1BROKER(1)                        User Commands                       BROKER(1)
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NAME

6       Broker - manual page for Broker 2.12.2
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SYNOPSIS

9       C++Broker [options]
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DESCRIPTION

12       This  is  the  SBW Broker, version 2.12.2 (C++ Release,Linux running on
13       port: -1).
14
15       The SBW Broker runs as a background process on a computer to coordinate
16       the  activities  of SBW modules.  It enables locating and starting mod‐
17       ules on demand.  The SBW Broker should not normally need to be  started
18       explicitly, because the SBW libraries start the Broker if it is not al‐
19       ready running.  However, some functions (such as  the  --shutdown  com‐
20       mand) do need to be invoked directly.
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22       Options:
23
24       -a | --accept-address ADDRESS
25
26              This  is  for  use  with host-based (non-SSH) authentication and
27              when modules from other hosts are allowed to connect to the Bro‐
28              ker.  This option adds the given ADDRESS to the list of host ad‐
29              dresses allowed to connect to this SBW Broker.  The address must
30              be  specified  in  IPv4 dotted quad notation: "123.123.123.123".
31              Any of the four fields can be replaced with the wildcard charac‐
32              ter '*' to indicate that any value for that field is acceptable.
33              So, for example, "132.215.42.*" indicates any host on the subnet
34              "132.215.42.*" may connect to the Broker.  This option interacts
35              with the --deny-address option documented below in the following
36              way:  addresses that are allowed, and not explicitly denied, are
37              permitted.  (This option has no effect unless the options  --re‐
38              mote-modules or --no-ssh are also given.)
39
40       -b | --broker-ports LOW-HIGH
41
42              By  default, the Broker opens a port for inter-Broker communica‐
43              tions by searching for the first free port in  the  range  10102
44              through  10202,  inclusive.  This option allows you to specify a
45              different port range, from port number LOW through  port  number
46              HIGH,  inclusive.   For  example,  "--broker-ports  11000-12000"
47              would dictate that the Broker should look for a free port in the
48              range  10001  through 10010.  You can force the Broker to try to
49              use one particular port by using the same  number  for  LOW  and
50              HIGH.
51
52       -d | --deny-address ADDRESS
53
54              This  is  for  use  with host-based (non-SSH) authentication and
55              when modules from other hosts are allowed to connect to the Bro‐
56              ker.   This  option  the  given  ADDRESS to the list of host ad‐
57              dresses prevented from connecting to this SBW Broker.   The  ad‐
58              dress   must   be   specified  in  IPv4  dotted  quad  notation:
59              "123.123.123.123".  Any of the four fields can be replaced  with
60              the  wildcard  character '*' to indicate that any value for that
61              field is acceptable.  So, for example, "132.215.42.*"  indicates
62              any  host on the subnet "132.215.42.*" is denied from connecting
63              to the Broker.  This option interacts with the  --accept-address
64              option documented above in the following way: addresses that are
65              allowed, and not explicitly denied, are permitted.  (This option
66              has  no  effect  unless the options --remote-modules or --no-ssh
67              are also given.)
68
69       -e | --remote-modules
70
71              By default, only connections originating from the local host can
72              connect  to  the Broker.  The --remote-modules flag enables mod‐
73              ules running on hosts other than the local host  to  connect  to
74              this  Broker.  This flag is not needed in normal SBW use scenar‐
75              ios because a module running on a remote host should normally be
76              connected  to  a  Broker  running on that host.  Also, note that
77              this flag only affects whether network connections from  non-lo‐
78              cal hosts are permitted; a remote module will still be denied if
79              it does not have the same session key as is being  used  by  the
80              Broker.
81
82       -g | --registry PATHNAME
83
84              This  flag  specifies  that the file given by PATHNAME should be
85              used as the Broker's module registry file, instead of  the  Bro‐
86              ker's built-in default.
87
88       -h | --help
89
90              This flag tells the Broker to print this help text and exit.
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92       -i | --info
93
94              This  produces  a description of the running state of the Broker
95              (if there is a Broker running on this computer) and  then  exits
96              without doing anything else or processing any other flags.
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98       -k | --key-file PATHNAME
99
100              Use  the  file given by PATHNAME as the session key file instead
101              of the default pathname.  The default session authentication key
102              is  stored  it  in  a  private  file  inside  the  ".sbw" direc‐
103              tory/folder in the user's home directory.
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105       -l | --reload-key
106
107              Normally, if a Broker is not already running on the  local  host
108              when a new Broker is started, the Broker generates a new session
109              authentication key and stores it in a private  file  inside  the
110              ".sbw"  directory/folder  in  the  user's  home  directory.  The
111              --reload-key flag tells the Broker to not generate  a  new  key,
112              and instead to reuse the key in the key file.   This flag should
113              not normally be used; it is primarily for use by remote Brokers.
114
115       -m | --module-ports LOW-HIGH
116
117              By default, the Broker opens a port for  module  connections  by
118              searching  for  the  first  free port in the range 10002 through
119              10102, inclusive.  This option allows you to specify a different
120              port  range,  from port number LOW through port number HIGH, in‐
121              clusive.  For example, "--module-ports 11000-12000"  would  dic‐
122              tate  that  the  Broker should look for a free port in the range
123              10001 through 10010.  You can force the Broker to try to use one
124              particular port by using the same number for LOW and HIGH.
125
126       -o | --module-options "OPTIONS STRING"
127
128              Use  the  given  options as command-line options to modules when
129              they are started up.  THIS OPTION CURRENTLY DOES NOT WORK.
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131       -R | --no-remote
132
133              By default, the Broker is always listening for connections  from
134              other  Brokers.   This  flag tells the Broker to disallow remote
135              Broker connections.  It does this by not starting  up  the  lis‐
136              tener thread.
137
138       -r | --remote-from HOSTNAME
139
140              Flag  handed  to a Broker when it is started remotely by another
141              Broker.  The HOSTNAME is the host that started this Broker.
142
143       -S | --no-ssh
144
145       Disable the use of SSH for remote Broker communications.
146              It
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148              will still be possible to connect Brokers  manually,  but  there
149              will  be  no  security on the communications channel and it will
150              require manually copying session key  files  between  hosts  and
151              starting the individual Brokers.  Use of this option is not rec‐
152              ommended.
153
154       -s | --sbw-home PATHNAME
155
156              Change what is assumed to be the root directory of the  SBW  in‐
157              stallation to PATHNAME.  By default, SBW uses various approaches
158              to determine the root of its installation; this flag allows  you
159              to override them and explicitly set the path to the installation
160              directory.
161
162       -t | --trace
163
164              This flag can only be used with the debugging copy of the Broker
165              (i.e., file SBWBroker-debug.jar).  It turns on tracing of activ‐
166              ities in the Broker and leads to copious debugging output.
167
168       -U | --shutdown
169
170              This shuts down a running Broker (if any) on the local host.   A
171              new  Broker  is  not  started.  This is the preferred method for
172              shutting down Brokers.
173
174       -u | --user-dir PATHNAME
175
176              By default, SBW stores information in a user-specific  subdirec‐
177              tory/folder  called  ".sbw"  in the user's home directory.  This
178              flag allows you to override the default and set the user  direc‐
179              tory to an explicit PATHNAME.  This may be useful in distributed
180              computing environments where  home  directories  are  not  where
181              they're expected.
182
183       -w | --module-wait INTEGER
184
185              The  amount  of  time,  in  tenths  of a second, that the Broker
186              should wait for a module to start up.  The  default  is  600  (1
187              minute).
188
189       The  SBW  home page is http://www.sys-bio.org.  Please send bug reports
190       and question to sysbio-team@caltech.edu
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SEE ALSO

193       The full documentation for Broker is maintained as  a  Texinfo  manual.
194       If  the  info  and Broker programs are properly installed at your site,
195       the command
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197              info Broker
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199       should give you access to the complete manual.
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203Broker 2.12.2                      July 2023                         BROKER(1)
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