FTP Subcommand: NAMEFMT

The NAMEFMT (name format) sub-command controls whether our FTP client session can access file systems on an IBM i Integrated File System (IBM i IFS) besides our DB2/400 data. NAMEFMT can be set on either an IBM i FTP client or server and — in addition to providing or denying access to IBM i IFS file systems; it affects how you code IBM i path names to IBM i IFS files you want to transfer.

NAMEFMT can be executed with a parameter of 0 or 1

NAMEFMT - This command displays the Name Format setting for each machine if both machines are IBM i. If our FTP host machine is an IBM i and our FTP client machine is running on another operating system (such as Windows or UNIX), we can check the status of the IBM i NAMEFMT value by issuing the NAMEFMT command as follows:
QUOTE SITE NAMEFMT


NAMEFMT 0 - 
1. This command tells an IBM i to use a naming format that assumes we are transferring files to and from the DB2/400 file system (the QSYS.LIB file system in the IBM i IFS). 
2. With NAMEFMT 0, we cannot perform file transfers from any other IBM i IFS file system except QSYS.LIB. That means we cannot access the Root (/), QOpenSys, QDLS, and the other IBM i IFS file systems. 
3. It also affects the way we specify our IBM i working directories or libraries in our other FTP commands. 
4. When NAMEFMT 0 is specified, we must use the following pathname naming convention in our FTP command when we are referencing AS/400 QSYS.LIB libraries, files, and members: LibraryName/FileName.MemberName

NAMEFMT 1 - This command tell IBM i that our client can access files in any IBM i IFS file system (such as Root, QOpenSys, and QDLS). It allows us to access any file residing on my IBM i, provided we have the access to that file. However, when NAMEFMT = 1, we must change the pathname naming convention for referencing a folder or file on the IBM i IFS to the following:
• /QSYS.LIB/libraryname.lib/filename.file/membername.mbr — when dealing with objects in the QSYS.LIB file system
• /filesystem/directoryname/filename.extension — when dealing with non- QSYS.LIB file systems. 

File naming convention in FTP

The following figure explains the file naming convention when using FTP

• If you want to target or replace a particular member with FTP, you can do so by adding the member in the command.
• Note: In the IBM i system LIBRARY, FILE and MEMBER names can only be a maximum of 10 characters or fewer.
• Unix, Windows-based systems do not have these restrictions. File naming conventions may be a consideration when you build FTP automated applications.

Common FTP commands

Some FTP commands are the same on different OS, but others are not. You can usually get a list of commands if you enter help or ? (question mark) at the ftp> prompt.

Some useful FTP commands available on most systems include:
ascii - Switch to ASCII mode. ASCII mode is the default mode; use it for transferring text files.
binary - Switch to binary mode. Use to transfer binary files, including files ending in .zip, .tar, .Z, and .gz, executable programs, and graphics files.
bye (or quit) - Close the connection to the remote computer and exit FTP.
cd - Change the directory on the remote computer.
close - Close the connection to the remote computer.
del - Delete files from the remote computer.
dir (or ls) - List the files in the current directory on the remote computer.
get - Copy a file from the remote computer to the local computer.
hash - Displays a # on the screen for every block of bytes transferred. A block is 1024 bytes in some cases, 2048 in others, but is between 1024 and 4096 in most cases. Check FTP's online help for the number represented in the FTP program you are using.
help (or ?) - Lists or provides help on the use of FTP commands.
lcd - Change the directory on the local computer.
lpwd - Show the current directory (present working directory) on the local computer. This command is not available in all FTP versions. On Unix systems, try !pwd if lpwd doesn't work.
mdel - Delete multiple files on the remote computer.
mget - Copy multiple files from the remote computer to the local computer.
mkdir - Create a directory on the remote host.
mput - Copy multiple files from the local computer to the remote computer.
open - Open a connection to a remote computer.
prompt - Turn on (or turn off) file transfer prompting. Often used to turn off prompting when using mdel, mput, or mget so that you are not required to confirm the transfer of each file before it is transferred.
put - Copy a file from the local computer to the remote computer.
pwd - Show the current directory (present working directory) on the remote computer.
rmdir - Remove a directory on the remote host (the directory usually has to be empty).
user - Log into the remote computer to which you are currently connected. FTP will ask for a login name and possibly a password.

FTP Client/Server Considerations

FTP consists of two parts: the Client and the Server.

The distinction between FTP client and FTP server is from the viewpoint of where the FTP commands are initiated, not from the viewpoint of where the data resides.

Transfer Modes in FTP

ASCII is used by the rest of the world (stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange)

• Use if you want to purposely translate your data to ASCII - for example when the target system is a PC or a UNIX machine
  

EBCDIC is used nearly exclusively in IBM machines (stands for Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code)

• Use if you want to purposely maintain EBCDIC Coding - for example when the target system is an IBM 390 or IBM i

BINARY

• Use if you want to preserve the original content of the file and ensure NO translation takes place in the transfer of data. For example when transferring a *SAVF or a graphic image.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

FTP is an acronym for File Transfer Protocol. As the name suggests, FTP is used to transfer files between computers (client and server) on a network.

FTP uses a client-server architecture. Users provide authentication using a sign-in protocol, usually a username and password, however some FTP servers may be configured to accept anonymous FTP logins where you don't need to identify yourself before accessing files. Most often, FTP is secured with SSL/TLS.

How to FTP 
Files can be transferred between two computers using FTP software. The user's computer is called the local host machine and is connected to the Internet. The second machine, called the remote host, is also running FTP software and connected to the Internet.

•     The local host machine connects to the remote host's IP address.
•     The user would enter a username/password (or use anonymous).
•     FTP software may have a GUI, allowing users to drag and drop files between the remote and local host. If not, a series of FTP commands are used to log in to the remote host and transfer files between the machines.

Timeline of IBM i

Here is a visual timeline of IBM i

Click on the image for the large version.
Right click for download options.

Source: Angus the IT Chap

Timeline of System i

Here is a visual timeline of System i

Click on the image for the large version.
Right click for download options.

Source: Angus the IT Chap

Display Authorized Users

The Display Authorized Users (DSPAUTUSR) command displays or prints the names of the authorized system users, in alphabetic order. The following information is provided for each user: the group profile of which the user is a member, the most recent password change date, whether the user profile has a password, and the text of the user profile.

Note:    While this command is searching for user profile information to display, another job cannot change user profiles (for example, with the Change User Profile (CHGUSRPRF) command). 

Restriction: The list of system users contains only the names of the user profiles to which the user of this command has at least read (*READ) authority. 

DSPAUTUSR SEQ(*GRPPRF) --> The group profiles are listed alphabetically in the group profile column. Members of that group are displayed alphabetically in the user profile column.

DSPAUTUSR SEQ(*USRPRF) --> This command displays the names of the system users in alphabetic order. For each user the following columns are displayed:
Group profile – the group profile of which the user is a member
Password Last Changed – the last password change date
No password – contains an ‘X’ is the user has no password.  Note that this means that the user cannot sign on
Level 0 or 1 Password - *YES, the user has a password for password levels 0 or 1 as required by the QPWDPVL system value
Level 2 or 3 Password - *YES, the user has a password for password levels 2 or 3 as required by the QPWDPVL system value
Netserver Password – *YES, the user has a Netserver password (enables Windows clients to access shared directory paths and shared output queues)
Local Pwd Mgt – *YES, the user profile password is managed locally (on the AS/400). When the password is not management locally, users cannot access the system by direct sign-on, but through other platforms.