UA-.NETStandard/docs/FileSystemClient.md

# FileSystemClient — a `System.IO`-style async client for OPC UA file systems

`FileSystemClient` (in `src/Opc.Ua.Client/FileSystem/`, namespace
`Opc.Ua.Client.FileSystem`) is an ergonomic, async-only wrapper around the
OPC UA file-system primitives defined in **Part 5 §C** and **Part 20 §4** —
the `FileType`, `FileDirectoryType`, and `TemporaryFileTransferType`
ObjectTypes. It is layered on top of the source-generated proxies emitted
into `Opc.Ua.Core` (`FileTypeClient`, `FileDirectoryTypeClient`,
`TemporaryFileTransferTypeClient`) and exposes a surface that closely
mirrors `System.IO.{File, Directory, FileInfo, DirectoryInfo, FileStream}`
to make remote file-system navigation feel like working with a local disk.

## Quick reference

| Type | Mirrors | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `FileSystemClient` | `System.IO.Directory` + `System.IO.File` | Top-level entry point. Exposes path-based operations (`GetFileAsync`, `CreateDirectoryAsync`, `DeleteAsync`, `MoveAsync`, `CopyAsync`, `ReadAllBytesAsync`, …). Rooted at any `FileDirectoryType` instance. |
| `UaFileSystemInfo` | `System.IO.FileSystemInfo` | Abstract base for `UaFileInfo` and `UaDirectoryInfo`. Carries the resolved `NodeId`, parent reference, browse name, and canonical path. |
| `UaFileInfo` | `System.IO.FileInfo` | A single file. Lazy-loaded `Size` / `Writable` / `MimeType` / etc. metadata; `OpenAsync` / `OpenReadAsync` / `OpenWriteAsync` returning a `UaFileStream`; bulk `ReadAllBytes` / `WriteAllText` shortcuts. |
| `UaDirectoryInfo` | `System.IO.DirectoryInfo` | A single directory. `EnumerateAsync` / `EnumerateFilesAsync` / `EnumerateDirectoriesAsync` (`IAsyncEnumerable<>`); `CreateSubdirectoryAsync`, `CreateFileAsync`, `DeleteAsync(recursive)`. |
| `UaFileStream` | `System.IO.FileStream` | A `Stream`-derived wrapper around an open server file handle. Async members hit the wire via `FileTypeClient`; sync members forward via `GetAwaiter().GetResult()`. |
| `UaPath` | `System.IO.Path` | Helpers for parsing, formatting, combining, and splitting OPC UA file paths. |
| `FileSystemClientOptions` | n/a | Tuning knobs: `ChunkSize`, `MaxBufferedReadSize`, `PathCacheSize`, type-subtype filters. |
| `TemporaryFileTransferClient` + `UaTemporaryWriteFile` | n/a | Separate surface for Part 5 §C.5 atomic temp-file transfers (`GenerateFileForRead/Write` + `CloseAndCommit`). |

## Contents

- [Quick reference](#quick-reference)
- [Getting started](#getting-started)
  - [Open the standard server file system](#open-the-standard-server-file-system)
  - [Open any `FileDirectoryType` instance](#open-any-filedirectorytype-instance)
  - [Read a file](#read-a-file)
  - [Stream a large file](#stream-a-large-file)
  - [Create a directory tree and write a file](#create-a-directory-tree-and-write-a-file)
  - [Move and delete](#move-and-delete)
- [Path syntax](#path-syntax)
- [Path resolution and caching](#path-resolution-and-caching)
- [Type classification](#type-classification-filetype-vs-filedirectorytype)
- [File metadata](#file-metadata)
- [Streams](#streams)
- [Error mapping](#error-mapping)
- [Move, copy, and delete semantics](#move-copy-and-delete-semantics)
- [Temporary file transfer](#temporary-file-transfer-part-5-c5)
- [What lives where](#what-lives-where)
- [Server-side file bindings](#server-side-file-bindings)
- [See also](#see-also)

