Usage

The CacheManager client cf receives the requested file as command line argument. The path of the local copy is return on stdout.

Retrieve Files from a File Server

Simply replace the path to the used file with a call to cf

# instead of my-tool --input=/bigstorage/my/file.dat
my-tool --input=$(cf /bigstorage/my/file.dat)

In case the caching fails, cf will return the orginal path as fallback.

Copy Files to a File Server

output=/localstorage/my/generated/file.dat
cf -cp $output /bigstorage/my/generated/file.dat

Caching Multiple Files

Multiple files can be cached all at once by using "bundle" files. Such a bundle file combines a set of files which are listed in a simple text file (one file including full path per line)

# list all used files
echo "/path/to/file/a
/path/to/file/b
/path/to/file/c
" > files.bundle

# copy all files in the bundle to the local hard disk
cachedBundle=$(cf files.bundle)

# $cachedBundle is a new bundle file on the local hard disk
# listing all cached files

Bundle files are expected to have a file name ending in .bundle.

Configuration

User-specific configuration file: ~/.cmclient.

See also Configuration.

Options

• get local copy: cf [options] <filename>
• copy local file to file server: cf [options] -cp [-n|--noregister] <source> <destination> --noregister: don't register local copy
• retrieve locations of local copies: cf [options] -l <filenames>
• options:
  • --config <file>: use alternative configuration
  • --debug: enable debug output
  • --bundle: treat file as bundle
  • --conjunct: cache all files or none (for bundles)
  • --nobundle: ignore special meaning of .bundle files

Python API

The CacheManager offers its functionality also as a Python module

import cachemanager

...
# get path of the local copy
lf = cachemanager.cacheFile(fileServerPath)

# copy a local file to the file server
cachemanager.copyFile(lf, "/bigstorage/my/file")

# re-use connection to server for multiple files
config = cachemanager.client.ClientConfiguration()
config.loadDefault()
cachemanager.client.CmClient(config, False)

cachedFiles = []
for f in files:
    cachedFiles.append(client.fetch(f)