SMACheckFileSecurity utility
Theme: Build
Who Is It For? Automation Engineer
What is it?
SMACheckFileSecurity (SMACheckFileSecurity.exe) is a command-line utility that checks whether a specified file exists on the agent machine and returns an exit code indicating the result. Use it as an OpCon job to gate downstream processing on file presence — for example, confirming that a required input file has arrived before allowing a dependent job to run.
- Check whether a specific file path exists on the agent machine
- Return a clear exit code that OpCon failure criteria can use to allow or block downstream jobs
Despite its name, SMACheckFileSecurity checks file existence only. It does not validate file permissions, ownership, or access control lists.
Syntax
SMACheckFileSecurity.exe "<FilePath>"
Or, with an optional source data type:
SMACheckFileSecurity.exe "<FilePath>||<SourceDataType>"
Pass the file path as a single quoted argument. If the file path contains a || delimiter, the portion before it is used as the file path and the portion after it is the source data type (currently parsed but not used in processing).
SMACheckFileSecurity waits 5 seconds before checking file existence. This delay allows file-writing processes time to release a file before the check runs.
Exit codes
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
0 | The file exists. |
1 | The file does not exist. |
-1 | An exception occurred during execution. |
FAQs
How do I use SMACheckFileSecurity to block a job until a file arrives?
Configure an OpCon job to run SMACheckFileSecurity with the expected file path. Set the job's failure criteria to treat exit code 1 (file not found) as a failure. Add a dependency or retry logic so that the check job re-runs until the file is present, then allow downstream jobs to proceed.
Why does SMACheckFileSecurity wait 5 seconds before checking?
The built-in delay allows time for a file-writing process to close and release the file before the existence check runs. This reduces false negatives when SMACheckFileSecurity is run immediately after a file-generating process.
Can I check for a file on a network path?
Yes, as long as the agent machine has access to the network path and the service account running the agent has read access to that location.
Glossary
File existence check — A test that confirms whether a file at a specified path is present on the file system, without reading or validating its contents.
Source data type — An optional value passed after the || delimiter in the argument. It does not affect the file existence check.