## Getting started

### Open the standard server file system

Many OPC UA servers expose the standard `Server.FileSystem` object
(`NodeId i=16314`):

```csharp
using Opc.Ua.Client.FileSystem;

ISession session = /* an active OPC UA client session */;

var fs = FileSystemClient.OpenServerFileSystem(session);

await foreach (UaFileSystemInfo entry in fs.EnumerateAsync("/"))
{
    Console.WriteLine($"{(entry.IsDirectory ? "DIR " : "FILE")} {entry.FullPath}");
}
```

### Open any `FileDirectoryType` instance

```csharp
NodeId vendorRoot = /* result of a Browse / TranslateBrowsePathsToNodeIds */;
var fs = new FileSystemClient(session, vendorRoot);
```

### Read a file

```csharp
string content = await fs.ReadAllTextAsync("/Reports/2024/summary.json");
```

### Stream a large file

```csharp
await using UaFileStream stream = await fs.OpenReadAsync("/Logs/server.log");
using var reader = new System.IO.StreamReader(stream);
string firstLine = await reader.ReadLineAsync();
```

### Create a directory tree and write a file

```csharp
UaDirectoryInfo dir = await fs.CreateDirectoryAsync("/Uploads/2024-05/test", createIntermediate: true);
await fs.WriteAllBytesAsync($"{dir.FullPath}/payload.bin", payload);
```

### Move and delete

```csharp
UaFileInfo file = await fs.GetFileAsync("/Drafts/v1.txt");
await file.MoveToAsync("/Published/v1.txt");

await fs.DeleteAsync("/Drafts", recursive: true);
```

## Path syntax

Paths use the forward slash `'/'` as the segment separator. Each segment
is parsed by `QualifiedName.Parse(...)`, so the standard
`"<ns>:<name>"` form is supported. Examples:

| Path | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `""` or `"/"` | The root directory |
| `"foo"` | The child `foo` (namespace 0) of the root |
| `"/foo/bar"` | Same as `foo/bar`; leading slash is optional |
| `"1:Reports/1:2024/data.csv"` | Qualified path using namespace index 1 for the first two segments and namespace 0 for `data.csv` |

`UaPath.Combine`, `UaPath.GetDirectoryName`, `UaPath.GetFileName`, and
`UaPath.Normalize` mirror the equivalents on `System.IO.Path`. Canonical
paths returned from `UaFileSystemInfo.FullPath` always include the
namespace prefix when it is non-zero, so siblings with the same `Name`
in different namespaces are never collapsed.

## Path resolution and caching

Path → NodeId resolution uses
`TranslateBrowsePathsToNodeIdsAsync` segment-by-segment, with each step
following `ReferenceTypeIds.HierarchicalReferences` (with subtypes).
`(parent NodeId, browse name) → child NodeId` mappings are cached in a
small LRU controlled by `FileSystemClientOptions.PathCacheSize` (default
`1024`; set to zero to disable). The cache is **best-effort**: when a
resolved entry stops working (`BadNodeIdUnknown` from the server), the
entry is evicted and the path is re-resolved before the error propagates.
After any successful create/delete/move/copy, the path-cache entries
rooted at the affected parent are invalidated to avoid serving stale
NodeIds.

## Type classification (FileType vs FileDirectoryType)

Each child returned by `EnumerateAsync` is classified by its
`HasTypeDefinition` reference. Subtype-aware classification uses
`Session.TypeTree.IsTypeOf(...)` — by default subtypes count, so
`TrustListType`, `AddressSpaceFileType`, `ConfigurationFileType` etc.
appear as files. To restrict enumeration to the exact `FileType` /
`FileDirectoryType` set:

```csharp
var fs = new FileSystemClient(session, ObjectIds.FileSystem,
    new FileSystemClientOptions
    {
        IncludeFileTypeSubtypes = false,
        IncludeFileDirectoryTypeSubtypes = false,
    });
```

## File metadata

`UaFileInfo` exposes the seven well-known `FileType` properties (`Size`,
`Writable`, `UserWritable`, `OpenCount`, `MimeType`,
`MaxByteStringLength`, `LastModifiedTime`). They are populated lazily by
`UaFileInfo.RefreshAsync` (a single batched `Read` against the
properties resolved via `TranslateBrowsePathsToNodeIds`). The optional
properties (`MimeType`, `MaxByteStringLength`, `LastModifiedTime`) are
returned as `null` when the server does not expose them
(`BadNoMatch`, `BadNodeIdUnknown`, or empty target lists are tolerated).

