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Connect to ftp

Function: Connect to FTP​

This function allows you to establish a secure connection to an FTP or SFTP server. Once connected, you can perform various file operations like uploading, downloading, or managing files and folders on the remote server.

Input,

  • Protocol: (Selection) Choose the secure protocol for connection. Options are SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) or FTPS (FTP Secure).
    • Required: Yes
    • Default: SFTP
  • Authentication: (Selection) Select how you want to prove your identity to the server. Options are Use a username & password to authenticate or Use a public & private key to authenticate.
    • Required: Yes
    • Default: Use a username & password to authenticate
  • Username: (Text) The username required to log in to the remote server.
    • Required: No
  • Password: (Password) The password associated with your username, or the passphrase for your private key if using public/private key authentication.
    • Required: No
  • Private key: (Password) The private key content used for authentication if you chose the public/private key method.
    • Required: No
  • Remote host: (Text) The address of the FTP/SFTP server (e.g., ftp.example.com or an IP address).
    • Required: Yes
  • Port: (Number) The port number on the remote server to connect to. Standard ports are 21 for FTP, 990 for FTPS (explicit), and 22 for SFTP.
    • Required: No
  • Remote directory: (Text) An optional starting directory on the remote server. If left empty, it connects to the root directory.
    • Required: No

Output,

  • Folder to read: (Folder) This output will hold the reference to the connected remote folder, allowing subsequent actions to interact with it.
    • Default: FTP_FOLDER
  • The status: (Status) This output will indicate the success or failure of the connection attempt. It will be "SUCCESS" if the connection is established, or "CONNECTION_FAILED" if there was an issue.
    • Default: FTP_STATUS

Execution Flow,

Real-Life Examples,

Example 1: Connecting to an SFTP server with Username and Password

  • Scenario: Your company uses an SFTP server to receive daily sales reports from a partner. You need to connect to this server to download the latest report.
  • Inputs:
    • Protocol: SFTP
    • Authentication: Use a username & password to authenticate
    • Username: sales_partner
    • Password: MySecureP@ssw0rd
    • Remote host: sftp.partnercompany.com
    • Port: 22
    • Remote directory: /daily_reports
  • Result: The function successfully connects to sftp.partnercompany.com on port 22, specifically to the /daily_reports folder, using the provided username and password. The FTP_FOLDER output will contain a reference to this remote directory, and FTP_STATUS will be SUCCESS. You can then use other actions to list or download files from this folder.

Example 2: Connecting to an FTPS server to upload marketing materials

  • Scenario: You need to upload new marketing brochures to your website's secure FTP server.
  • Inputs:
    • Protocol: FTPS
    • Authentication: Use a username & password to authenticate
    • Username: webmaster
    • Password: WebM@sterPass
    • Remote host: ftp.mywebsite.com
    • Port: (Leave empty, the system will use the standard FTPS port)
    • Remote directory: /public_html/marketing
  • Result: The function establishes a secure FTPS connection to ftp.mywebsite.com, logging in as webmaster and navigating to the /public_html/marketing directory. The FTP_FOLDER output will be ready for further file operations, and FTP_STATUS will be SUCCESS.

Example 3: Connecting to an SFTP server using a Private Key for automated backups

  • Scenario: An automated process needs to connect to a backup server via SFTP using a private key for enhanced security, without requiring a password.
  • Inputs:
    • Protocol: SFTP
    • Authentication: Use a public & private key to authenticate
    • Username: backup_user
    • Password: (Leave empty, as the private key is not passphrase-protected)
    • Private key: -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----\n... \(your base64 encoded key content\) ...\n-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
    • Remote host: sftp.backupstorage.net
    • Port: 22
    • Remote directory: /server_backups/database
  • Result: The function successfully connects to sftp.backupstorage.net using the backup_user and the provided private key, accessing the /server_backups/database folder. The FTP_FOLDER output will be available for backup operations, and FTP_STATUS will be SUCCESS.