This section describes the way in which the FTAM implements the virtual filestore, and the mechanisms used for mapping virtual and real filestores in Unix systems oder Windows systems.
Some FTAM attributes are mapped to the attributes available in Unix or Windows systems, and others to the so-called “FTAM catalog (Unix systems) or ”FTAM catalog extension (Windows systems).
The FTAM catalog is used to extend the file attributes available in Unix systems. It is only relevant for access using FTAM. This means that a file can be deleted using the shell command rm, even if the permitted actions parameter from the FTAM catalog does not permit this for an FTAM partner. This may result in inconsistencies between the FTAM catalog and the real file system. These inconsistencies are detected automatically when openFT (Unix systems) is started and the corresponding entries are deleted from the FTAM catalog.
The FTAM attributes of a file that are stored in the FTAM catalog are not visible to pointers to the file (such as symbolic links).FTAM catalog extension is only possible for NTFS files and enables the file attributes available in Windows to be extended. It is a fixed, but, for the average user, invisible component of a local NTFS file. FTAM catalog extension is not possible for FAT files or files accessed over a net drive or with a UNC name. FTAM-specific attributes are lost if, for instance, an NTFS file is copied in a FAT file system.
FTAM catalog extensions can be generated by:
File transfer requests with FTAM (on inbound files)
Inbound file management requests
Modifying local FTAM attributes
Attributes in an FTAM catalog extension are only of significance if openFT is used for access (generally using FTAM).That is to say, a file can still be deleted with the Windows Explorer or the operating system command del, even if the FTAM parameter permitted actions does not permit this for an FTAM partner.
Entries in the FTAM catalog / catalog extension are created using inbound file management requests or a file transfer request, or by modifying the local FTAM attributes. When the file is deleted from the remote system, the appropriate entry in the FTAM catalog is also removed.
It is important to remember that a file identified as a text file in the FTAM catalog or FTAM catalog extension, for example, cannot be transferred as a binary file, nor can it be extended by binary data.