FTP task

• Generic input field:
  • 1) Specify the type of remote server as FTP
  • 2) Enter the name of the server
  • 3) Enter the directory path on the server from where you want to download files
  • 4) Define the file mask of the files you want to download
• FTP-specific input fields
  • 5) Indicate how you are going to retrieve the FTP server file listing
    • Automatically, by sending FTP listing requests to the server
    • Parsing ls-lR formatted listing file
    • Reading text file with filenames
    • Reading text file with full-path filenames
• Again generic input fields
  • 6) Define the local folder path where you want to save the downloaded files
  • 7) Give the task a description
  • 8) Click Apply changes button in the Tabs section or Apply button in the task toolbar

In this topic we discuss how to define a ftp task, meaning of generic and ftp-specific input fields.

Generic input fields:

1) Specify the type of remote server as FTP:

back to top

2) Enter the name of the server:

back to top

3) Enter the directory path on the server from where you want to download files:

You can click the magnifier button to verify if such server destination exists by opening it in Windows Explorer :

back to top

4) Define the file mask of the files you want to download:

You will familiarize with how to define multiple file masks in the Advanced chapter (to be able to define multiple file maks you have to switch the application interface to Advanced mode).

back to top

FTP-specific input fields:

5) Indicate how you are going to retrieve the FTP server listing:

back to top

You have the following options:

• 1) Automatically, by sending FTP listing requests to the server. This method might not be efficient or  work at all  if the number of files in the remote server folder is too high, say ~10,000 - 100,000 (the threshold number depends on the specific server involved in the download process). In this case the server can simply fail to respond since the request is too processing- and time- consuming. In such situations we recommend the use of different options shown below.

• 2) Parsing ls-lR formatted listing file. This method is preferable when the number of requested files is enormous (~10,000 - 100,000).

• 3) Reading a text file with filenames. This method should be used when Automatically doesn't work and you are not provided with the ls-lR formatted listing file. This listing method won't provide last modification time and size of the requested files; meaning, you won't be able to update files that have changed their content since your last update.

• 4) Reading a text file with full-path filenames. It is the same method as the previous one, except the filenames are preceded with their full path relative to the root folder of the server.

For the options 2-4 you can specify if the server listing file is stored locally:

For the options 2-4 you can click the magnifier button to view the server listing file with Windows Explorer :

For the option 2 you have to define the parent path of the ls-lR formatted listing file, i.e. the path to which all ls-lR entries are relative to:

For the options 1, 2 and 4 you can indicate that all files, which are recursively stored within the server directory and satisfying the mask, have to be downloaded / updated:

back to top

Again generic input fields:

6) Define the local folder path where you want to save the downloaded files:

or click the browse button:

You can check the local directory with Windows Explorer by clicking the magnifier button:

back to top

7) Give the task a description:

back to top

8) Click Apply changes button in the Tabs section or Apply button in the task toolbar:

back to top