File Upload

Overview

You can use the File Upload filter to upload processed messages as files to a file transfer server. This enables you to upload the contents of the content.body message attribute as a file. The File Upload filter supports the following protocols:

  • FTP: File Transfer Protocol

  • FTPS: FTP over Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

  • SFTP: Secure Shell (SSH) File Transfer Protocol

Configuring a File Upload filter can be useful when integrating with Business-to-Business (B2B) partner destinations or with legacy systems. For example, instead of making drastic changes to either system, the API Gateway can make files available for upload to the other system. The added benefit is that the files are exposed to the full compliment of API Gateway message processing filters. This ensures that only properly validated files are uploaded to the target system.

The File Upload filter is available from the Routing category of filters in the Policy Studio. This topic describes how to configure the fields on the File Upload filter dialog.

General Settings

Configure the following general settings:

Name:

Enter a descriptive name for this filter.

Host:

Enter the name of the host machine on which the file transfer server is running.

Port:

Enter the port number to connect to the file transfer server. Defaults to 21.

Username:

Enter the username to connect to the file transfer server.

Password:

Specify the password for this user.

File Details

Configure the following fields in the File details section:

Filename:

The message body (in the content.body message attribute) is stored using this filename on the destination file transfer server. The default value of ${id}.out enables you to use the unique identifier associated with each message processed by the API Gateway. When this value is specified, messages are stored in individual files on the file transfer server according to their unique message identifier.

Directory:

Specify the directory where this file will be stored on the destination file transfer server.

Use temporary file name during upload:

This option specifies whether to use a temporary file name of ${id}.part when the file is uploading to the file transfer server. When the file has uploaded, it then uses the filename specified in this filter (for example, the default ${id}.out filename). This prevents an incomplete file from being uploaded. This option is selected by default.

[Important] Important

You must deselect this option if the file transfer server is the API Gateway. For example, this option applies when the API Gateway uploads to a file transfer server, and then another server (possibly API Gateway) polls the file transfer server for new files to process. The poller server is configured to consume *.xml files and ignores the temporary file. When the upload is complete, the file is renamed and the poller sees the new file to process.

Connection Type

The fields configured in the Connection Type section determine the type of file transfer connection. Select the FTP connection type from the drop-down list:

  • FTP - File Transfer Protocol

  • FTPS - FTP over SSL

  • SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol

FTP and FTPS Connections

The following general settings apply to FTP and FTPS connections:

Passive transfer mode:

Select this option to prevent problems caused by opening outgoing ports in the firewall relative to the file transfer server (for example, when using active FTP connections). This is selected by default.

File Type:

Select ASCII mode for sending text-based data, or Binary mode for sending binary data over the file transfer connection. Defaults to ASCII mode.

FTPS Connections

The following security settings apply to FTPS connections only:

SSL Protocol:

Enter the SSL protocol used (for example, SSL or TLS). Defaults to SSL.

Implicit:

When this option is selected, security is automatically enabled as soon as the File Upload client makes a connection to the remote file transfer service. No clear text is passed between the client and server at any time. In this case, a specific port is used for secure connections (990). This option is not selected by default.

Explicit:

When this option is selected, the remote file transfer service must explicitly request security from the File Upload client, and negotiate the required security. If the file transfer service does not request security, the client can allow the file transfer service to continue insecure or refuse and/or limit the connection. This option is selected by default.

Trusted Certificates:

To connect to a remote file server over SSL, you must trust that server's SSL certificate. When you have imported this certificate into the Certificate Store, you can select it on the Trusted Certificates tab.

Client Certificates:

If the remote file server requires the File Upload client to present an SSL certificate to it during the SSL handshake for mutual authentication, you must select this certificate from the list on the Client Certificates tab. This certificate must have a private key associated with it that is also stored in the Certificate Store.

SFTP Connections

The following security settings apply to SFTP connections only:

Present following key for authentication:

Click the button on the right, and select a previously configured key to be used for authentication from the tree. To add a key, right-click the Key Pairs node, and select Add. Alternatively, you can import key pairs under the Certificates and Keys node in the Policy Studio tree. For more details, see the topic on Manage certificates and keys.

SFTP host must present key with the following finger print:

Enter the fingerprint of the public key that the SFTP host must present (for example, 43:51:43:a1:b5:fc:8b:b7:0a:3a:a9:b1:0f:66:73:a8).