Defining FTP Put Adapters

Determine the method to which Clarify connects with and places a file onto an FTP server.

If you haven't already created this object, see Creating FTP Adapters.

The following steps take place in the FTP Put Adapter editor, which has five sections: Template, Parameters, Connection, Put, and Custom Commands.

  1. (Optional) To use a template to create this adapter, in the Template section's Template FTP Adapter field, select an existing Adapter. Use of an Adapter Template is tied directly to the number and types of parameters the Adapter uses. For more information, see AdaptersTemplate-concept.html#concept_h23_sdj_zm.
  2. (Optional) If you need to add a parameter, in the Parameters section, click the Add button to add a row, then define the parameter. By default, an FTP Get Adapter has one parameter: storageNodes. The storageNodes parameter represents the data in the file.
  3. In theHost field, specify the URL or IP address of the FTP Server. The URL or IP address should be supplied to you by your Trading Partner or VAN service.
    • Example IP Address: 123.456.789.0
    • Example URL: ftp.myco.com
  4. In the Port field, specify the communications port. Commonly, the port is 21.
  5. In the Username field, specify the user name given to you by your Trading Partner for authenticating your permission to access the FTP server.
  6. In the Password field, specify the password given to you to further authenticate permission to the FTP server.
  7. In the Connection Timeout field, instruct the adapter how long it should wait for a connection response from the FTP server before it terminates the session. A "connection response" is the FTP server's response to a connection request. Network failures or FTP server downtime are common explanations for unresponsive connection requests.
  8. In the Inactivity Timeout field, instruct the adapter how long it should wait for a command response from the FTP server before terminating the session. A "command response" is the FTP server's response to an FTP command issued by Clarify. For example, the FTP Put Adapter will issue a "put" command to the server in order to upload the file. If the response to the "put" command exceeds the length of time specified, Clarify will terminate the communication session.
  9. (Optional) If you need to disable remote host verification, click Disable remote host verification.
  10. In the Connection Type field, indicate the mode of FTP communication.
    • FTP - Plain FTP
    • FTPS - FTP over implicit TLS/SSL
    • FTPES - FTP over explicit TLS/SSL
  11. Under the Put section, in the Remote Server Path field, specify the path to the folder by:
    • Typing a specific directory ( "/" - to indicate the root path of the FTP server - or "/myco/invoices" for example).
    • Clicking the Global Variable button to select a Global Variable. The value of the Global Variable will be substituted when the Adapter executes.
    • Clicking the Substitution Variable button to create or select a Substitution Variable. The value will be generated by the Adapter (if appropriate) or supplied by the Business Process.
  12. In the Remote Server File field, specify the file name by:
    • Typing a specific file name ( "invoice.edi", "order.xml" for example).
    • Clicking the Global Variable button to select a Global Variable. The value of the Global Variable will be substituted when the Adapter executes.
    • Clicking the Substitution Variable button to create or select a Substitution Variable. The value will be generated by the Adapter (if appropriate) or supplied by the Business Process.
  13. (Optional) To configure communication behavior, choose any of the following options:
    • Binary: treat the data in the file as binary. Encrypted files (for security purposes), digital photos, and executables are examples of files for which you need binary data transfer.
    • Passive: Allows the Studio to initate both connections to the server (recommended). This prevents firewall issues with the incoming server communication.
    • Append: If a file with the same name as the file you are attempting to upload already exists on the FTP server, you can instruct the Adapter to append the contents of the uploading file to the existing file.
  14. (Optional) To execute custom FTP commands before and after the "put" operation, specify Custom Commands . Click the Enabled button to enable custom commands.
    • Before transfer: Use the green Add button to enter commands that will execute before the "put" command. Use the red Remove button to remove commands.
    • After transfer: Use the green Add button to enter commands that will execute after the "put" command. Use the red Remove button to remove commands.
    • Error Fails Business Process: When enabled, this option instructs the FTP Adapter to fail the communication session when failures in the custom commands occur.