FTPS Forwarding Agent Configuration (2.3)

Owned by Jenni Wallin
Last updated: Apr 28, 2023
7 min read

Connection Tab

The Connection tab contains configuration data that is relevant to a remote server.

ItemDescription

Server Information Provider

The standard behavior is Single Server. If your Usage Engine system is installed with the Multi Server File functionality, you can configure the FTPS agent to forward to more than one server. For further information, contact your System Administrator. 

Host

Primary host name or IP address of the remote host to be connected. If a connection cannot be established to this host, the Additional Hosts specified in the Advanced tab, are tried.

Username

Username for an account on the remote host, enabling the FTPS session to login.

Password

Password related to the Username.

Transfer Type

Data transfer type to be used during file retrieval.

  • Binary - agent uses binary transfer type. Default setting.

  • ASCII - agent uses ASCII transfer type.

Encryption Type

You can select an encryption type:

Implicit - Full encryption of FTP connection from the start of the session
Explicit - Explicitly define any required security/encryption mechanisms 

File System Type

Type of file system on the remote host.

  • Unix - remote host using Unix file system. Default setting.

  • Windows NT - remote host using Windows NT file system.

  • VAX/VMS - remote host using VAX/VMS file system.

Client AuthenticationIf you select this check box, you must enter the keystore file location (JKS format) and password to connect to the  FTPS  Server. The connection fails if the file is invalid or not found, or if the key in the file is not the same as the file stored in the  FTPS  server.
Keystore LocationEnter the keystore file location in JKS format. You must populate this field if you have selected the Client Authentication check box.
Keystore PasswordEnter the keystore password. You must populate this field if you have selected the Client Authentication check box.
Reuse SSL/TTL SessionSelect this check box to reuse the SSL/TTL session.

Enable Collection Retries

Select this check box to enable repetitive attempts to connect and start a file transfer.

When this option is selected, the agent will attempt to connect to the host as many times as is stated in the Max Retries field described below. If the connection fails, a new attempt will be made after the number of seconds entered in the Retry Interval (s) field described below.

Retry Interval (s)

Enter the time interval in seconds, between retries.

If a connection problem occurs, the actual time interval before the first attempt to reconnect will be the time set in the Timeout field in the Advanced tab plus the time set in the Retry Interval (s) field. For the remaining attempts, the actual time interval will be the number seconds entered in this field.

Max Retries

Enter the maximum number of retries to connect.

In case more than one connection attempt has been made, the number of used retries will be reset as soon as a file transfer is completed successfully.

Note!

This number does not include the original connection attempt.

Enable RESTART Retries

Select this check box to enable the agent to send a RESTART command if the connection has been broken during a file transfer. The RESTART command contains information about where in the file you want to resume the file transfer.

Before selecting this option, ensure that the FTPS server supports the RESTART command.

When this option is selected, the agent will attempt to re-establish the connection, and resume the file transfer from the point in the file stated in the RESTART command, as many times as is entered in the Max Retries field described below. When a connection has been re-established, a RESTART command will be sent after the number of seconds entered in the Retry Interval (s) field described below.

Note!

The RESTART Retries settings will not work if you have selected to decompress the files in the Source tab, see the section below, Source Tab.

Note!

RESTART is not always supported for transfer type ASCII.

For further information about the RESTART command, see http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc959/.

Retry RESTARTS Interval (s)

Enter the time interval, in seconds, you want to wait before initiating a restart in this field. This time interval will be applied for all restart retries.

If a connection problem occurs, the actual time interval before the first attempt to send a RESTART command will be the time set in the Timeout field in the Advanced tab plus the time set in the Retry Interval (s) field. For the remaining attempts, the actual time interval will be the number seconds entered in this field.

Max RESTARTS

Enter the maximum number of restarts per file you want to allow.

In case more than one attempt to send the RESTART command has been made, the number of used retries will be reset as soon as a file transfer is completed successfully.

Target Tab


ItemDescription

Input Type

The agent can act on two input types: bytearray or MultiForwardingUDR. The default input type is bytearray. If nothing else is stated, the documentation refers to input of type bytearray.

For more information, see MultiForwardingUDR (2.3).

