File Transfer Environment Variables for the Clients

The file transfer clients use the following environment variables:

SSH_SFTP_CHECKSUM_MODE  (default: "no")
SSH_DEBUG_FMT            (default: "%Dd/%Dt/%Dy %Dh:%Dm:%Ds:%Df %m/%s:%n:%f %M")
SSH_SFTP_OVERWRITE              (default: "yes")
SSH_SFTP_SHOW_BYTE_COUNT        (default: "no")
SSH_SFTP_SMF_TYPE               (default: NULL)
SSH_SFTP_STATISTICS             (default: "yes")
SSH_SFTP_STREAMING_MODE         (default: "ext")

SSH_SFTP_CHECKSUM_MODE defines the default checksum mode for sftpg3 and scpg3 commands. SSH Tectia client tools for z/OS can detect the correct mode automatically, so there should be no need to set this variable on z/OS.

The SSH_DEBUG_FMT variable can be used to specify the format of the debug messages. For more information, see SSH_DEBUG_FMT.

If variable SSH_SFTP_OVERWRITE is set to yes the default behavior is to overwrite existing files. If it is set to no the default behavior is not to overwrite existing files.

If variable SSH_SFTP_SHOW_BYTE_COUNT is set to yes the number of transferred bytes is shown after successful file transfer. Also the names of source and destination files are shown.

If variable SSH_SFTP_SMF_TYPE is set to TYPE119 file transfers create SMF records of type 119.

If variable SSH_SFTP_STATISTICS is set to yes, normal progress bar is shown while transferring the file. If it is set to no, progress bar is not shown. If it is set to simple file transfer statistics are shown after the file has been transferred.

SSH_SFTP_STREAMING_MODE defines the default streaming mode to be used with sftpg3 and scpg3 commands. SSH Tectia client tools for z/OS can detect the correct mode automatically, so there should be no need to set this variable on z/OS.

Furthermore, the sftpg3 file transfer client uses the following environment variable:

SSH_SFTP_BATCH_FILE                     (default: NULL)
SSH_SFTP_CMD_GETPUT_MODE                (default: NULL)
SSH_SFTP_HOME_MVS                       (default: "no")

The SSH_SFTP_BATCH_FILE variable defines the path to the batch file to be run when sftpg3 is started.

The SSH_SFTP_CMD_GETPUT_MODE variable specifies the FTP compatibility mode for get and put commands. If the variable is set to ftp the commands behave as in FTP client. For more information, see commands sget and sput.

If variable SSH_SFTP_HOME_MVS is set to yes, the sftpg3 local directory is set to USER prefix in the MVS side. If it is set to no, local directory is the current directory.

Setting the File Transfer Home Location

For SFTP connections, the file transfer home location is the directory on the client where the SFTP session starts.

By default, SSH Tectia Server for IBM z/OS uses the user's Unix System Services (USS) home directory as the file transfer home location.

The environment variable SSH_SFTP_HOME_MVS in the user's $HOME/.profile file on the client machine can be used to control the file transfer home location.

If the environment variable is omitted or its value is no, the user's USS home directory is used as the file transfer home, for example /u/userid/, and the MVS user prefix must be accessed using "//".

If the value of the is environment variable yes, the user's MVS USERID prefix is used as the file transfer home location, for example //'USERID., and the USS home directory must be accessed using /u/userid/ or ~.

Examples when `SSH_SFTP_HOME_MVS=no`

When SSH_SFTP_HOME_MVS is set to no (or omitted), the following get command run in the SFTP client results to a file /home/user1/dataset.txt in SSH Tectia Server for IBM z/OS:

sftp> open user1@server
sftp> get dataset.txt

The following sget command run in the SFTP client results to a MVS sequential dataset //'USERID.MF.FILE' in SSH Tectia Server for IBM z/OS:

sftp> open user1@server
sftp> sget remote_file //MF.FILE

Examples when `SSH_SFTP_HOME_MVS=yes`

When SSH_SFTP_HOME_MVS is set to yes, the following get command in the SFTP client results to a dataset //'USER1.DATASET.TXT' in SSH Tectia Server for IBM z/OS:

sftp> open user1@server
sftp> get dataset.txt

The following sget command run in the SFTP client results to a USS file /u/user1/mf.file in SSH Tectia Server for IBM z/OS:

sftp> open user1@server
sftp> sget remote_file ~/mf.file

Or:

sftp> open user1@server
sftp> sget remote_file /u/user1/mf.file