The following features of the MFFTP utility relate to MVS datasets:
Provides support for uploading and downloading FB files to and from the mainframe or non-mainframe servers.
The default values for MFFTP are RECFM=VB and LRECL=256, which are also the default values when uploading to the mainframe.
To upload a file to the mainframe as an FB file, use the following command to change the defaults:
QUOTE SITE RECFM=FB LRECL=XX
To download an MVS dataset as an FB file, use the LOCSITE command.
Provides support for downloading files from the mainframe or from non-mainframe servers in VB format when the control variable MFFTP_SENDEOL is set to a value other than ‘NONE’ or when the LOCSITE SBSENDEOL command is used.
If MFFTP_SENDEOL is not set (its default value is ‘NONE’) while downloading, the files are cataloged as VB but there is no file header in the physical file. Because of this, this file is not in a suitable format for uploading back to the mainframe. In such cases, the job ends with MAXCC=U00001 and you receive a message “File status of 39 (attributes mismatch)” in the console.
If MFFTP_SENDEOL is set to ‘CRLF’ while downloading VB files from the mainframe, it correctly creates a VB file with Micro Focus format-style file header and with the contents from the file on the mainframe. Similarly, in the case of non-mainframe servers, if MFFTP_SENDEOL is set to ‘CRLF’, ’CR’ or ’LF’, MFFTP correctly creates the VB file for a ‘GET’ command of a text file with ‘CRLF’, ’CR’, ’LF’ for end-of-line markers, respectively.
A VB file with an appropriate header record can be uploaded to the mainframe, either when MFFTP_SENDEOL is set to a value other than ‘NONE’ or if the LOCSITE command is used with SBSENDEOL=XX. If MFFTP_SENDEOL is not set while uploading a VB file, the ftp fails with error message “451-File transfer failed. File contains records that are longer than the LRECL of the new file.” To indicate the end-of-each record, you need to use the LOCSITE command with SBSENDEOL=CRLF or set MFFTP_SENDEOL=CRLF. If the file to be uploaded is in ASCII format, you must use the ftp command ‘ASCII’.
If SENDEOL is specified, MFFTP creates a temporary file as part of the FTP process. It is called fxxxxxxx.snnn.eol.zzzz, where xxxxxxx is the JES job number, nnn is the step number and zzzz is a sequence number. This temporary file is created by reading the file to be uploaded and copying its contents. The file is used in the transfer instead of the original physical file. For the PUT command, an end-of-line file (Line Sequential) is always created and used for the transfer of VB files, even if the SENDEOL parameter is not set.
Provides support for uploading and downloading GDG files to and from the mainframe or non-mainframe servers. The GDG files can have different DCB parameters depending on the values specified by the LOCSITE and QUOTE SITE commands. If LOCSITE and QUOTE SITE are not specified, the generated files have default DCB values of RECFM=VB and LRECL=256. This is the same behavior as on the mainframe.