Automating tasks and actions on data using post replication and pre-replication processing

EDpCloud has an obscure but yet powerful feature called post replication/pre replication processing directive. It allows you to process events based on data to be synchronized. This can happen at the data source or/and the data receiver end (sink).
Before starting synchronization of a group of files, the sender can be handed the list of files to process. This is the “pre”. After synchronizing the files, the sender can hand control to “post” which will process files. The receiver (data sink) follows the same paradigm. Before storing or updating the content of the files, the receiver can hand control to a “pre” script or application with the file list to process. After the receiver is done updating the files received, it can hand control to a “post” script or application to process the files. The figure above illustrates the sequence of events for the file synchronization and of the post and pre processing.

Configuring post/pre processing with file synchronization

The post replication and pre replication processing directives are available on both the sender and receiver (replication target).

• Your first step is to put the scripts or apps in the postpre directory under EDpCloud. The app or script name should be a simple script name. EDpCloud calls popen to execute it as follows:

$INSTALLDIR/edpcloud/postpre/postname

• Change eddist.cfg using an editor or vi to add post/pre for the sender, the receiver, or for both. Alternatively you can use the synchronizagtion web or java gui to edit eddist.cfg.
  Post and Pre are optional for both.

Example of a file synchronization configuration with Post replication and Pre replication processing

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>
<config name=”Network_Configuration”>
<link name=”l2″>
<sender hostname=”192.168.100.10″ alias=”*” password=”foo”/>
<receiver hostname=”fis.yourdomaine_here.com” storepath=”c:\incoming\fis\tokyo”

post=” fis_ingest.bat” password=”foo”/>
</link>
</config>

In this example, each time fis.yourdomaine_here.com receives some data from 192.168.100.10, it will execute fis_ingest.bat.

fis_ingest.bat must be located under a directory named $ED_BASE_DIR/postpre. You should use only relative file names and no paths. EDpCloud pre-pends the absolute path.

Use cases for Post replication and Pre replication processing directive

Our customers use post replication and pre  replication processing directive to:

• Generate reports
• Cascade content and file transfers in hub and spoke
• Extract data from databases
• Ingest data into databases
• Examine content
• Send Alerts, reports and messages
• Automate many tasks.

See the EDpCloud manuals for more information.