Automated SFTP Import

Have DATANORM files collected from an SFTP server automatically, processed and archived.

How it works

Many suppliers put their files on an SFTP server. The app collects them from there so nobody has to upload anything.

Because Business Central online cannot open SFTP connections itself, the connection runs through an Azure Function acting as an intermediary. Business Central talks to the function over HTTPS, the function talks to the SFTP server.

This connector service is not part of the app. solutioo provides and sets it up separately on request, at additional cost. Without it, files are imported manually – see Manual Import.

1

Poll

The job queue polls the inbound folder at a fixed interval.

2

Download

New files matching the name filter are transferred in chunks.

3

Process

An import session is created for each file. From there the flow matches the Import Process.

4

Archive

After processing, the file is moved to the archive folder or deleted.

Configuration

Open DATANORM SFTP Setup.

General

Field	Meaning
Enabled	Switches automatic collection on. Leave it off until all other values are correct.
Polling Interval (Minutes)	How often the inbound folder is checked.

SFTP Connection

Field	Meaning
SFTP Host	Server name or IP address.
SFTP Port	Server port, usually 22.
SFTP Username	User for signing in.
SFTP Password	Password. Stored encrypted and never shown in clear text.

Folders

Field	Meaning
Base Folder Path	Root directory on the server.
Inbound Folder	Folder where new files are expected.
Archive Folder	Destination for processed files.
File Name Filter	Pattern for the files to collect, for example DATANORM.*. Prevents unrelated files from being read.
Delete After Import	Deletes the file after processing instead of archiving it.

Azure Function

Field	Meaning
Azure Function URL	Address of the intermediary function.
Azure Function API Key	Key for access. Stored encrypted.
Max Chunk Size (KB)	Size of the transfer chunks. Smaller chunks are more robust on unstable connections.

Status

Field	Meaning
Last Polling Time	When the last poll happened.
Last Polling Status	Result or error message of the last poll.

Bringing it into service

1

Enter the connection details

Host, port, user, password plus the URL and key of the Azure Function.

2

Test the connection

Use the connection test action to check that the server and the function are reachable.

3

Look at the files

DATANORM SFTP Files shows what is in the inbound folder. That lets you verify the name filter before anything is processed.

4

Set up the job queue

Create the entry for the automatic import and set the interval.

5

Enable

Only now switch Enabled on.

Make the name filter as narrow as possible. Without a filter the app reads every file in the inbound folder – including covering letters or price lists in other formats, which then show up as failed sessions.

Automatic import does not replace the staging review. As long as Auto-Sync to Items is off, collected files wait for your approval. That is the recommended way to run it.

Vendor on SFTP import

Automatically collected files get the default vendor from the setup, because nobody is there to confirm a dialog. If you collect files from several suppliers, check the assignment on the import session and correct it with Assign Vendor where needed, see Manual Import and Vendor Assignment.