How to use the command 'sc_wartsfix' (with examples)

The sc_wartsfix command is an essential utility for network researchers using tools like scamper, which generate warts files. These files store data related to network topology and path measurements. Sometimes, these files can become corrupt, leading to incomplete data extraction. The sc_wartsfix tool provides a solution by truncating these damaged warts files, allowing you to recover all intact records up to the point of corruption, hence preserving valuable data.

Use case: Save all records (in a separate file) up to the last intact one

Code:

sc_wartsfix path/to/file1.warts path/to/file2.warts ...
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Motivation:

Imagine you’re a network researcher collecting data on internet paths using the scamper tool. During a collection phase, unexpected power failures or software crashes may corrupt part of your .warts files, jeopardizing your work by making it seemingly inaccessible. While the corrupt sections of the file may be beyond salvage, the rest of the data can still be of tremendous value. By using sc_wartsfix, you can recover data up to the last uncorrupted part of these .warts files, thereby saving your valuable research data from being completely lost.

Explanation:

• sc_wartsfix: This is the main command used to attempt to repair .warts files. It specifically addresses the issue of corruption by truncating the file to the last valid record.

• path/to/file1.warts path/to/file2.warts ...: These are the paths to the .warts files you wish to repair. You can supply one or more file paths, separated by spaces, if you need to fix multiple files simultaneously. Each specified path points to a file that you suspect has been corrupted or damaged during collection.

Example Output:

Upon running the command, if the .warts file is corrupted, the following output may occur:

• If the file is successfully truncated to the last valid record, you will have a new output file (with a .wartsfix extension) in the same directory or specified output directory that contains all the intact records from the original file.

• In case of corrupted files, messages outlining the number of successfully extracted records up to the last intact one may be displayed.

Repairing path/to/file1.warts: Truncated after 10850 valid records.
Output saved as path/to/file1.wartsfix
Repairing path/to/file2.warts: Truncated after 9500 valid records.
Output saved as path/to/file2.wartsfix
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Conclusion

In conclusion, sc_wartsfix is a powerful tool that helps preserve network measurement data by recovering as many intact records as possible from corrupted warts files. By using this command with the appropriate file paths, researchers can efficiently deal with unexpected errors and still make the most of their previously recorded data. This tool is crucial for ensuring that time-sensitive or hard-to-replicate data does not go entirely to waste due to file corruption.