ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
                     INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND COMPUTING
                             TECHNICAL SUPPORT


Descriptive Title:                  A Secure method to copy  files  over
                                    DECnet

Usage Restrictions:                 None.

Calling Name:                       NETCOPY

Project Number:

Author and Affiliation:             Andrew W.  Potter
                                    Rochester Institute of Technology

Installed at RIT by:                Andrew W.  Potter
Language:                           VAX/VMS Extended FORTRAN-77

Computer:                           Digital VAX/VMS

Program Availability:               This Utility is available  on  VAXA,
                                    VAXB, VAXC, VAXD, and VAXV.

Contact:                            Internal:   User  Computing  Center,
                                    Rochester Institute of Technology

                                    External:  Academic Computing Infor-
                                    mation    Systems   and   Computing,
                                    Rochester Institute  of  Technology.
                                    One Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester NY
                                    14623

Date                                15 December, 1983
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                               FUNCTIONAL ABSTRACT


                NETCOPY: A secure method of moving files over DECnet

        NETCOPY is a new copy  utility  that  allows  users  to  perform DEC-
        net file access without having to include the password in the network
        access string.  NETCOPY is designed to use a syntax similar to  COPY.
        DECnet nodes are specified by one of the following forms:

                NODE::            { access string is built from the local     }
                                  { (current) username and prompted password. }

                NODE"username"::  { Access string is built from supplied  }
                                  { username and prompted password.       }


        NETCOPY will prompt for the required  passwords in  the  format shown
        below:

                NODE:: Password: 

        At RIT, "NODE" can be one of: VAXA, VAXB, VAXC, VAXD, or VAXV.

        The password  will  not be  shown on   the screen to  ensure  account
        security. (NOECHO input mode)

        Example:

                $ NETCOPY VAXB"abc1234"::ABOUT.RIT LOCALFILE.RIT
                  NETCOPY VAXB"abc1234"::ABOUT.RIT LOCALFILE.RIT

                VAXB:: Password:   { user enters password for account }
                                   { abc1234 on node VAXB::           }

        For more information on NETCOPY type HELP NETCOPY.  COPY is fully
        explained in the Digital Command Language Users Guide.
                                                                  Page 3


                              USER INSTRUCTIONS


 NETCOPY commands  take  one  of  the  following  forms:   Brackets  "[]"
 indicate optional fields.
  
  $ NETCOPY [/SUB] NODE["username"]::FILE[,FILE...] LOCALFILE

  $ NETCOPY [/SUB] FILE[,FILE...] NODE["username"]::FILE

  $ NETCOPY [/SUB] NODE1["username"]::FILE1 NODE2["username"]::FILE2

 NETCOPY will prompt for the required passwords.   To  maintain  password
 security the passwords will not print (echo) on the terminal as the user
 enters them.

 The quoted username is optional.  If omitted, NETCOPY  will  insert  the
 username  of the users account on the local system.  A list of filenames
 may be specified for the input file spec, however only  the  first  file
 specification may contain a node specification.


                          OPTIONAL QUALIFIERS:

 Copy qualifiers:

 NETCOPY  allows  file  wildcarding  as  well  as  the   following   COPY
 qualifiers:    /VOLUME,   /CONTIGUOUS,    /REPLACE,  /PROTECTION,  /LOG,
 /TRUNCATE, and /OVERLAY. These qualifiers will  be applied to the output
 file specification   regardless  of where  they  appear  in the  NETCOPY
 command line.  See HELP COPY or  the  Digital  Command   Language  Users
 Guide for further information on COPY.


 The "/SUBPROCESS" qualifier:

 This qualifier will cause the network copy operation to be performed  as
 a  spawned  (background)  process.   This  is  useful  for  lengthy copy
 operations.  NETCOPY will return the process  identification  number  of
 the spawned process and return the user to DCL.
  
                                   NOTE
 The user should be aware that  the  copy  operation  will  be  happening
 concurrently  with  the  command session and that logging off before the
 network copy is complete will abort the subprocess.   (The  DCL  command
 SHOW PROCESS/SUB will show if the copying subprocess is still active.)
                                                                  Page 4


                          EXAMPLES OF NETCOPY USE


 The examples below demonstrate a user running NETCOPY  from  an  account
 with a username of ABC1234 on DECnet node VAXA::.

    $ NETCOPY/SUB VAXB::FILE.DAT MYFILE.DAT
      NETCOPY/SUB VAXB::FILE.DAT MYFILE.DAT
    Password :  {password entered for the VAXB:: ABC1234]

    The command above is the same as:
    $ COPY VAXB"ABC1234 secret"::FILE.DAT MYFILE.DAT

    $ NETCOPY/SUB VAXB"CDE5679"::HISFILE.DAT VAXC::[.SUBDIR]MYFILE.DAT
      NETCOPY/SUB VAXB"CDE5679"::HISFILE.DAT VAXC::[.SUBDIR]MYFILE.DAT
    VAXB:: password :  {user enters the password for VAXB:: CDE5678}
    VAXC:: password :  {user enters the password for VAXC:: ABC1234}
    [0041003B]         {NETCOPY returns process identification.
  
    The qualifier "/SUB" directs NETCOPY to spawn the copy operation into
    the background.

    $ NETCOPY VAXC::*.* */LOG/PROTECTION=(W:RE)
      NETCOPY VAXC::*.* */LOG/PROTECTION=(W:RE)

    VAXC:: Password :  {user enters password for VAXC:: ABC1234}
    %COPY-S-COPIED, _VAXC"ABC1234 password"::USER:[ABC1234]LOGIN.COM;2
    copied to USER:[ABC1234]LOGIN.COM;1 (45 records)
    %COPY-S-COPIED, _VAXC"ABC1234 password"::USER:[ABC1234]LAB1.FOR;1
    copied to USER:[ABC1234]LAB1.FOR;1 (105 records)
    %COPY-S-COPIED, _VAXC"ABC1234 password"::USER:[ABC1234]LAB1.DAT;1
    copied to USER:[ABC1234]LAB1.DAT;1 (14 records)

    This example copies all the files in  VAXC::[ABC1234] to [ABC1234] 
    on the current system logging each file as it is copied and giving
    them a protection allowing WORLD read and execute access.