1.13.1 External Executable

The following options may be set for an External Executable task:

• Command: this option specifies the command that you want to execute. If the path to the command is not on the System Path of the EDQ server, you must specify the full path to the command.

• Arguments: this option specifies any additional arguments you want to provide for the command.

• Working Directory: this option specifies the working directory on the EDQ server where the command will execute. Any files that need to be read by the command must be present in this directory. Also, any files that are written by the command will be written to this directory. Note that if this option is left blank, the working directory for the command will be the server file landing area (which is set to [Install Path]\oedq_local_home\landingarea in a default installation).

Finally, you can name the executable task and give it an optional description.

Security Considerations for External Tasks

A property named externaltasks.restricted is used to control the scope of external tasks. This property is set in the director.properties file and is set to true by default.

When externaltasks.restricted is set to true, commands used in external tasks must reside in the EDQ command area. By default, the command area is found at oedq_local_home/commandarea. The location may be overridden by setting the commandarea property in director.properties.

Note that if an external executable needs to run a script, such as a Perl script, the call must be wrapped in a batch file in the command area.

WARNING:

If externaltasks.restricted is set to false, the external executables mechanism represents a potential security hazard. In theory, anyone with access to the Director application could write an external job which has unlimited access to the server, including the ability to delete files, read sensitive data and so on.