bftp(1C) TCP/IP 5.4R3.00 bftp(1C)
NAME
bftp - Background File Transfer Program
SYNOPSIS
bftp
DESCRIPTION
bftp is the user interface to the Background File Transfer Program
(BFTP). bftp may be used to submit a request to have a file
transferred at some time in the future via the standard internet File
Transfer Protocol (FTP), which is described in RFC-959.
BFTP makes use of third party FTP, so the source and the destination
hosts do not have to be operational at the time the request is
submitted. At least one of the hosts must correctly support the PASV
command of the FTP protocol. Transfers are scheduled locally via the
system batch processor, at.
For more information on BFTP see Using TCP/IP on the DG/UX
(Trademark) System, Managing TCP/IP on the DG/UX (Trademark) System,
and RFC-1068 (BFTP).
Bftp Standard Transfer Commands
ddir directoryname
Sets the destination directory. If ddir is not set and dfile
is not a complete pathname, dfile will be relative to the
user's home directory on the destination host.
dfile destination-filename
Sets the destination filename. Can be a full or a relative
pathname. If ddir is not set and dfile is not a complete
pathname, the pathname will be relative to $HOME on the
destination host.
dhost destination-hostname user password
Sets the destination host, user, and password. If the
destination user does not have a password, the password
argument is not required.
prompt Prompts you for all commonly-used parameters. This combines
shost, sdir, sfile, dhost, ddir, dfile, dhost, ddir, dfile,
set type, and set copy | move | delete.
sdir directoryname
Sets the source directory. If sdir is not set and sfile is
not a complete pathname, sfile will be relative to the user's
home directory on the source host.
sfile filename
Sets the source filename. Can be a full or a relative
pathname. If sdir is not set and sfile is not a complete
pathname, the pathname will be relative to $HOME on the source
host.
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shost hostname/number user password
Sets the source host, user and password. If the source user
does not have a password, the password argument is not
required.
submit Submits the current request for background FTP transfer. bftp
will prompt for the StartTime, ReturnMailbox, and
RequestKeyword.
transfer
Perform the current request in the foreground.
Bftp Information Commands
? List the legal options.
explain
Displays a short explanation of how to use BFTP.
help [ command ] Prints local help information. If a command is
supplied as an argument, prints information only on that
command.
status Lists the transfers that are currently submitted and provides
a summary of each transfer. Use the find command for more
detailed information on a transfer.
verify Makes the connections necessary to conduct the current
transfer, using the specified parameters. Does not make the
transfer, but checks the parameters.
show Displays the current parameter values.
Bftp Transfer Control Commands
cancel Prevents the specified transfer from taking place. Unlike the
find command, cancel also works after the transfer has begun.
This command requires that the source host be running DG/UX
4.30 or higher. To check the version you are running, invoke
the verify command with verbose set to true.
clear Returns all parameters to their default values.
find Finds and displays the parameters for a transfer request and a
log summarizing transfer activity. bftp will prompt for the
(optional) RequestID and the RequestKeyword. Once a request
has been located and displayed, it can be changed and
resubmitted, or canceled.
hold Suspends a transfer that is currently active (Running and not
between retries). This may be used to ease congestion on a
slow data link between the two hosts. This command requires
that the source host be running DG/UX 4.30 or higher. To
check the version you are running, invoke the verify command
with verbose set to true.
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quit Returns all parameters to their default values and exits the
BFTP program.
unhold Restarts a transfer that has been suspended by the hold
command. This command requires that the source host be
running DG/UX 4.30 or higher. To check the version you are
running, invoke the verify command with verbose set to true.
Bftp Request Commands
request delete name
Deletes request file bftp-save.name.
request list
Lists all request files.
request load name
Reads bftp-save.name in as the current request.
request store name
Saves the current request in a file named bftp-save.name.
Currently, name can consist of numbers and letters only.
Bftp Set Commands
set account account-name
Sets the account for logging in to the source and destination
hosts. Many hosts do not require this.
set append true |false
Sets to true or false the request to append transferred file
to destination files. If the destination file does not exist,
the file is created. The default is false.
set copy
Source file will be copied to the destination filename. Copy
is the default.
set delete
Source file will be deleted. Note that when delete is set, no
connection is made to the destination host, so only source
parameters are required.
set mailbox mailbox-name
Sets the mailbox where BFTP transfer results are returned.
The mailbox should be in standard internet format, for
example: farah@doc. The default is username@host.
set mode stream | block | compress
Sets the FTP transfer mode to stream, block, or compress. The
default mode is stream.
set move
When set move is specified, the source file will be deleted
after it has been copied.
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set multiple true | false
Sets to true or false the request to transfer multiple files.
To use wildcards in sourcefile names (for example, datafile*),
multiple must be set to true. The default is false.
set port source n | destination n
Sets the port for the source or destination system of FTP
connection. The default is 21 for both source and
destination.
set structure file | record | page
Sets the FTP structure to file, record, or page. The default
is file.
set time StartTime retry-interval maximum-retries
Sets the start time, the starting retry interval, and the
maximum number of tries for a transfer. The default time is
now, the default retry interval is 15 minutes, and the default
number of tries is 5. Each time that a transfer is retried
following a failure, the retry interval is doubled, up to a
maximum of 4 hours. You must press the New Line key after
StartTime because StartTime may contain spaces. BFTP prompts
you for the retry-interval and maximum number of tries.
set type image | ascii |ebcdic | local
Sets the FTP type and format and byte size parameters. Note
that a normal text file is usually ascii, and binary file is
often the same as an image file. The default is ascii and
nonprint.
The representation type may be one of network ASCII, EBCDIC,
image, or local byte size with a specified byte size (for
PDP-10's and PDP-20's mostly). The network ASCII and EBCDIC
types have a further subtype which specifies whether vertical
format control (NEWLINE characters, form feeds, etc.) are to
be passed through (nonprint), provided in TELNET format, or
provided in ASA carriage control format.
set unique true | false
Sets to true or false the request to use the STOU command. If
the STOU command is supported by the destination host, the
file will be stored into a file having a unique filename. The
default is false.
set verbose true | false
Sets to true or false the request to display full FTP
conversations for the verify and transfer commands. The
default is false. Transfers run by the submit command always
run as if verbose is true.
Special Editing Characters
<return> Accept current command/field.
<escape> Complete current command/field, or display default.
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<space> Complete and delimit current command/field.
<delete> Erase last character.
<control-L> Refresh screen.
<control-R> Refresh line.
<control-U> Erase line.
<control-W> Erase current token.
FILES
bftp creates a number of files that are used to keep track of
requests that are in progress:
bftp123456789.atjob
bftp123456789.cmd
bftp123456789.list
bftp123456789.msg
bftp123456789.req
bftpsavedinfo
The files that are saved via the request save command are as follows:
bftp-save.request-name
bftp usually stores its files in the home directory of the user who
is logged on. To have bftp store these files in another directory,
use the system setenv command to set $BFTPDIR, for example
setenv BFTPDIR ~/var/spool/bftp/yourname
/etc/bftp.conf, sets the maximum number of simultaneous transfers
controlled by this host. This can be used to limit network
congestion. No file, or a file containing the value 0 means no
limit.
/usr/bin/fts (File Transfer Service) is the program that actually
coordinates the transfer. It should only be invoked via BFTP.
SEE ALSO
at(1), cron(1M), crontab(1), ftp(1C), ftpd(1M).
NOTES
Some hosts do not correctly support the FTP PASV command. This may
cause a Malformed PASV reply or a Connection refused error.
Transfers from a DG/UX 4.20 source host may not always complete,
depending on the mode, structure, and type selected.
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