Configuring and Testing SFTP

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  • List and explain the methods for automating integrations with secure file transfer protocols..
  • Create, edit, and view a connector end point for SFTP integrations..
  • Create and test an SFTP subscription.

Three Methods

Integrations at SAP Fieldglass consist of two overall components; the code to extract or populate the data (the connector) and the method for which the data file is passed to or from SAP Fieldglass to an external system.

SAP Fieldglass uses 3 different methods of file transfer:

Manual, which is an integration that is done within the User Interface. The manual transfer method simply means that the upload or download will be run manually through the UI by a user.

This is done directly in the Admin menu, under the Integration section: Download Data or Upload Data.

There you are able to select the file and connector you want to up or download and confirm the integration under the Integration Audit Trail.

  • SFTP (secure file transfer protocol), in which a data file is placed onto a client hosted server.
  • Web Service, in which SAP Fieldglass is configured and connected either directly to the client system or to middleware.
Image illustrating the three methods of transferring data between SAP Fieldglass and other ERP systems

SFTP

With SFTP, SAP Fieldglass sends or receives the file to/from the customer's file server, connecting with exchanged credentials, to a specified folder location with a given name on a schedule, called a subscription.

There are three components for SFTP transferred integrations:

  1. the connector itself (the code to extract or populate the specified data)
  2. the End Point (the server location, access credentials, and file details), and
  3. the Subscription (connecting the connector and end point while also scheduling the job).
Image showing how SFTP moves a connector to a subscript to an end point before going into the other ERP system.

Creating, Viewing, and Editing Connector End Points

SFTP integrations utilize what are called End Points. End points define the properties of the server that SAP Fieldglass will communicate with to complete the SFTP integration.

End Points must be set up for each connector file to be retrieved or placed on the SFTP server. Setting up an End Point defines the server, its access and authentication credentials, the specific port used to access the server, file location, and file name, as well as any encoding.

Image showing the position of the End Point between the connector/subscription and the other ERP system

Create a Connector End Point

Here’s how you would create a connector End Point for an SFTP integration with WorkingNet.

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Viewing a Connector End Point

Once you have set up your end point, you are able to view and maintain end points via the End Points tile.

From here you can view the details of all connector end points set up for the company, as well as create, edit, copy, deactivate, and remove the end point.

Screenshot of the Integration End Point List View
Screenshot of the Integration End Point Details Page with Modification Log highlighted
Screenshot of an Integration End Point Modification Log with Edit button highlighted
Screenshot of Integration End Point Edit Page with highlights on Basic and SFTP Setup areas
1In the End Point List, you can sort by active, inactive, or all End Points, or by the End Point ID. Here, the WRKT_PUT_Security_Worker_Download is selected.
2On the Details tab the SFTP Setup will be displayed on this page. You are able to see the Username, host, and port to which the SFTP is configured, as well as the script and any additional settings.
3The Modification Log tab shows the details of when an end point was created, modified, enabled, or disabled. You can also edit, copy, remove, or activate/deactivate the End Point by clicking the appropriate button at the top right of the page.
4The Basic Setup information -the ID, Category, and Activity - cannot be changed. If any of these details must be changed, you'll need to create a new endpoint.
5You can only make changes to SFTP Setup itself, such as the Host, Port, Authentication Type, and Additional Details, like encoding and the Time Zone.

Subscriptions

A subscription is the SAP Fieldglass service that triggers data transfer on a predefined schedule.

The subscription sends or retrieves a connector to or from a specified location—such as WorkingNet’s servers—and links the connector with the end point, acting as the conduit for an SFTP transferred integration.

Create a New Subscription

Setting up an SFTP subscription occurs in the Connectivity step in the Connector Setup Wizard - or by utilizing the Integration Subscription tile within the Self-Service dashboard.

Starting within the Connector Setup Wizard, here’s how you’d create a new subscription to integrate the Active Worker Single Line Download connector for WorkingNet.

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Test and Maintain an SFTP Integration

Here’s how to test the subscription and end point.

Please note that the connector, end point, and subscription must be enabled before you can test.

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