shipping_server

Store-and-forward packet transport server

APPLICABILITY

SYNOPSIS

shipping_server [ -scl·ass storage-class-name ] { -pol·l | sources ... }

This command is located in ccase-home-dir/etc on UNIX and ccase-home-dir\bin on Windows.

DESCRIPTION

This command processes one or more shipping orders on the local host, causing the associated packets or files to be sent to remote sites.

After delivering the data file specified in a shipping order to all its destinations, shipping_server deletes the data file unless one of the destinations is the local host.

NOTE: When shipping_server starts processing a shipping order, it locks the order. This prevents subsequent invocations of shipping_server from processing the order.

TCP/IP Connection

To transmit a file, shipping_server uses UDP to contact the albd_server process on the receiving host, and albd_server invokes shipping_server in receive mode on the receiving host.

If you are sending packets through a firewall (that is, the CLEARCASE_MIN_PORT and CLEARCASE_MAX_PORT environment variables are set), shipping_server tries to use TCP to contact the remote albd_server. If that connection fails, shipping_server uses UDP. For more information, see Installing Store-and-Forward on a UNIX Firewall Host.

On UNIX, shipping_server forks one subprocess for each packet that it needs to send. As many as 10 separate shipping_server subprocesses, each trying to send a single packet, can be started for each invocation of shipping_server. The same number of subprocesses are forked on the receiving machine. As a subprocess finishes, another can be started, but only 10 can be active simultaneously.

After a TCP connection is established between the two shipping_server processes, they transfer the file. The receiving shipping_server selects a storage bay using the local store-and-forward configuration settings. See shipping.conf (UNIX) or the MultiSite Control Panel (Windows). If a storage class is assigned multiple storage bays, available disk space determines the selection of a bay.

UNIX: The packet file is created with the same owner and group as the storage bay directory, and its access mode is taken from the directory's read and write permissions. (The execute permission and special permissions, if any, are ignored.)

Windows: The packet file inherits permissions from the Windows ACL on the storage bay directory.

Colon Characters in Packet Names

If a packet name contains a colon ( : ), shipping_server changes the colon to a period ( . ) during processing. This change allows packets to be delivered to Windows machines, which do not allow colons within file names.

Handling of File Name Conflicts

You can use the mkorder and shipping_server commands to transmit arbitrary files if the files are located in the same directory as their associated shipping orders. If a file with the same name already exists on the receiving host, the new file is renamed to filename_1 (if you send another file with the same name, it is renamed to filename_2, and so on).

Log File

UNIX: shipping_server writes records of all packets sent and received, along with all errors, to file /var/adm/atria/log/shipping_server_log.

Windows: shipping_server writes records of all packets sent and received, notification messages, and all errors to the Windows event viewer. It writes log messages to file ccase-home-dir\var\log\shipping_server_log.

RESTRICTIONS

Identities: You must have write and execute permissions on the directory containing the shipping order. On UNIX, you must own the data file or be root.

Locks: No locks apply.

Mastership: No mastership restrictions.

Other: The shipping order and the data file it specifies must be located in the same directory.

OPTIONS AND ARGUMENTS

RESTRICTING PROCESSING TO A STORAGE CLASS. Default: Processes all shipping orders specified or found in a search.

-scl·ass storage-class-name

Processes shipping orders for the specified storage class only.

SPECIFYING THE SHIPPING ORDERS. Default: None.

-pol·l

Processes shipping orders located in some (if you use -sclass) or all MultiSite storage bays defined in the shipping.conf configuration file on UNIX or the MultiSite Control Panel on Windows.

NOTE: shipping_server processes only shipping orders whose file names start with the characters "sh_o_". If you create shipping orders, name them according to this convention, or omit the -poll option and specify the shipping order pathnames.

On UNIX, only shipping order files that you own are processed. (EXCEPTION: when root runs this program, shipping order files are processed regardless of ownership.)

sources ...

One or more pathnames of files and/or directories. Each file you specify is processed if it contains a valid shipping order. For each directory you specify, shipping_server processes some (if you use -sclass) or all shipping orders stored in that directory.

EXAMPLES

• Process all shipping orders in all MultiSite storage bays.

shipping_server -poll

• Process a particular shipping order. Note that the pathname argument specifies the shipping order file, not the data file to be transmitted.

/usr/atria/etc/shipping_server \
/var/adm/atria/shipping/ms_ship/sh_o_sync_sydney_19-May-99.09:48:45_7660_1

• Process all shipping order files in a specified directory.

shipping_server "c:\Program Files\Rational\ClearCase\var\shipping\ms_ship"

• Process all shipping orders in the storage bays of a specified storage class.

/usr/atria/etc/shipping_server -poll -sclass daily

SEE ALSO

mkorder, MultiSite Control Panel, shipping.conf, syncreplica, sync_export_list
Chapter 10, Troubleshooting MultiSite Operations