More about File Listener data instances
 

Files and folders

The listener creates three folders (subdirectories) within the original input directory:

• Work — Copies of input files. The original file is deleted to prevent double processing by this or other listeners.
• Completed — Input files for which all processing has completed successfully. May also contain input files for which processing failed.
• Report — Files with a RPT file type, output reports created by Service File rule processing.

Where, when, and whether listeners start

If desired, you can edit the prconfig.xml file or Dynamic System Settings to prevent file listener from starting when the system starts (on an eligible server node). Locate the initServices/initFile entry and set the associated value to false. Thereafter, you can use the System Management application to start and stop specific listeners on specific nodes.

The listener is a data instance, so it has no associated RuleSet or Version. However, to process an input file, a requestor based on this listener needs access to the RuleSet and version that contains the referenced Service File rule.

Three settings affect how Email Listener requestors run. They control whether the listeners can run, when the listeners start, and where the listeners can run:

1. Whether — Controlled by the Blocked checkbox on the Properties tab of this form.
2. When — Controlled by the initServices/initFile entry in the prconfig.xml file or Dynamic System Settings. (enabled by default)
3. Where — Controlled by the Startup Option property on the Properties tab of this form.

Controlling whether listeners start

The Blocked checkbox on the Properties tab determines whether the listener requestors defined by this File Listener data instance start. If this box is cleared, these listeners start when PRPC starts (on eligible nodes). You can also stop and restart them using the Listener Management menu item of the System Management application.

If the Blocked box is selected, they do not start when a PRPC node starts and you cannot start them in the System Management application until you clear the Blocked option and save the listener instance.

Controlling when listeners start

Entries in the prconfig.xml file or Dynamic System Settings control when file listeners start. To start unblocked file listeners when PRPC starts, edit this file to add or update the initFile element within the initServices section:

<env name="initServices/initFile" value="true"/>

If this entry is not present in the file or the value is not "true," "y," or "yes," you can start unblocked file listeners only from the System Management application. LACOD 6/18/03

As an alternative to the prconfig.xml file, you can use Dynamic System Settings to configure your application.
See How to create or update a prconfig setting.

Controlling where listeners run

The options listed in the Startup Options property on the on the Properties tab determine where the listener starts. The following options are available.

• 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. GRP-308
• Server based startup — The listener is started on a specified number of nodes on specific servers within the cluster.

Using remote logging to debug listeners

C-606 The remote logging feature is often helpful when debugging file listeners. To set up remote logging:

• On the Properties tab, identify a workstation to receive logging output and a TCP/IP port (port 8887 by convention).
• Select the Remote Logging checkbox on the Service File form for each Service File rule you want to debug.
• Start the listener using the System Management application.

Java EE resource adapter access

In a web-tier deployment of PRPC, a file listener accesses the physical file system. In an e-tier deployment, a file listener can access the physical file system or a resource adapter, depending on the value of a prconfig.xml setting. ABLAL B-8620 5.5SP1 5/12/09 To use a resource adapter in an e-tier deployment, include this element to the prconfig.xml file:

<env name="storage/class/default:/type" value="resadaptor" />

To use the file system, specify:

<env name="storage/class/default:/type" value="filesystem" />

As an alternative to the prconfig.xml file, you can use Dynamic System Settings to configure your application.
See How to create or update a prconfig setting.

See Virtual File interface.

Debugging

To include the clipboard results of service file processing in the Pega log, temporarily add the Log-Message method at an appropriate place in the service activity. Set the LoggingLevel parameter to InfoForced and the Message parameter to: SR-7071 PEPEN

Contents of page:\n" + myStepPage.getXML());

Monitoring performance

Through changes to the prconfig.xml file ot Dynamic System Settings, you can be alerted to unusually long service operations. See How to detect lengthy service operations. C-2432

Example

For a PDN example of a multithreaded file service, see PDN article How to support high-throughput file services with multithreading.

	prconfig.xml file, remote logging
	About the System Management application About Service File rules How to install and use remote logging

About File Listener data instances