HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Chapter 14 External File Transfer External File Transfer (EFT) can be used to move messages from one HP Desk system to another, without using DS or NS communication. Typically, this could be the physical transport of a magnetic tape. It is often used as a backup to an unreliable datacomm link, or to transfer mail to another communications system. Refer to HP DeskManager Administration for an introduction to how EFT works, and for configuration information. With DS or NS, HP Desk messages are transported from the database one computer to that of another via datacomm lines. With EFT, messages are transferred as files rather than directly between databases. As the files are destined for another HP Desk system, they retain their HP Desk format, but this is serialized so that they can be stored in conventional MPE files. Typically the medium for EFT is magnetic tape. When the file reaches the destination system, HP Desk then imports the file and the messages are mailed. The way in which HP Desk deals with incoming and outgoing EFT messages is very similar to the way it deals with FSC messages. The major difference, however is that as the messages are being transferred between HP Desk systems there is no need to translate them into ARPA format. An application program must be written to receive the file at the remote HP Desk installation. This program will pass the file to the EFT Truck which performs, for messages received through an EFT gateway, a similar function to the Slave Truck. The same program can be designed to introduce EFT files from the foreign medium to HP Desk. Further details of the formats used and information on how to write these programs are given later in this section. The EFT Truck converts the contents of the file back into HP Desk messages, which are then passed to the Mailroom or the Transport Manager in the normal way.