ARCHIVES

The ARCHIVES button in the main aTool menu brings up the archive information and configuration menu

which provides the ability of create new archives, to modify the cofiguration parameters asscociated with current archives, and force and immediate update of archive content.

The main window in the menu displays the contents of the local ServerInfo file located in the $UDF_HOME/Archives. The top two lines are a descriptive header and all remaining lines are definitions of existing archives on the local system. An archive definition consists of the Archive ID which gives a top level indication of what the archive type and its contents, the port number on which the server listens for requests for that archive, and the archive home directory. If there are no defined archives on the system the window will just contain the two header lines.

Below the main window is a set of buttons which lead to various archive based operations. Of these, NEW, is the only option which does not require a target archive in the above window to be selected. (Clicking on the archive higlights it and marks it as active and clicking on a selected archive deselects it.) The DONE option in the upper right-hand corner of the menu is used to exit the window.

NEW

Select the NEW option to create an new archive. This involves defining the archive and setting the configuration options all of which are laid out in the submenu below.

Once the fields are filled in select CREATE to make the archive. This will also generate the ClientInfo entry for this archive. ABANDON will quit this definition while RESET will put all of the fields back into their default state.

ARCHIVE TYPE

Click on the menu box to obtain a list of supported archive types and select the type of archive corresponding to archive being created. The current options are:

UDF DATA The archive will hold sets of UDF header/data files. All of the data sets must originate from a single UDF Project/Mission
UDF PIDFS The archive will hold UDF PIDF files. All of the PIDF files must originate from a single UDF Project/Mission
UDF VIDFS The archive will hold UDF VIDF files. All of the VIDF files must originate from a single UDF Project/Mission
SOFTWARE The archive will hold software packages. There is no restriction to the type of packages being archived so long a they conform to the rules set laid out Archive File Formats.

ARCHIVE ID

This set of fields contains the archive ID. It is generated automatically from the selection of the ARCHIVE TYPE option and should be modified. Should the archive type selected be one of the UDF data sets, a secondary menu will appear

from which UDF Project and Mission of the data to be archived needs be identified. The first two fields in the Archive ID of Archives containing UDF data are the UDF PROJECT and MISSION acronyms of the data to be archived.

ARCHIVE DIRECTORY

Enter the directory which will serve as the archive home directory. This directory will house the archive Incoming and Database directories as well as the Archive configuration file.

IP ADDRESS

Enter the IP address of the system on which the archive is being built. This is the address used by Client systems to access the archive.

PORT NUMBER

Enter the port number on which the server will listen for requests from this archive.

UPDATE SERVERINFO

This option indicates that the local ServerInfo file should be updated on completion of this archive definition. If this is not done, only the archive directory structure will be set up but the Server will have no knowledge of its existence. It is hard to imagine a situation where thise field would be set to NO.

ARCHIVE CODE

Enter an initial archive code value for this archive. This is an arbitrary alpha-numeric string of length 3 which will be associated with the directory in the next field. Together they form an entry into the ArchiveInfo file. The archive code alone will be entered into the archive configuration file. The archive code tells the Server what directory items found in the archive home Incoming directory are to be placed when processed. The archive code can be changed at any time for a defined archive by hilighting the archive and then selecting the CONFIGURE option in the ARCHIVES menu.

DATA DIRECTORY

This is the directory associated with the archive code above. All archive contents associated with this archive code will be archived in this directory. This field can be left blank if the above Archive Code already exists in the Server ArchiveInfo file.

COMPRESSION

This option indicates if archived items should be compressed on storage into the archive. It is only applicable for DATA archives.

UPDATE ARCHIVEINFO

This option indicates whether the entered Archive Code / Data Directory field defined above should be entered into the ArchiveInfo file. This should be YES if this is a new Archive Code definition, NO if this is an existing archive code definition.

CREATE CLIENT ENTRY

This option allows the ClientInfo entry to be generated for this archive. If YES the generated entry is put into the file ClientEntry in the $UDF_HOME/Archives directory. This is the entry which Client systems need to place into their ClientInfo files to have access to this archive.

CONFIGURE option

Select CONFIGURE to set or modify any of the configurable archive parameters in the archive hilighted in the menu window. It brings up the submenu

which contains the modifiable archive configuration fields. Once changes to the fields have been made select UPDATE to make them active. Select RESET to put all of the fields back to their original state.

STATUS FILE

This is the name of a file into which any output generated in updating the archive can be put. If the field is left blank then all output generated in activiety associated with the archive is discarded.

UPDATE INTERVAL

This is the time interval on which the archive Incoming directory is checked by the Server for new content. The time period has the units specified by the pull down menu to the right. This can be set to hours, minutes, or seconds. The Server silently forces any time period under 60 seconds to 60 seconds.

ARCHIVE CODE

Shown is the current archive code. This is the archive code used when archiving items found in the Incoming directory. It can be changed to any valid archive code found in the ArchiveInfo file which is displayed under the ARCHIVE CODES option. If the archive code does not currently exist it must be created first through the ARCHIVE CODES option. The use of multiple archive codes in storing archived content allows archive to be split across multiple directories and/or storage devices.

COMPRESSION

This option displays the current archive compression flag. It is only applicable for DATA archives. Changing the compression flag will cause all items stored in the archive after the update to be either compressed or uncompressed depending on the new setting.

UPDATE option

Select the UPDATE option to cause all item hilighted archive Incoming directory to be added to the archive.

DELETE option

Select the DELETE option to delete the hilighted archive. This consists of removing the entry from the ServerInfo file, deleting all items stored under the archive, and removing the archive Home directory.

UPDATE ALL option

Select the UPDATE ALL option to scan the Incoming directories of all known archives and process any items found.

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Invoking aTool Archive Code Options