NFS setup for file transfer to SAP PI middleware?

Question

I am trying to set up a new architecture for Middleware using SAP PI/PO. The problem is to determine a right mechanism for pulling file from other servers (Linux/Windows etc..)

Broadly, 2 different approach are reviewed ie using a managed file transfer (MFT) tool like Dazel vs using NFS mounts. In NFS mount all the boundary application machines will act as server and middleware machine will be client. In the MFT approach a agent will be installed at boundary servers which will push files to middleware. We are trying to determine advantage and disadvantage of each approach

NFS advantages:

1. Ease of development. No need for additional tool related to managed file transfer

NFS disadvantages:

1. We are trying to understand if this approach creates any tight coupling between middleware and boundary applications
2. How easy it will be to maintain 50+ NFS mount points?
3. How does NFS behave in case any boundary machine goes down or hangs?

We want to develop a reliant middleware, which is not impacted by issue at 1 boundary application

Answer 1

My 2 c on NFS based on my non administrator experience (I'm a developer / PI system responsible).

• We had NFS mounts on AIX which were based on SAMBA basis told#
• Basis told that SAMBA could expose additional security risks
• We had problems getting the users on windows and AIX straight, resulting in non working mounts (probably our own inability to manage the users correctly, nothing system inherent)
• I (from an integration poin of view) haven't had problems with tight coupling. Could be that I was just a lucky sod but normally PI would be polling the respective mounts. If they will be errorneous at the time the polling happens, that's just one missed poll which will be tried next poll intervall

One feature, an MFT will undoubtly give you NFS can't is an edge file platform where third partys can put files to (sFTP, FTPS).

Bottom line would be:

1. You could manage with NFS when external facing file services are not needed
2. You need to have some organisational set of rules to know which users which shares etc
3. You might want to look into security aspects enabling such mounts (if things like SAMBA are involved)