sc_wartscat

Concatenate warts files into one

$ sc_wartscat -o [path/to/output.warts] [path/to/file1.warts path/to/file2.warts ...]

sc_wartscat [ -N | -n | -v | -w ] [ -d debug_level ] [ -o output_file ] [ file ... ]

-N
    Suppress new file messages. Prevents sc_wartscat from printing 'start of new file' messages to standard error when concatenating multiple input files.

-n
    Enable new file messages. Forces sc_wartscat to print 'start of new file' messages to standard error. This is the default behavior.

-v
    Print Warts version. Displays the version number of the Warts library used by the utility, then exits.

-w
    Print Warts format description. Displays a concise description of the Warts binary format, then exits.

-d debug_level
    Set debugging level. Controls the verbosity of debugging output. debug_level can range from 0 (no debug) to 3 (maximum debug).

-o output_file
    Specify output file. Directs the concatenated Warts data to the specified output_file instead of standard output.

file ...
    Input Warts files. One or more paths to Warts files to be concatenated. If no files are specified, sc_wartscat reads from standard input.

sc_wartscat is a utility from the wats-tool suite, designed to concatenate multiple Warts files into a single output stream or file. Warts files are a binary format used by the scamper tool to store network measurement data, primarily from traceroute-like probes. These files often contain a series of 'cycles' or measurement runs.

The primary purpose of sc_wartscat is to combine data from various scamper measurement outputs, making it easier to process or analyze a larger dataset as a single unit. For instance, if scamper was run multiple times, or measurements were distributed across different machines, sc_wartscat can merge these individual Warts files. It operates similarly to the standard cat command but is specifically tailored for the Warts binary format, ensuring proper handling of the file structure. Output can be directed to standard output or a specified file.

sc_wartscat is specifically designed for the Warts binary format; using it on non-Warts files will result in errors or corrupted output. The wats-tool suite, including sc_wartscat, is primarily used in network measurement research and may not be widely available in standard Linux distributions by default.

The Warts file format is a compact, binary format specifically designed to store network topology measurement data, particularly from scamper probes. It efficiently encodes various record types, such as traceroute paths, ping measurements, and link information. Its binary nature makes it efficient for storage and retrieval, though it requires specialized tools like sc_wartscat or sc_warts2text for manipulation and interpretation.

sc_wartscat is part of the wats-tool suite, developed by the Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA). CAIDA is a leading research center focused on Internet infrastructure and dynamics. The wats-tool suite emerged from the need to efficiently store, process, and analyze large volumes of network measurement data collected using tools like scamper. sc_wartscat plays a fundamental role in the data pipeline, enabling researchers to aggregate raw measurement files before further analysis. Its development reflects CAIDA's commitment to providing open-source tools for network research.

scamper(1), sc_warts2text(1), sc_warts2json(1), cat(1)