FileZilla Pro can't handle properly the USS (OMVS) file transfer under z/OS

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flaviocb
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FileZilla Pro can't handle properly the USS (OMVS) file transfer under z/OS

#1 Post by flaviocb » 2021-10-08 21:23

I'm using the FileZilla Pro 3.55.2 under MacOS.

I have already connected end sent/downloaded files (Datasets) using it with native z/OS file system.

I need to upload files to the USS (OMVS) under this same z/OS but I am experiencing a strange behavior to access and exchange files into the USS file system.

I created a separate "Site Manager" pointing to that machine and I put as a '/u' as initial directory that is where my user id is registered (/u/flavio), I can open the directory after the connection, but any attempt of sending a file, fails, or even when it accepts to send a file, I see a file being accepted into the USS directory but then after, a popup appears saying that that file will override an existing file, and even if I reply yes to override, then the prompt appears again and again. Very strange behaviour.

I found an entry in https://wiki.filezilla-project.org/Post_login_commands that almost covers that subject, but I didn't found the sitemanager.xml file mentioned there, at least under my version and under MacOS.

How can I fix that ?

Best regards,

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botg
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Re: FileZilla Pro can't handle properly the USS (OMVS) file transfer under z/OS

#2 Post by botg » 2021-10-08 21:51

Which program are you using to search for that file? Don't use Finder, contrary to its name, it is actually incapable of finding anything.

Try using FileZilla Pro itself, assuming you gave it full disk access.

flaviocb
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Re: FileZilla Pro can't handle properly the USS (OMVS) file transfer under z/OS

#3 Post by flaviocb » 2021-10-08 22:06

Hi Tim, thank yo for the reply.

I used the unix "find" command to search for that xml file.

I searched also with FileZilla Pro trough the /Applications/FileZilla Pro.app/ directory and didn't find the file also.

flaviocb
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Re: FileZilla Pro can't handle properly the USS (OMVS) file transfer under z/OS

#4 Post by flaviocb » 2021-10-08 23:00

I also did a small analysis in the problem.

When I do the regular logon on z/OS it shows first the regular z/OS structure of files (Datasets) that normally have their first part of the name as the username, followed by a "." , for example in my case is 'FLAVIO.' (always between quotes.

If I would like to change to the USS file system the format is like a regular POSIX system, starts with a slash "/" and the user directory is almost always under the "/u" directory, so in my case is '/u/flavio' that I have to specify with single quotes. Up to here is OK, in FileZilla windows I can even see the other directories under /u/flavio.

When I try to access one of the directories under, like /u/flavio/ant you can clearly see in the Retrieving directory listing of "'/u/flavio.ant'", so here the problem starts, the file location is mixed between the POSIX model and the z/OS model. Instead of bolding the path as /u/flavio/ant it was built as /u/flavio.ant as if it was in the z/OS model xxx.yyyy.zzz for sequential Datasets or even xxx.yyy.zzz(kkkk) for Partitioned Datasets.

In my point of view, when FileZilla see that is operating in a z/OS machine, and the user specifies something stating with a slash "/" everything after that can only reside in a POSIX environment provided by USS (OMVS) and at this point everything should be handled in that way.

I had few files that were uploaded successfully after many attempts but they were put in a wrong USS directory and with a wrong name, they became like /u/flavio/ant(xxxx) instead of /u/flavio/ant/xxxx so here clearly was a mix between two methods the POSIX and the z/OS.

I believe a small fix in FileZilla can correct that forever by just checking if the name starts or not with "/" and that can define if the file is for a USS file system or for the z/OS file system.

flaviocb
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Re: FileZilla Pro can't handle properly the USS (OMVS) file transfer under z/OS

#5 Post by flaviocb » 2021-10-09 12:33

I received a tip from a colleague that uses FileZilla in Windows and he has created a Site Manager profile for when he needs to access the USS in the same z/OS I am using. In his profile he just put that is s UNIX system and in transfer settings he used the option PASSIVE.

I created also a profile with those options and still having problems, FileZilla logs on the system and then tries to handle the z/OS file system, and in this case it does not allow me to enter the pathname in the field REMOTE SITE.

Should this be a bug in the MacOS version of FileZilla Pro ?

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Re: FileZilla Pro can't handle properly the USS (OMVS) file transfer under z/OS

#6 Post by botg » 2021-10-11 07:41

Consider updating to a modern FTP server supporting TVFS, it solves all problems. It's been out over 14 years, surely even the giant sloth IBM had enough time to implement this really simple feature.

Mixed path syntaxes aren't allowed, it must always be one syntax. In case auto-detection fails, you can override it through the Site Manager. Note that a mismatch between what is selected and what the server speaks obviously cannot work.

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