FTP Release Node
- Brian Banet
- Olivia Miller
- Phil Holtz
The FTP Release node is available in GlobalCapture only.
This node will need to be downloaded from the Square 9 SDN before proceeding.
FTP Release supports Passive mode FTP only. This node does not, and is not expected to ever support Active mode transfers for FTP.
If you are looking for the ability to transfer files from GlobalCapture to a remote destination, FTP is an option. FTP as an option is generally less desirable than SFTP, which is out of the box more secure. Using FTP, communications are not performed over a secure channel by default. If using FTP, it is strongly encouraged you do so over a secure connection or consider an alternate file transfer approach.
Note: Square 9 does not offer FTP hosting services. If you are looking to release documents to an FTP destination, you will need to have an FTP server available and credentials with permissions to write to it.
Node Properties
Title
The title of the node should be brief but descriptive of where documents are being released. Titles are useful when reading the history in the history of a workflow for easier understanding of the overall process.
Description
Provide a synopsis of what this node is doing, or make note of any important details. This is useful for providing additional information such as where documents are being released to, why that location has been chosen, etc. A good description is helpful when returning to modify the workflow in the future.
FTP Server
The FTP Server is the IP Address or the FQDN of the SFTP server.
How to find the Hostname of a server:
Log onto the Server as an Administrator.
Open Command Prompt as an Administrator
Right-click on the application before starting it, then select “Run as Administrator”
Enter command: hostname
Click enter. The data that is output is the name of the Server.
How to find the IP Address of a server:
Log onto the Server as an Administrator.
Open Command Prompt as an Administrator
Right-click on the application before starting it, then select “Run as Administrator”
Enter command: IPconfig
Click enter. There’s now some data to sort through.
Generally speaking, the data that you’ll need will be under the first setting found and will be an IPv4 Address. The format is 4 dotted numbers. For example, an IP Address should be formatted similar to: 127.0.0.1
Port
Along with the Hostname or IP Address, there will be an associated Port Number to go with this. Generally speaking, port 990 is used by default for FTP Servers but may differ on your network settings. If you are unsure of this information, consult with you Network Administrator.
Username and Password
Enter the username and password that will allow GlobalCapture to write documents to the FTP server. The username can be formatted as DomainName\Username, or a valid email address.
Speak to your Network Administrator for the credentials to be used for accessing the FTP Server.
Use Implicit FTPS
Use Implicit FTPS is enabled by default, and is recommended. Enabling this option means that the document release is performed over a secured channel.
Use Explicit FTPS
Use Explicit FTPS should not be combined with Implicit FTPS. When enabled, it starts the document release on an unsecured channel to the FTP server.
It is recommended to enable Implicit OR Explicit FTPS, not both.
Relative Path
The Relative Path specifies where to output the file. Leaving this path empty will release files to the root location. Alternately, specify a path, or use notation to create a dynamic path based on data in one or more process fields.
File Name
File Name is required, and will become the output file name in the destination. You can use one or more process fields to construct a valid file name using Square 9 Notation. Using the notation {p_OriginalFileName} will name a file based on the original file name processed by GlobalCapture. You might also consider using {PROCESSID} to name a document based on the GlobalCapture process that sourced it.
File Name should not include the extension of the file. GlobalCapture will automatically append the file name with the proper extension.
Allow overwrite of files in destination
Use the Allow overwrite option if you want duplicate files to be overwritten. If this option is unchecked and you release a duplicate file, the process WILL NOT error, but release the file with a modified name and the action will be noted in the process history.
Delete files after release
Delete files after release should be enabled for any release step that is the last release step in a workflow. This option allows GlobalCapture to clean up after itself by removing the file from the GlobalCapture working directory. Unchecking this option may be useful in troubleshooting scenarios, but should always be enabled in production workflows.
Data Validation
Action Select
The node expects two outputs. Success and Failure. The node can write response information from the FTP Server to a process field if further control routing is desired.
To utilize this function, you’ll need to create a field called “FTP Status”, and add this to your workflow in the process fields pane.
A Set Process Field node is not needed to use this field, as the information is automatically pulled from rclone and acts as a system field similar to Page Count, or Date Entered.
Success
Success responses:
0 - Success.
9 - Successful, but no transfer. This is the response if you are writing a file that already exists, without the overwrite option enabled.
Failure
Failure responses:
1 - Syntax error. This is an unlikely error, generally caused by incorrect parameters being passed internally.
2 - Uncategorized error.
3 - Directory not found.
4 - File not found.
5 - Temporary error - A retry step in the workflow may resolve such an error. Sometimes arising from exceeding throughput limits.
7 - Fatal error - Invalid accounts, accounts suspended, etc.
8 - Transfer limit exceeded.
Use Case
Using the FTP Release node for nightly uploads to an FTP Server
In this example, I've configured the FTP Release Node to release documents to an FTP Server on a nightly basis for backup purposes. Based off of the success or failure of the release, this can redirect documents accordingly. I've also created a new process field called "FTP Status" and added this to the Process Fields pane for our workflow.
This is useful to provide an update as to whether or not the release of documents to the FTP Server have been completed or not by providing a response in the batch history.
