4. Periodic tasks¶

This chapter should help you with the setting of automated tasks in CRON.

4.1. Zone file generation¶

Task command:

/usr/bin/genzone_client

Typically launched: every 30 minutes

Real run time [CZ.NIC]: ~ 5 min (.cz zone)

Required FRED components:

pyfred: Genzone module – zone file generation

Other required components: none

Task activities:

generates a zone file for each configured zone

4.2. Administration of registrable objects¶

4.2.1. Regular procedure¶

Important

This task is critical for Registry operation, it must be set up!

Task command:

/usr/sbin/fred-admin --object_regular_procedure [--object_delete_types="contact,domain,keyset,nsset"]

Warning

To keep the notifications about state changes functional in FRED 2.48.0, run:

fred-admin --object_regular_procedure --object_delete_types="contact,keyset,nsset" \
   && fred-notify-object-state-changes

Typically launched: at midnight (00:00) and noon (12:00)

Real run time [CZ.NIC]: ~ 20 min

Required FRED components:

pyfred: Mailer module – email generation, FileManager module + filemanager_client – saving expiration letters (pdf)
fred-doc2pdf: letter templates + PDF generation

Other required components:

xsltproc

Task activities:

updates the states of the registrable objects of all types; the states depend on time and other states that are set manually
notifies registrars and end users (contacts) about state changes:
- generates poll messages to notify registrars
- generates emails to notify contacts
- generates letters for domain deletion warning
generates poll messages to notify registrars about low credit
deletes objects of selected types that have been marked for deletion – this activity can be disabled by omitting the --object_delete_types argument and can be run in a separate task (see the next task)

4.2.2. Separate object deletion¶

Important

This task is critical for Registry operation!

Set this cronjob if you want to perform object deletion (or part of it) separately from the Regular procedure.

Task command:

/usr/sbin/fred-admin --object_delete_candidates <options>

Typically launched: at least once a day (if you delete all at once, you can include it with the regular procedure or launch it after the regular procedure is finished)

Required FRED components: none

Other required components: none

Task activities:

deletes objects of selected types that have been marked for deletion

Task variants:

deleting all at once (suitable for non-domains), for example:

/usr/sbin/fred-admin --object_delete_candidates --object_delete_types="contact,keyset,nsset"

deleting by parts (suitable for domains) with the --object_delete_parts option – this variant allows you to randomize deletion of objects by spreading it over several calls; this variant of the task means these activities:
- creates a randomly-ordered list of objects (delete candidates)
- deletes a fraction of the list, repeatedly in iterations, the size of the fraction is given in the --object_delete_parts option, e.g. if --object_delete_parts=2, a half of the list is deleted in a single iteration, if object_delete_parts=10, a tenth of the list is deleted in a single iteration and so on
- single iteration can be spread over a period of time specified in the --object_delete_spread_during_time argument in seconds
- the value of object_delete_parts is calculated depending on CRON configuration (how often the task is run)
- finally, deletes the rest (--object_delete_parts=1 – this is the default value if the parameter is omitted)
- Example: spread the deletion of domains over a whole day:
  # Iteration */10 1-22 * * * /usr/sbin/fred-admin --object_delete_candidates --object_delete_types="domain" --object_delete_parts=$((((24 * 60 - (10#$(date \+"\%H") * 60 + 10#$(date \+"\%M")))/10) - 6)) --object_delete_spread_during_time=600 # Finalization 45 23 * * * /usr/sbin/fred-admin --object_delete_candidates --object_delete_types="domain" --object_delete_parts=1
  Real run time [CZ.NIC]: ~ 5 s (one iteration)

4.2.3. Automatic contact merger¶

Task command:

/usr/sbin/fred-admin --contact_merge_duplicate_auto \
   [--except_registrar <registrar-handle> ... OR --registrar <registrar-handle> ...] \
   [--selection_filter_order <filter1,filter2,filter3>] \
   [--dry_run]

Typically launched: once a week

Required FRED components:

pyfred: Mailer module
fred-logd: Logger

Other required components: none

Task activities:

looks for duplicate contacts per registrar that can be specified as:
- all registrars in the database except registrars given in --except_registrar arguments (e.g. when you don’t want to merge contacts managed by the system registrar), or
- only registrars given in --registrar arguments,
selects the best destination contact,
merges all source contacts into the destination contact.

Useful filters for selection of the destination contact:

mcs_filter_max_domains_bound
mcs_filter_max_objects_bound
mcs_filter_recently_updated
mcs_filter_recently_created

The procedure will apply the filters in the order specified on the command line; if not specified, the default filters in the default order will be applied, see the concept.

The --dry_run option is available to preview what the command will do. Also see the program --help for more options.

4.2.4. Automatic contact verification ^CZ-specific¶

4.2.5. Automated keyset management¶

4.3. Communication¶

Letters Postservis ^CZ-specific
Letters Optys ^CZ-specific
SMS Texts ^CZ-specific
Registered Letters ^CZ-specific

4.3.1. Processing public requests¶

Note

This procedure processes only public requests for personal information.

Task command:

/usr/sbin/fred-admin --process_public_requests [--types <list of public request types>]

Typically launched: every 5 minutes

Required FRED components:

pyfred: Mailer module – email generation
fred-logd: Logger interface

Other required components: none

Task activities:

generates emails in response to resolved public requests of types:
- personalinfo_auto_pif – requests to send personal info to an email in the registry (authorized and resolved automatically),
- personalinfo_email_pif – requests to send personal info to another email, authorized with an email signed with a digital signature (resolved manually),
- personalinfo_post_pif – requests to send personal info to another email, authorized with a letter containing a notarized signature (resolved manually).
If the --types argument is omitted, all of the aforementioned types are processed.

4.4. Registrars¶

4.4.1. Generating poll messages about request usage¶

Task command:

/usr/sbin/fred-admin --poll_create_request_fee_messages

Typically launched: once a day (night time recommended, e.g. 1 AM)

Real run time [CZ.NIC]: ~ 10 min

Required FRED components:

fred-logd: Logger interface

Other required components: none

Task activities:

generates poll messages about the usage of free EPP requests and if the registrar exceeded the limit, calculates the price of the requests over limit

Configuration

in the database, table: request_fee_parameter

4.4.2. Blocking registrars over limit ^CZ-specific¶

Task command:

/usr/sbin/fred-admin --block_registrars_over_limit [--email support@nic.tld]

Typically launched: once a day

Real run time [CZ.NIC]: ~ 10 min

Required FRED components:

fred-logd: Logger interface
fred-rifd: EPP interface

Other required components: none

Task activities:

calculates the current usage of free EPP requests and if exceeded, blocks the registrar’s access to the Registry
- blocks until the end of the current month
- only if the registrar is not blocked yet and
- only if the registrar was not unblocked in the current month yet
disconnects all EPP sessions of the blocked registrars
if the --email address is given and registrars were blocked, sends a notification with a list of registrars blocked on this day

Note

In the CZ.NIC, the customer support calls the blocked registrars and unblocks their access on demand.

Configuration

in the database, table: request_fee_registrar_parameter

4.4.3. Import & pairing of payments¶

Important

Changed in version 2.38: This feature has partially been moved from FRED to an external system. See The Future of Payments & Invoices.

4.5. Invoicing¶

Numbering
“Archiving” (gen. XML & PDF)
Monthly
- charge fee (subtract from credit)
- bill (create invoice record)

4.6. Annual contact reminder¶

The goal is to remind users to review their contact details and to inform them about objects linked to their contact.

Task command:

/usr/sbin/fred-admin --contact_reminder [--date <date>]

Important

In FRED 2.48.0 the call fred-admin --contact-reminder was replaced by fred-notify-contact-data-reminder

The default <date> is today. Refer to fred-admin --help_dates for acceptable date formatting.

Typically launched: once a day

Real run time [CZ.NIC]: ~ 2 min

Required FRED components:

fred-pyfred: Mailer interface

Other required components: none

Task activities:

selects contacts which
- are linked to objects,
- were created on the day and month 300 days ago (before the specified date)
- were not changed in the last 300 days (relatively to the specified date)
sends them an email of the annual_contact_reminder type (see template params)

4.7. Collect statistics ^CZ-specific¶

The statistics collector program is used in CZ.NIC to collect and export data for the statistics server which is not a part of the FRED.

Task command:

/usr/bin/collect_stats.py -s fred_daily[,mojeid_daily]

Typically launched: once a day (night time)

Required FRED components: none (database access)

Other required components: none

Task activities:

creates CSV files that can be imported into the statistics server

4. Periodic tasks¶

4.1. Zone file generation¶

4.2. Administration of registrable objects¶

4.2.1. Regular procedure¶

4.2.2. Separate object deletion¶

4.2.3. Automatic contact merger¶

4.2.4. Automatic contact verification CZ-specific¶

4.2.5. Automated keyset management¶

4.3. Communication¶

4.3.1. Processing public requests¶

4.4. Registrars¶

4.4.1. Generating poll messages about request usage¶

4.4.2. Blocking registrars over limit CZ-specific¶

4.4.3. Import & pairing of payments¶

4.5. Invoicing¶

4.6. Annual contact reminder¶

4.7. Collect statistics CZ-specific¶

4.2.4. Automatic contact verification ^CZ-specific¶

4.4.2. Blocking registrars over limit ^CZ-specific¶

4.7. Collect statistics ^CZ-specific¶