to prevent file cleaning, touch cache, its link, md5 and id, resolves #1282

Bourreau/lib/bourreau_system_checks.rb

@@ -289,15 +289,24 @@ def self.a100_ensure_dp_cache_symlink_exists #:nodoc:
     myself        = RemoteResource.current_resource
     gridshare_dir = myself.cms_shared_dir
     cache_dir     = myself.dp_cache_dir
+    sym_path      = "#{gridshare_dir}/#{DataProvider::DP_CACHE_SYML}"
 
     return unless Dir.exists?(gridshare_dir) && Dir.exists?(cache_dir)
 
     #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     puts "C> Making sure the grid share directory has a symlink to the data provider cache..."
     #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    sym_path = "#{gridshare_dir}/#{DataProvider::DP_CACHE_SYML}"
-    return if File.symlink?(sym_path) && File.realpath(sym_path) == File.realpath(cache_dir)
+    # update the work directory timestamp to counter cluster deletion policies
+    FileUtils.touch(gridshare_dir, verbose: true, nocreate: true)
+
+    if  File.symlink?(sym_path) && File.realpath(sym_path) == File.realpath(cache_dir)
+      # touch -h updates the timestamp of the symlink itself not the file it point to
+      # it works on major modern Linux and MacOS, but might have problems with older OS,
+      # such as Big Sur
+      system("touch", "-h", sym_path)
+      return
+    end
 
     File.unlink(sym_path) if File.exists?(sym_path)
     File.symlink(cache_dir, sym_path)

BrainPortal/app/models/data_provider.rb

@@ -1206,6 +1206,19 @@ def self.create_cache_md5
     end
   end
 
+  # This method updates timestamps of the +DataProvider+ cache dir +DP_Cache+, its md5 token +DP_Cache_Key.md5+ and
+  # revision info  +DP_Cache_Rev.id+.
+  # Some systems are configured with disk allocations where files older than N days are erased automatically.
+  # So CBRAIN reset timestamps of few administrative files or dir using the touch command.
+  def self.touch_cache_md5
+    myself       = RemoteResource.current_resource
+    cache_dir    = myself.dp_cache_dir
+    dp_cache_id  = File.join cache_dir, DataProvider::DP_CACHE_ID_FILE
+    dp_cache_md5 = File.join cache_dir, DataProvider::DP_CACHE_MD5_FILE
+
+    FileUtils.touch([cache_dir, dp_cache_id, dp_cache_md5], verbose: true, nocreate: true)
+  end
+
   # This method returns the revision DateTime of the last time
   # the caching system was initialized. If the revision
   # number is unknown, then a string value of "Unknown" is returned

BrainPortal/lib/cbrain_system_checks.rb

@@ -314,6 +314,24 @@ def self.a050_check_data_provider_cache_wipe #:nodoc:
     end
   end
 
+  # prevents archiving or deleting of administrative files and top directories related to
+  # cache ( gridshare touching is performed by a Bourreau system check method )
+  def self.a060_ensure_top_cache_dir_will_not_be_deleted #:nodoc:
+
+    #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    puts "C> Updating DataProvider cache administrative files and directories"
+    #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    cache_root = DataProvider.cache_rootdir rescue nil
+    # Need to perform a `to_s` due to a strange behaviour of `blank?`
+    # on `Pathname` (if a content of a `Pathname` is empty it will return true)
+    if cache_root.to_s.blank?
+      puts "C> \t- SKIPPING! No cache root directory yet configured!"
+      return
+    end
+
+    DataProvider.touch_cache_md5
+  end
 
 
   def self.a080_ensure_set_starttime_revision #:nodoc: