File Listener form – Completing the Properties tab

Identify where the listener is to run, where it looks for input files, and a Service File rule that processes the files. When this tab is complete, you can save the form and test connectivity to the directory.

Listener nodes

Field Description
Block startup Select to prevent this listener from being started by any means. If cleared, this listener starts with system startup, or can be started by using Admin Studio. See More about File Listeners.
Startup option Select to control how listeners start:
  • Run on all nodes — The listener is run on all nodes — all servers in a cluster.
  • Node based startup — The listener is started only on specified nodes.
  • Host based startup — The listener is started on a specified number of nodes on specific servers within the cluster.
  • NodeClassification based startup — The listener is started on the specified node types.
Node ID Appears when the Node based startup option is selected. In a multinode cluster, using the SmartPrompt, enter the node ID of the server host node or nodes where this listener is to run. When a server starts it activates the listener on the current node if the current node matches any node in the list (and if other requirements are met).
  • If a node is specified, the current node must match a name in the list to activate the listener.
  • If a node is not specified, the listener is not activated on any node.

When multiple file listeners tend the same directory, the order in which messages are processed may not be the order in which they were put into the directory. If your application relies on processing files in the order in which they are sent to the email inbox, use a single listener on one node.

See More about File Listeners.

Host name Appears when the Host based startup option is selected. Enter the network location name of the host server on which the listener is to start.
Node count Appears when the Host based startup option is selected. Enter a number of nodes on which the listener is to start.
Node type Appears when the NodeClassification based startup option is selected. Select a node type from the list or click the Plus icon to add another node type to the listener.
Reset startup Deletes all the instances from the class Log-Connect-AssignedNodes, so that listeners can be started.

Source properties

Field Description
Source location Identify a directory in which the listener looks for input files. Listener requests require read and write access to this directory.

This field supports the Global Resource Settings syntax (= PageName.PropertyName ). The default property name for this field is pySourceLocation. For more information, see Using the Global Resource Settings feature.

Source name mask Enter a mask used to select the files in the Source location directory to be processed.

You can use an asterisk as a wildcard match. For example, BA*.TXT causes the system to find all files with type of TXT that start with the two letters BA. Case is significant in matching files on UNIX systems.

You can include one asterisk character "*" as a wildcard in the root of the mask (before the period) and one asterisk character "*" as a wildcard in the file type. Don't use more than one asterisk in each part.

If you leave this blank or use a mask of *.*, the listener selects every file in the directory identified in the Source location field (skipping over any files that are themselves directories).

Disable case sensitivity Specify whether the source property values are case-sensative.

Listener properties

Field Description
Concurrent threads Enter 1 or a small positive integer to determine the number of threads per server node this listener requestor creates when it starts. Each thread operates on a single file; multithreading has no benefit unless multiple files are available at the same time for processing.

If the node on which this listener runs has available JVM memory and CPU cycles, and multiple files are available for processing, use of two to five threads can increase throughput.

Service package Each listener links to a single Rule-Service-File rule. Select the first key part of a Service File rule instance.
Service class Select the second key part of the Service File rule.
Service method Select the third key part of the Service File rule.
Test connectivity Optional. Click this button after you complete this tab and save the form to confirm that your system can find the directory.

The system attempts to create the listener thread (on the current node) and access the device and directory. presents test results in a separate window, identifying the parameters used in the test, the steps attempted, and the outcome of each step.

(If the Blocked check box is selected when you click this button, testing ends with a Failed message.)

Requestor login

These two fields are used as user name and password if the Service File rule requires requestors to be authenticated.

Field Description
User ID Optional. Select the Operator ID that this listener uses to log in. The Operator ID determines the access group (and so the RuleSet list) of the listener.
Password Optional. Enter a password for this Operator ID.

Diagnostics

Field Description
Diagnostics

The Remote Logging feature streams the contents of the log file to the LogFactor5 application installed on your workstation. When you add your workstation as an active logger from Admin Studio, your workstation receives all messages for all processes running on the server. To view only those log messages that are about the service rule this listener listens for, complete the fields in this section. Start the LogFactor5 window on your workstation before using Admin Studio to identify your workstation as a logger.

Remote host Optional. Enter the network name of your computer. See How to install and use remote logging.
Port Optional. Enter the TCP/IP port number that the log4j package on your computer listens on. By default this port is 8887.