Dclient


Dclient is a program which implements functions of a client for automatic uploading data to a remote host. This document presents instruction for usage, customization and installation.

Contents:

Purpose.

Dclient is a part of Mark-4 VLBI Analysis Software Calc/Solve. It is a program which provides the easiest user interface to client part of dserver/dclient software for uploading data. It parses a user command, copies the specified files to a local ftp area, compresses them, generates and sends an e-mail message to
dserver for initiating data uploading process. Currently, dclient supports uploading VLBI database files, EOP series, solution technical desciptions and solution litings in Sinex format.

Usage:

Usage: dclient FLAGS -t data_type -c config_file -f item_name

FLAGS:
-q -- quiet mode. Request for confirmation of the operation is not issued.
-qq -- the quietest mode. No request for confirmation of the operation no information about the progress is printed on the screen.
-p -- to send a ping to the Data Center in order to check whether it is still running. Arguments data type and database names are ignored and can be omitted if this flag is on.
-h -- help information is printed in stdout.

data_type -- supported data types:

config_file -- File which contains configuration of dclient.
item_name -- item to be transferred. Meaning depends on data_type. If data_type is EOPS or EOPI then it is the filename with EOP series. If data_type is DESC it is the filename with solution description. If data_type is DSNX it is the filename with solution listing. If data_type is DBH them it is the experiment string which is interpreted as
  1. a database file name with absolute path if the first symbol is "/"
  2. a database filename with specific version if the argument contains a pattern "_V". File path will be find in geo-VLBI catalogue system.
  3. a request for transferring a pair of the last versions of -X and -S databases if the argument does not contain a pattern "_V" and starts from the symbol other than "/". Two databases will be transferred.
It is assumed that database name satisfy IVS convention, otherwise dserver will refuse to upload the data. Examples:
      dclient -t DBH  -c $MK4/local.GSFC.dbs  -f /diskA1/data1/99JUL01XA_V004
      dclient -t DBH  -c $MK4/local.GSFC.dbs  -f 99JUL19SH_V002
      dclient -t DBH  -c $MK4/local.GSFC.dbs  -f 99JUN14XH
      dclient -q -t EOPS -c $MK4/local.GSFC.eops -f $SAVE_DIR/last.eops
      dclient -h
      dclient -p -c $MK4/local.GSFC.dbs  
Dclient reads configure file, checks its syntax. Further work depends on a data type. If the data_type is DBH then dclient checks a item_name argument and determines its mode. In the case of modes "b" and "c" dclient asks catalogue and finds filename(s) of the database(s) with absolute path(s). If the data_type is EOPS, EOPI, DESC or DSNX then dclient copies EOP series or technical description or solution listing file to the directory and filename which specified in the configuration file. Dclient processes data types EOPS and EOPI, DESC, DSNX similar way. Then it creates a temporary file with e-mail message to dserver and creates a temporary file with C-Shell program which copies the data file(s) to a local ftp-directory and gzips them on the fly. Finally a e-mail message is sent to dserver which should initiate retrieving the databases or EOP series from the host where dclient has been launched (Operating Center) to a a host where dserver is running (Data Center). E-mail messages from dserver with confirmation of a request or denying it and successful termination of retrieving (or error during retrieving) will be sent to user(s) in according specifications in config_file. Dclient doesn't check data contents, but dserver does. Dclient also doesn't check whether filename is legal (follows IVS datafile convention), but dserver checks.

Customization.

All site-specific dependencies are in the configuration file. This file contains configuration parameters used by a program dclient. Format: #, blank, keyword, delimiters, value. Lines starting from ## or empty lines are considered as comments and ignored. All parameters should be specified. No defaults are supported. All keywords have to be specified. All values are of character type.

Supported keywords: