Force timeout for save()?

Hi,

I'm using save() to save a workspace variable on a network share. Sometimes, the share is temporarily unavailable. How can I instruct save to give up trying to save the file after a specified timeout?

Thanks!

[Walter Roberson]

It is best to avoid this situation. Save locally if you can, and then once the data is written, copy it to the network share. This will also be faster.

[Matthias]

That's what I'm doing, but even when just copying data, I don't want to wait for the pre-set timeout if the share isn't available. It takes minutes until save() throws an error, although from experience, I know that the share is unavailable unless the save command works ~immediately.

[Walter Roberson]

Avoid doing the save() to a share. save() locally. copyfile() afterwards.

Is there a way at the Windows command level to tell if the share is available?

[Matthias]

What is the advantage of copyfile() over save() with respect to gracefull handling disk access problems?

Answer 1

[Sean de Wolski]

Try to open a file on the drive first, if you can't open it, then the drive is unavailable. Overall, Walter's approach is better and more stable, though and I would recommend following it.

fid = fopen(fullfile(thedrectory,'Arandomfile.txt'),'w');
if fid == -1
   error('Couldn''t open')
end