received the file successfully.
The client issues message EZA2536I or EZA1617I to indicate the total number of bytes that were sent.

Guidelines: Use these guidelines for using any FTP client to store a file as a named pipe in the z/OS FTP server UNIX file system:

You can issue the QUOTE subcommand to send a SITE command with the UMASK, FILETYPE UNIXFILETYPE, FIFOOPENTIME, and FIFOIOTIME parameters to the FTP server, or to send an XFIF command to the server. See Steps for storing a file as a named pipe in the z/OS FTP server UNIX file system using the z/OS FTP client for details.
You can use the APPE or STOR commands to send data to a named pipe on the server.
Tip: When you send data to a named pipe on the z/OS server, the STOR command is treated the same as an APPE command.