Recipes and File Formats

PAC Project
1

Since the problem on the Gen 2 R1 regarding Sdcard file write and reads cropped up preventing me from using the SDCard to store a data file on, I have been trying to come up with a method of writing a file to the PC hard drive that doesn’t involve security problems, and is secure from losing data.
After many possible scenarios considered, I finally figured that using the recipes might be simplest means and most solid means. Yes, I looked at History files in PD, but that would not work for several format reasons. Then looked at transmit string table, but that ends up involving firewall issues.
Turns out recipes could be the simplest means, except for one little quirk. The current version of recipes works really fast and is solid. The problem is it was never intended to be used to transfer data from one controller to another. The problem exists where the templet and file path begin with the controller name, which is “Pac Controller”. So I if you have more than one control engine attached to PD, how does it decide which controller it picks??? Not sure how that works, but it does…so since set up recipe manager to have the same string table uploaded from one controller, then downloaded to another (SoftPac in this case) it does not work. This because the
download manager doesn’t allow to use a separate template file. I tested this by editing the controller name from Pac Controller to SoftPac. Then triggered only the download and whala.
Looks like Ill have to have a script that will edit the rcp file controller name to SoftPac and then trigger the download.
It would be a nice feature to have to transfer large tables, or set of tables from one controller to another, or better yet, have an option for the existing upload recipe create a standard CSV file format on the PC hard drive???

2

You’ve mentioned this twice now, so I am confident that you are working with support on this, have a ticket and it won’t be long till there is an update to fix it?

Regarding peer to peer, specifically to/from SoftPac, I would trust an FTP server running on a PC more than trying to wrangle recipes.
With an FTP server (just as secure as a recipe file?) you can write your CSV file on the controller, send it to the FTP server as and when needed and then have SoftPac read it from its own drive or via a network drive. (ie, the FTP server does not need to be on the same PC as SoftPac).

We have a lot of customers using the FileZilla server and seem very happy.

3

This is what I had working, at least as far as the SDCard drive is concerned, the problem is getting past the security issues when I comes to saving the file to the PC from the R1. Yes I know File Zilla would work to pull the file onto the PC, and that’s what I had all working, then the fw problem showed up. I am hoping they will get it fixed, but I’m not holding my breath, they have a zinger on their hands. Therefore, I felt I had to keep moving forward with another solution.

If you can show me how to get past the security issues of saving and retrieving FTP files to the PC from the R1, I’m all eyes, but I made the decision a while back because of those concerns.

If they can get the Fw fixed soon, I can be done with all this as what I had built worked perfectly. You did still have to use FZ, but not that bad a workaround.

At this point, I am about to try just reading the recipe uploaded file into a string table and then simply rip out all the colons and line 0. Then I can write the table to file on PC.

Yes, Josh is handling the ticket if you’re interested in what the problem is.

4

I made a few edits, please reread the post.

I have been trying to come up with a method of writing a file to the PC hard drive that doesn’t involve security problems, and is secure from losing data.

Nothing is totally tamper-proof, but you could write to read-only media for increased file security (in addition to other storage media).

The common options for read-only media are tape and optical discs, but I’ll talk about the latter. You’ll want the read-only variants (CD-R, DVD-R) and not the read-write variants.

No additional disc writing software should be installed because those software can’t be trusted. On windows you can use imapi to roll your own disc writer and verifier. I haven’t spent much time with modern windows, so maybe there is an included utility for multisession disc writing, avoiding a bit of work in rolling your own. At some point you’ll have to swap the discs. If that is not an option, then what I have written here in this post should not be used.

You should use the multisession capabilities of CD-Rs or DVD-Rs (multisession is not an option on BD). You’ll need to be able to determine and read back the most recent session.

For each session you’ll archive the files you want to store and then take a SHA-2 or SHA-3 sum of the archive (SHA1 is not secure). Again, you should use built in methods of making SHA-2 or SHA-3 sums and not installing a third party tool. Make an archive of the SHA-2 or SHA-3 sum and the original archive, and write that to the disc session.

When restoring the archive, unarchive the wrapper archive and verify the sum of the contained archive. You can load the files directly from the disc. The files will be in memory at that point, which is read-write. Perhaps you can make cryptographic hashes of the files to be transferred and check the hashes from the controller before running them?

Optical discs can lose data, so you must back up to reliable medium in addition. Back up your files to the hard disc drive and a third medium, too. Write down the SHA-2 or SHA-3 sums to your notebook with a unique identifier to later verify integrity of the files. Make sure you back up the data offsite.

Hope that helps.