For an example see FTPS Forwarding Agent MultiForwardingUDR Example (2.3).

Directory

Absolute pathname of the target directory on the remote host, where the forwarded files will be placed. The pathname may also be given relative to the home directory of the user's account.

The files will be temporarily stored in the automatically created subdirectory DR_TMP_DIR in the target directory. When an endBatch message is received, the files are moved from the subdirectory to the target directory.

Create Directory

Check to create the directory, or the directory structure, of the path that you specify in Directory.

Note!

The directories are created when the workflow is executed.

Compression

Compression type of the target files. Determines if the agent will compress the files before storage or not.

  • No Compression - Agent does  not  compress the files.

  • Gzip - agent compresses the files using gzip.

    Note!

    No extra extension will be appended to the target filenames, even if compression is selected.


Produce Empty Files

If you require to create empty files, check this setting.

Handling of Already Existing Files

Select the behavior of the agent when the file already exists, the alternatives are:

  • Overwrite - The old file will be overwritten and a warning will be logged in the System Log.

  • Add Suffix - If the file already exists the suffix ".1" will be added. If this file also exists the suffix ".2" will be tried instead and so on.

  • Abort - This is the default selection and is the option used for upgraded configurations, that is workflows from an upgraded system.

Use Temporary Directory

If this option is selected, the agent will move the file to a temporary directory before moving it to the target directory. After the whole file has been transferred to the target directory, and the endBatch message has been received, the temporary file is removed from the temporary directory.

Use Temporary File

If there is no write access to the target directory and, hence, a temporary directory cannot be created, the agent can move the file to a temporary file that is stored directly in the target directory. After the whole file has been transferred, and the endBatch message has been received, the temporary file will be renamed.

The temporary filename is unique for every execution of the workflow. It consists of a workflow and agent ID, and a file number.

Abort Handling

Select how to handle the file in case of cancelBatch or rollback, either Delete Temporary File or Leave Temporary File.

Note!

When a workflow aborts, the file will not be removed until the next time the workflow is run.

Advanced Tab


ItemDescription

Command Port

The value in this field defines which port number the FTPS service will use on the remote host.

Timeout(s)

The maximum time, in seconds, to wait for response from the server. 0 (zero) means to wait forever.

Passive Mode (PASV)

Must be enabled if FTPS passive mode is used for data connection.

In passive mode, the channel for data transfer between client and server is initiated by the client instead of by the server. This is useful when a firewall is situated between the client and the server.

Additional Hosts

List of additional host names or IP addresses that may be used to access the target directory for file storage. These hosts are tried, in sequence from top to bottom, if the agent fails to connect to the remote host set in theConnection tab.

Use the Add, Edit, Remove, Move up and Move down buttons to configure the host list.

Note!

The names of the created files are determined by the settings in the Filename Template tab. The use and setting of private threads for an agent, enabling multi-threading within a workflow, is configured in the Thread Buffer tab.

Backlog Tab

The Backlog tab contain configurations related to backlog functionality. If the backlog is not enabled, the files will be moved directly to their final destination when an end batch message is received. If the backlog however is enabled, the files will first be moved to a directory called DR_POSTPONED_MOVE_DIR and then to their final destination. Refer to the section, Retrieves, in FTPS Forwarding Agent Transaction Behavior (2.3) for further information about transaction behavior.

When backlog is initialized and when backlogged files are transferred a note is registered in the System Log.

The FTPS forwarding agent configuration - Backlog tab


ItemDescription

Enable Backlog

Select to enable backlog functionality

Directory

Base directory in which the agent will create sub directories to handle backlogged files. Absolute or relative path names can be used.

Type

Files is the maximum number of files allowed in the backlog folder. Bytes is the total sum (size) of the files that resides in the backlog folder. If a limit is exceeded the workflow will abort.

Size

Enter the maximum number of files or bytes that the backlog folder can contain.

Processing Order

Determine the order by which the backlogged data will be processed once connection is reestablished, select between First In First Out (FIFO) or Last In First Out (LIFO).

Duplicate File Handling

Specifies the behavior if a file with the same file name as the one being transferred is detected. The options are Abort or Overwrite and the action is taken both when a file is transferred to the target directory or to the backlog.