In the stack's `FileSystemNodeManager`, metadata reads and initial
monitored-item values use the asynchronous provider binding. These reads do
not allocate retained file-handle state or open a stream. The first `Size`
notification contains the file's current byte count and status, not a stored
null placeholder.

When the manager reattaches an item or re-enables a disabled item, it also
reads fresh metadata. Initial reads do not add periodic polling for external
file changes. Later notifications still require the node's normal change
notification mechanism.

`Writable` / `UserWritable` are advisory: callers should not pre-check
them before opening a file. Rely on the server's `Open` response for the
authoritative answer.

## Streams

`UaFileStream` derives from `System.IO.Stream` and supports both async
(`ReadAsync`, `WriteAsync`, `DisposeAsync`) and sync (`Read`, `Write`,
`Dispose`) members. The sync members forward to the async ones via
`GetAwaiter().GetResult()` — this means they can deadlock on
single-threaded synchronization contexts (e.g. WPF UI thread). Prefer
the async overrides.

Reads and writes are chunked at `FileSystemClientOptions.ChunkSize`,
clamped down to `FileType.MaxByteStringLength` when the server advertises
a smaller maximum. Empty `ByteString` returns are interpreted as EOF;
zero-length reads/writes never hit the wire.
Path-based `WriteAllBytesAsync` and `WriteAllTextAsync` refresh metadata
for existing and newly created files before opening them, so these helpers
honor the same per-file chunk limit as `OpenWriteAsync`.

`Position` is tracked locally; the server is informed via
`SetPosition` only when the local cursor diverges from the last
successfully transmitted position.
After a failed read or write, the server cursor is treated as unknown:
the next operation sends `SetPosition` to the last locally confirmed
position before transferring more bytes. This prevents a lost response
from causing a retry to skip or duplicate a chunk. Successfully completed
earlier chunks remain reflected in `Position`.

`Length` is tracked locally too —
opened from `FileType.Size` at construction and bumped whenever a write
extends past it. Callers that mutate the underlying file through other
handles (or other clients) should call `UaFileInfo.RefreshAsync()`
before relying on `Length`.

`UaFileStream` is not thread-safe in the sense that multiple threads can
share a single instance: concurrent calls are serialised by an internal
`SemaphoreSlim`, matching `FileStream`'s "not thread-safe but doesn't
corrupt" contract. `DisposeAsync` issues `FileType.Close` exactly once
even when called concurrently.

Server-issued file handles are opaque and bound to the Session that
opened them. They cannot be used by another Session, and the server
automatically closes all remaining handles when their owning Session
closes.

## Error mapping

OPC UA Bad status codes returned by the server are translated into the
familiar `System.IO` exception family at the public boundary:

| StatusCode | Mapped exception |
|---|---|
| `BadNoMatch`, `BadNodeIdUnknown`, `BadNotFound` | `FileNotFoundException` (files) / `DirectoryNotFoundException` (directories) |
| `BadBrowseNameDuplicated` | `IOException("already exists: …")` |
| `BadUserAccessDenied`, `BadNotWritable`, `BadWriteNotSupported`, `BadSecurityChecksFailed` | `UnauthorizedAccessException` |
| `BadInvalidArgument`, `BadOutOfRange`, `BadInvalidState`, `BadResourceUnavailable`, `BadOutOfMemory` | `IOException` |
| Other `Bad…` codes | `ServiceResultException` (preserved unchanged) |

Mapped exceptions wrap the original `ServiceResultException` as
`InnerException`, so callers that need the raw OPC UA status code can
still retrieve it.

`TranslateBrowsePathsToNodeIds` returning more than one target throws
`IOException("ambiguous path: …")`; the client never silently picks the
first match.

## Move, copy, and delete semantics

These three operations are routed through the **source's parent**
directory (per Part 20 §4.3) — the server's `MoveOrCopy` and `Delete`
methods take a NodeId and operate from the directory's perspective.

`DeleteAsync(recursive: false)` on a directory first enumerates the
directory and throws `IOException("directory not empty: …")` if any
child exists. `DeleteAsync(recursive: true)` invokes the server's
`Delete` exactly once and lets the server perform recursive removal
(per spec). The client never walks the tree itself for a recursive
delete — that would weaken the server's atomicity / locking guarantees
and double-traverse.

`CreateDirectoryAsync` and `CreateFileAsync` accept only a plain
**string** for the leaf name; they reject leaf segments with a namespace
prefix (the server picks the BrowseName namespace). After the server
returns the new NodeId, the client reads its actual `BrowseName` and
uses that for the canonical path / cache entry.

`CreateFileAsync` always passes `requestFileOpen: false` to the server
— we never leak a server-allocated handle out of the create call.
Callers that want an immediate stream should call `UaFileInfo.OpenAsync`
afterwards.

## Temporary file transfer (Part 5 §C.5)

The temporary-file-transfer pattern is exposed on a separate surface
because its lifecycle does not fit the `System.IO` abstraction. The
server allocates a transient file, the client streams data through it,
and a final commit (or rollback) tells the server to either publish or
discard the result.

```csharp
using Opc.Ua.Client.FileSystem;

NodeId transferObject = /* TemporaryFileTransferType instance */;
var temp = new TemporaryFileTransferClient(session, transferObject);

// Read flow
await using UaFileStream readStream = await temp
    .GenerateFileForReadAsync(generateOptions: default);
byte[] payload = ReadAll(readStream);

// Write flow
await using UaTemporaryWriteFile write = await temp.GenerateFileForWriteAsync();
await write.Stream.WriteAsync(payload, 0, payload.Length);
NodeId completion = await write.CommitAsync(); // CloseAndCommit
```

`UaTemporaryWriteFile` owns the close lifecycle: exactly one terminal
call — `CommitAsync` (CloseAndCommit) or `DisposeAsync` (Close,
implicit server rollback) — is sent to the server. The wrapped
`Stream` cannot accidentally close the server handle; its `Dispose`
is a no-op.

## What lives where

```
src/Opc.Ua.Client/FileSystem/
├── FileSystemClient.cs                 # entry point
├── FileSystemClientOptions.cs          # tuning knobs
├── FileMetadata.cs                     # internal property snapshot
├── FileSystemErrors.cs                 # status code → IO exception mapper
├── PathCache.cs                        # internal LRU
├── UaPath.cs                           # System.IO.Path mirror
├── UaFileMode.cs                       # OpenFileMode flags wrapper
├── UaFileSystemInfo.cs                 # abstract base
├── UaFileInfo.cs                       # System.IO.FileInfo mirror
├── UaDirectoryInfo.cs                  # System.IO.DirectoryInfo mirror
├── UaFileStream.cs                     # System.IO.Stream mirror
├── TemporaryFileTransferClient.cs      # Part 5 §C.5 surface
└── UaTemporaryWriteFile.cs             # commit/rollback wrapper
```

Tests live under `tests/Opc.Ua.Client.Tests/FileSystem/`.

## Server-side file bindings

`IFileTypeBinder` / `FileTypeBinder` binds an already-created `FileState` to
bounded in-memory content and an optional asynchronous commit callback, without
a separate file-system node manager. It shares `FileHandle` ownership/mode rules
and the existing response-size calculation. Bindings allow at most 64 open
handles, one writer, and independent reader snapshots. Temporary writers commit
through `CommitAsync`; `commitOnClose` selects the ordinary FileType close lifecycle.
Application commit callbacks run without holding the binding's operation gate, so
publication can refresh other file bindings. Disposal cancels and drains an active
commit before releasing its handles. [Machine Vision](Vision.md) uses this
surface for its specialized transfers and recipe files.

Both lazy `FileSystemNodeManager` nodes and materialized
`FileDirectoryBinder` nodes protect their mounted root from deletion,
move, and copy. A NodeId from another namespace, an invalid encoded type,
or a component identifier cannot alias a file-system object.

Virtual directory browsing uses one provider cursor and preserves provider
order across Browse/BrowseNext pages. It retains only the current entry and a
continuation's lookahead reference. It does not snapshot the directory or
apply the materialized binder's `MaxEntries` limit. Named-child lookup scans
without retaining unrelated entries and stops when it finds a match.

