DECnet provides remote file access routines for FORTRAN, BASIC and
COBOL, but not for DECUS "C". The routines in this area provide
block mode access to files on a remote DECnet node running a special
Remote File Access (RFA) object.
The calls provided by the RFA package are similar to standard "C"
file calls. The system is fairly efficient, though all I/O is
synchronous. The maximum transfer size if limited to 15 blocks by
the 8K limit of a DECnet transfer.
RFAOBJ should be installed as a multicopy object with a name of
RFA$$$ and number of 128. Note that RFAOBJ is built with PR:0 to
allow bypassing file access. Obviously, this can cause serious
security problems.
FOPNXN.C and RMTFIO.C provide the functions required. The
CN library in [333,100] already contains these routines.
A sample program that uses the RFA package is NFTUPD. This task
allows updating a file in place, a function not provided by regular
NFT. It is also 5 to 10 times faster than NFT for large copies.
The current version still has some embedded debugging messages and
may require other cleaning up.
RFADOC.RNO contains more information. Note that this .RNO file will
need work before it will run properly through RNO.
Questions, complaints, praise (I rather like the last) can be
addressed to:
Hans J. Jung
Assistant Manager of Research and Development
The Associated Press
50 Rockerfeller Plaza
New York, NY 10020
(212) 621-1568
I will take calls, but am notoriously hard to reach by phone. I also
can't guarantee you much phone time.