Accessing Windows Network Files from webMethods server

ouellette.brigitta.23578 · November 25, 2003, 2:41am

Other than FTP, does anyone have a reliable method of accessing network files.

raymoser · November 25, 2003, 3:29am

If you are using webMethods Integration Server 6.0+, then there is a file polling port that you can set up and use. Make sure that the user account that the server runs under has permissions to access the network share.

If you are using pre-6.0, then you can build an equivalent in java to scan a directory, return an array list of file names and use pub.file:getFile to return the contents.

HTH

Ray

ouellette.brigitta.23578 · November 25, 2003, 7:01pm

I thought about that but I don’t know how I would go about polling a network share. Do you know how to create a network share and then pulling the files off that share to the webMethods server?

raymoser · November 25, 2003, 7:35pm

I’m not a windows expert (so someone else can chime in here please) but you should be able to go to the box where you want to share and create a folder.

Once you create the folder, be sure that the user has permission to access the shared folder. Then, to access the share remotely, type in the name of the host or box and the folder name like this:

\YOUR_BOX_NAME\SharedFolderName

You may need to add an extra slash if you are accessing the shared windows folder from a unix box:

\\YOUR_BOX_NAME\SharedFolderName

Once the share is created, then you have to set up a file polling port. The Administrator manual covers this topic. It is set up under ports in the admin console for IS.

HTH

Ray

ouellette.brigitta.23578 · November 25, 2003, 7:58pm

I’m sorry… I’m not explaining myself. I have a Windows network share that windows user ABC can access. How can I create a service that will be able to access that share as that user and get some files?

raymoser · November 25, 2003, 9:04pm

I guess it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. The file polling mechanism in webMethods 6.0+ allows you to “poll” a directory for files and action those files.

Prior to setting up the file polling port, you need to write a service that at a minimum, will accept an input stream for input. Then, if need be, you can convert stream to bytes and bytes to string and then onward to IData object.

Since I don’t really know what you are trying to accomplish, I am hesitant to “tell” you what to do since file size, transaction volume, validation and other processes weigh in on the architectural decision.

HTH

Ray

ouellette.brigitta.23578 · November 25, 2003, 9:25pm

Thanks Ray,

I guess my real problem is that I don’t know how to make a webMethods service access a Windows network share that is secured out to a specific Windows user account.

Our IS runs as a Windows service on a server. It runs under an local Windows Administrator account on that server. That administrator account being a local account doesn’t have access to the UNC share.

When IS will run my service, how can I access the network share as a different Windows user?

raymoser · November 25, 2003, 10:02pm

You will need to create a user account that has permissions for the network share folder and run the integration server under that user account, assuming that it also has local admin priviledges. You can also consider using FTP to poll and retrieve the files because it would side-step this issue that you are having. Assuming that this action is taking place inside a secure firewall, the implications and deployment appear minimal and at least will allow you to proceed forward. This being said, the “other” windows box containing the share will need to have an ftp server installed and configured.

HTH

Ray

ouellette.brigitta.23578 · November 26, 2003, 2:11am

Thanks Ray!
I’ve just tested running the IS under a privileged user account and that worked.

Thanks for your help!

khazanchi · November 26, 2003, 11:57am

Hi!

I have a similar requirement. I am using Business Connector server, Integration Server version 4.6.

From the webMethods i need to access a file kept in the network. This i want to do using HTTP. I would appreciate if any other options exist.

Also, please direct me to any documents if existing.

sandip

raymoser · November 26, 2003, 5:47pm

Sandip,

You have two choices (thanks Sonam):

Use pub.web:loadDocument
Use pub.client:http (and use the get option)

Ray

rapparaju · June 29, 2004, 11:24am

I would like to know how did you set up the network (Shared folder) file polling port to listen for files

I go the error message “Monitoring Directory does not exist”

I specified -----> \dha00730-webq05\Hrgosit\files\

jaypoldiya · June 29, 2004, 5:00pm

Hi,

You can specify polling directory as :
\\dha00730-webq05\Hrgosit\files
Just make sure the user from which you are running have the rights to read and write over "\\dha00730-webq05\Hrgosit\files " this directory.

Jay

rapparaju · June 29, 2004, 6:07pm

Hi,
I tried all ways and also got open access to the folder,so not sure
where is problem may be Brigitta Ouellette knows since the it was
resolved in his case.

rgds.

smsssm · September 18, 2004, 12:28am

Follwing Ray’s suggestion on 11/25/2003:
If you are using webMethods Integration Server 6.0+, then there is a file polling port that you can set up and use. Make sure that the user account that the server runs under has permissions to access the network share.

I was able to do so on a development server.

My question:
Window NT, WM 6.0.1

But in the production the network administrator wants to use a different user account other than the account that the server runs under. Any suggestion?

gupta_r.17495 · September 18, 2004, 12:47am

Sanjeev,

Check this link for IS filepoll network sharing.some basic steps have been told,
[url=“wmusers.com”]wmusers.com

HTH,
RMG.