The cursor is disposed exactly once on exhaustion, cancellation, or
continuation release. Cancellation affects only the active page; cancelling
an already completed page does not cancel later pages. Synchronous
continuation release starts and observes asynchronous cursor cleanup without
blocking its caller. The system surfaces provider failures instead of
returning an empty directory.

Before Delete or MoveOrCopy reaches an arbitrary provider, the lazy host
validates the decoded provider path. Separator-only root aliases resolve to
the protected empty root. Nonroot paths use forward slashes and contain no
empty, `.` or `..` segments. On Windows, backslashes and drive/stream
qualifiers are rejected; on Unix, colon and backslash are ordinary name
characters and remain addressable. Valid relative paths are passed unchanged.
The root remains a valid move/copy **destination** for a child, but never
the object being deleted, moved, or copied.

`FileType.Read` requires a positive length and may return fewer bytes than
requested. The server advertises `MaxByteStringLength` and bounds each
read by the file's limit, the server byte-string limit, and the available
single-result binary response budget. If server limits are disabled,
the default encoding byte-string limit still bounds individual read
allocations. At EOF, a valid positive-length read returns an empty byte
string. Service calls use the asynchronous read handler; legacy direct
synchronous delegates remain available.

File opens reserve compatible access before invoking the provider. This
prevents a rejected erase request from truncating a file held by another
opener. Failed or cancelled opens release their reservations. If a provider
returns a stream after session closure or disposal, the system closes it
instead of publishing it.
`Read` and `Write` enforce the requested open mode even if the provider's
stream supports both operations. `SetPosition` clamps positions beyond
EOF to the current file length. `Writable` describes the provider/file
capability and does not become false merely because a handle is open.

Providers with multiple spellings for one file can implement
`IFileSystemPathIdentityProvider`. The physical provider uses Windows
case-insensitive identity and Win32 trailing-dot/space normalization, so
alternate NodeIds share `OpenCount` and writer exclusion. Metadata reads
query the provider asynchronously without allocating retained handle state.
Closed or failed opens release idle handle bags; pending opens remain
protected by their reservations. Extended Windows roots (`\\?\...`) retain
literal trailing-dot names rather than conflating distinct directory entries.

Materialized directory bindings serialize capacity admission, provider
mutations, refresh, and teardown. Creates and cross-directory moves/copies
are rejected before touching the provider when the target directory is
already at `MaxEntries`; a rename within the same directory needs no extra
slot. Lookup snapshots are published only after node registration completes.
Teardown retires lookups and handles before provider cleanup and drains
queued operations before disposing its synchronization resources.

`IFileSystemProvider.CreateDirectoryAsync` remains idempotent, including
package-upload retries. The OPC UA `CreateDirectory` method checks the
provider for an existing entry and returns `BadBrowseNameDuplicated`
without creating or replacing it, independently of the provider.

`FileDirectoryBinder.BindAsync` registers the complete pre-existing tree
before returning, including files on read-only mounts. Supply the
`registerNode` and `deregisterNode` callbacks directly on its single
signature. Disposal deregisters materialized nodes from leaves to roots,
closes handles, and detaches file and directory callbacks. The supplied
root remains owned by its original node manager.

If a provider mutation commits but the subsequent refresh fails, the
mutation remains successful and an error identifies the unsynchronized
binding. `RefreshAsync` retries reconciliation, as does the next mutation
before it changes the provider again. A recoverable pre-mutation refresh
failure is also logged, without blocking a corrective mutation such as
deleting an entry after external changes exceeded `MaxEntries`. The error
records whether the current provider mutation has committed. Capacity
admission and provider errors still apply; cancellation before commit
still stops the operation. Reconciliation does not truncate over-limit
directories, and an explicit `RefreshAsync` still reports its failure to
the caller. Failed registration callbacks are retried rather than treating
an unregistered node as complete.

## See also

- [SourceGeneratedDataTypes.md](SourceGeneratedDataTypes.md) — for an
  overview of the generated `*TypeClient` proxies the FileSystem client
  builds on.
- OPC UA Part 5 Annex C (FileType, TemporaryFileTransferType).
- OPC UA Part 20 §4 (FileSystem object model).