11/16/87 background_file_transfer.gi, bft.gi, BFT.gi Function: Background File Transfer (BFT) is a MOWSE (Multics Online Work Station Environment) application that transfers files between Multics and the IBM PC. This file transfer uses cooperating processes running in the background on each computer, which allow you to run other applications while the transfer is taking place. BFT is implemented on both computers such that transfer operations can be initiated from either machine. BFT maintains the transfer queue in the Multics segment >udd>Project_id>Person_id>Person_id.bft. All transfer requests will be routed through this queue. Two file transfers can occur simultaneously, one file being transferred from Multics to the PC, and one from the PC to Multics. We refer to the machine you are working on (in terms of operating system) as the "local" machine, and the other as the "remote" machine. In other words, if you using one of the terminal emulators to work on Multics, then Multics is the local machine, and the PC is the remote machine. If you are at MSDOS command line, then the PC is the local machine, and Multics is the remote machine. BFT can be invoked from command line, or called from within other MOWSE application programs using the BFT PC and Multics entrypoints. Loading BFT: BFT must be loaded before it can be used. To do this, enter the command "bft load" from Multics, or "bft_load" from the PC. This will install BFT into the user's process by registering BFT with MOWSE in addition to loading the PC portion of BFT into PC resident memory. Using BFT: In order to use BFT, the user may issues requests through the "bft" command facility; or applications may make requests through the bft_ entrypoints. For a description of the BFT commands, refer to the info_seg bft.info; for a description of the entrypoints, refer to bft_.info and pc_bft_.info. Unloading BFT: The user may remove BFT from his process, and from PC resident memory. This is accomplished by issuing the "bft unload" command on either Multics or the PC. BFT is also terminated when the user terminate MOWSE, either by issuing the "detach_mowse" command or destroying his Multics process. Recovering BFT: If BFT is terminated while a file transfer is in progess, then the process should be resumed with the "bft recover" command after BFT has been loaded. This will continue current transfers (in either direction) from where they left off and to recover the queue of pending requests. Considerations (Background Messages): User notification of BFT events (errors, transfer completions, etc.) is performed through the MOWSE background_message facility. Thus, it is important to the user to view these messages (through WSTERM) periodically to be sure of the operation and status of his transfer requests. Considerations (Error Messages): Error messages are returned to you immediately if possible. These errors refer to problems on the local system, such as "BFT already loaded", "file not found", "queue full", etc. Errors on the remote system are not immediately apparent; these are reported via the MOWSE background message facility. These errors will be of the "file not found", and "incorrect access on entry" variety. Considerations (Removing Floppy Disks): While BFT is in the process of transferring files to or from a floppy disk on the PC, do NOT remove the disk from the drive. Doing so can result in an incorrect transfer or the destruction of files. Check the messages in the background message queue to determine if a transfer is complete before removing disks (see "Considerations (Background Messages)" above). Considerations (Multics Pathnames): Multics pathnames contain the ">" and "<" characters. This is an incompatability with the PC command environment as the meaning of the ">" and "<" characters indicates I/O redirection. Therefore it is necessary to surround Multics pathnames when entered on the PC, with double quotes (") so that the ">" and "<" characters are not interpretted. For example: bft store test.pl1 ">udd>m>joe>test.pl1" Failure to do so will result in a DOS error message "File allocation error." The Queue: BFT maintains its queue information in the segment >udd>Project_id>Person_id>Person_id.bft. It should NOT be deleted. References: Manuals - MOWSE User's Manual (GB66) MOWSE Application Programmer's Manual (HM28) Info segs - bft.info - BFT command for the PC and Multics bft_.info - Multics BFT entrypoints pc_bft_.info - PC BFT entrypoints ----------------------------------------------------------- Historical Background This edition of the Multics software materials and documentation is provided and donated to Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Group BULL including BULL HN Information Systems Inc. as a contribution to computer science knowledge. This donation is made also to give evidence of the common contributions of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bell Laboratories, General Electric, Honeywell Information Systems Inc., Honeywell BULL Inc., Groupe BULL and BULL HN Information Systems Inc. to the development of this operating system. Multics development was initiated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Project MAC (1963-1970), renamed the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the mid 1970s, under the leadership of Professor Fernando Jose Corbato. Users consider that Multics provided the best software architecture for managing computer hardware properly and for executing programs. Many subsequent operating systems incorporated Multics principles. Multics was distributed in 1975 to 2000 by Group Bull in Europe , and in the U.S. by Bull HN Information Systems Inc., as successor in interest by change in name only to Honeywell Bull Inc. and Honeywell Information Systems Inc. . ----------------------------------------------------------- Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these programs and their documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted,provided that the below copyright notice and historical background appear in all copies and that both the copyright notice and historical background and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that the names of MIT, HIS, BULL or BULL HN not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the programs without specific prior written permission. Copyright 1972 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Honeywell Information Systems Inc. Copyright 2006 by BULL HN Information Systems Inc. Copyright 2006 by Bull SAS All Rights Reserved