OpenVMS DCL: Sending Log Files as Email Attachments Using MIME

Sending a True Email Attachment from OpenVMS Using MAIL and MIME

After spending three days figuring this out, I thought I'd document the solution for the next OpenVMS administrator who needs it.

My goal was simple:

Send an e-mail from a command procedure

Include a short message body

Attach a .LOG file as a real attachment

Use only native OpenVMS tools

Sounds easy. It wasn't.

Environment

OpenVMS V8.4-2L3

TCP/IP Services V5.7-13ECO5F

SYS$SYSTEM:MIME.EXE

First Discovery

This works:

$ MAIL/SUBJECT="Refresh PROMSYS1 Log" REFRESH_PROMSYS1.LOG smtp%"user@company.com"

However, the contents of the log file become the body of the e-mail.

You do not get an attachment.

MIME Is Required

To send a true attachment, OpenVMS provides the MIME utility:

$ MIME

Interactive Method That Works

Start MIME:

$ MIME

Create a new message:

MIME> NEW BODY.TXT

When the editor opens, enter:

Refresh completed successfully.

Press:

Ctrl/Z

You'll see:

*

Then:

EXIT

Back at the MIME prompt:

MIME> ADD REFRESH_PROMSYS1.LOG

Verify:

MIME> LIST

You should see:

Attachment: 1

Content-Disposition: inline

Attachment: 2

Content-Disposition: attachment

 

Save:

MIME> SAVE

MIME> EXIT

Send:

$ MAIL/NOSELF BODY.TXT smtp%"user@company.com" /SUBJECT="Refresh PROMSYS1 Log"

 

Result:

E-mail body contains:

Refresh completed successfully.

REFRESH_PROMSYS1.LOG arrives as a real attachment.

Success.

The Problems Encountered

The MIME documentation suggests:

MIME> NEW/NOEDIT BODY.TXT

Unfortunately, on my system, this did not behave the same way as:

MIME> NEW BODY.TXT

Typical symptoms:

• Body text missing
• Attachment present
• MIME structure looks valid
• Generated e-mail arrives with a blank body

I spent quite a bit of time trying:

NEW/NOEDIT

DCL-created text files:

$ OPEN/WRITE BODY BODY.TXT

$ WRITE BODY "Refresh completed successfully."

$ CLOSE BODY

Command files:

$ MIME < MIME.CMD

Variable substitution:

ADD 'LOGFILE'

Most combinations failed in one way or another.

The Key Discovery

A MIME draft is not the same thing as a text file.

The file created by:

MIME> NEW BODY.TXT

contains MIME structure that is preserved when reopened later using:

OPEN/DRAFT

That turned out to be the key.

One-Time Setup

Create a reusable MIME template.

Start MIME:

$ MIME

Create:

MIME> NEW BODY_BASE.TXT

Enter:

Refresh completed successfully.

Then:

Ctrl/Z

EXIT

Save:

MIME> SAVE

MIME> EXIT

Keep this file permanently.

Working Automated Solution

This is the command procedure I ended up using.

$ OLD_VERIFY = F$VERIFY(1)

$ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "Sending out notification mail..."

$ DELETE/LOG BODY.TXT;*

$ COPY BODY_BASE.TXT BODY.TXT

$ MIME

OPEN/DRAFT BODY.TXT

ADD REFRESH_PROMSYS1.LOG

SAVE

EXIT

$ MAIL/NOSELF BODY.TXT smtp%"user@company.com" /SUBJECT="Refresh PROMSYS1 Log"

$ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "Mail sent."

$ DUMMY = F$VERIFY(OLD_VERIFY)

$ EXIT

Result:

• E-mail body contains:

Refresh completed successfully.

• REFRESH_PROMSYS1.LOG arrives as an attachment.

Exactly what I needed.

Lessons Learned

What Works

Create a MIME draft once:

BODY_BASE.TXT

Reuse it:

COPY BODY_BASE.TXT BODY.TXT

OPEN/DRAFT BODY.TXT

ADD logfile

SAVE

Send:

MAIL/NOSELF BODY.TXT

What Doesn't Work Reliably

Creating BODY.TXT directly from DCL:

$ OPEN/WRITE BODY BODY.TXT

$ WRITE BODY "Refresh completed successfully."

$ CLOSE BODY

This creates a text file, but not a MIME draft.

Most Important Lesson

After three days of testing, I came to the following conclusion:

If it works, stop improving it.

Summary

The solution that finally worked was:

BODY_BASE.TXT

        |

        +--> COPY BODY.TXT

        |

        +--> OPEN/DRAFT

        +--> ADD REFRESH_PROMSYS1.LOG

        +--> SAVE

        +--> MAIL

The key was understanding that MIME draft files created by MIME are special and cannot simply be replaced by ordinary text files.

Hopefully this saves the next OpenVMS administrator three days of trial and error. 😊