Map Network Drive on Clients PC

Ignition
, ,
1

I need to give ignition access to a folder on the server. The vision client could be accessed from a number of PCs and the access currently relies on the user's credentials. I've tried the following script but it doesn't appear to map a drive

import os.path
import shutil
import glob
import csv

userName = 'user'
password = 'pw'
startTime= (system.date.now())
i = 0
# Directory
directory = '\folder'
  
# Parent directory path
parent_dir = '//servername'
map_dir = "C:/Windows/System32/net.exe use Z: " + parent_dir + " /persistent:no"
print map_dir
os.system(map_dir)

#Target directory to copy files to
trg = 'z:'+ directory
print (trg)
isdir = os.path.isdir(trg)
if (isdir):
	print ('Directory Exists')
else:
	try:  
		# Create the directory
		os.mkdir(trg)
		print("Directory '%s' created" %directory)
		
	#except OSError as error:
	except:
		#print(error)
		print('Error making directory')
		quit()

I get this in the script console
C:/Windows/System32/net.exe use Z: //AZUTBLPD01/Tableau_Data/NewPragueEngineering/FXE_Tenders /persistent:yes
1
z:\FXE0014
Error making directory

I found the instructions for mapping a drive but wouldn't this do it on the host?
Mapping a Network Drive - Ignition User Manual 8.1 - Ignition Documentation (inductiveautomation.com)

2

I would not try to map the shared drive. Since client applications are already running "as" the user who has access, just read the file/directory using the fully-qualified path, something like \\server\path\to\drive. Then you don't need to mess around with mounting at all.

3 Likes
3

This way would also prompt the user for the specific credentials as well if required I believe.

Trying to do it in a script, unless you accept input for a username/password, would require you to hardcode the credentials and every client would be logging on as the same person - probably not what you want (and may cause issues).

4

Thanks. If the user doesn't have access to that path though, then the script fails. This is why i'm trying to map it.

I should add that we are trying to copy files to the server.

5

Is it important that the client see the folder or just that the gateway makes a folder?

You can map the drive on the gateway level with that link you sent. Then you can have a client send a message to the gateway to make the folder, so this folder can be made whether or not the client user currently has that drive mapped.

6

The files we need to copy reside on the client.

7

Are they anticipated to be large files? If they're on the smaller side, I think you can just do something with system.file.readFileAsBytes ont the client side to get the raw data of the file, send that along with a desired path in a payload of a message handler to the gateway, then on the gateway message handler, do a system.file.writeFile with those bytes after you figure out where it is you need to put the file.

I don't see why this wouldn't work for a larger file too but you would probably need to put it inside an invokeAsynchronous eventually or your client I think will freeze until the full file is sent over.

3 Likes
8

Use messages like Brian suggests. Then your message handler can enforce file destinations/naming conventions/et cetera. You can pass rather large files this way, 2MB for sure. If necessary, a background task sending chunks to the server is also doable.

Messaging is also cross-platform, so it would work the same with Linux clients and/or gateways. (Many will migrate to Linux for all of its security and reliability advantages at some point, I expect. In a hurry, possibly, if the environment encounters certain kinds of crises.)

3 Likes
9

Thanks guys. The guys can get up to 6 MB. I'll give this a try.