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The following example describes the configuration of a simple file transfer with basic - i.e. password - authentication.

To keep the example simple, the FTP protocol is used and the transfer involves copying files from a remote server to the local file system.

The transfer configuration is described here uses using the XML element based configuration introduced with Release 1.11 of JADE. See our JADE Tutorials for a description of the configuration of a similar example using the Settings parameters that could be applied for version before 1.11.

An A configuration example that copies files from the online SOS Demo server to the local file system is described in detail on our JADE - XML Configuration - Sample Files page. The An XML configuration file for this example can be downloaded and used to get JADE is available for download and intended to help get the example up and running as quickly as possible.

Configuration Tool

We recommend using our XML Editor to generate the configuration file. This editor uses the JADE XSD schema as a guide through each stage of the process, controlling the elements that can be be specified and then validating the configuration.

Using the editor will significantly reduce the possibility of configuration errors.

Alternatively, a text editor can be used to write the configuration file manually.

Configuration Steps

The configuration described in this example is the simplest realistic file transfer scenario held as simple as possible. More complex file transfer scenarios will be described later.

Configuration Procedure

The procedure involves 3 steps:

1. Configuration of the Fragments - specifying i.e. the protocol, connection and authentication methods to be used for the source and target parts of the operation.
2. Configuration of the Profile , which involves definition of - i.e. the operation to be carried out (e.g. copy or move), the fragments to be used for the source and target fragments to be used as well asparts of the transfer and any specific directories that are to be used.
   • Note that the Profile can also be used to specify other elements such as any notifications to be made or preprocessing that is to be carried out. These will be described later on.

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3. Calling the Configuration and Profile from the command line, a batch file or via the JADE API

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1. .

This means that the possibility of configuration errors is greatly reduced.

1) Fragment Configuration

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Considerations

a) The Remote Source Fragment

The first step in the configuration is to configure the ProtocolFragments to be used for the transfer.

This is an XML element that specifies how the transfer is These are  XML elements that specify how transfers are to be carried out. Protocol fragments are protocol-specific and can be thought of as predefined connection specifications.  They are protocol-specific - the FTP protocol, for example, brings a different set of features and constraints than WebDAV protocol.

Fragments are not generally operation-specific - a fragment could be used as the target for one operation and then as a source for a subsequent one.

Any number of Fragments can be predefined in an XML Configuration. These are then called from the profile element branch as required. 

Fragments are required to be given name attributes, with which they will be referenced from the file transfer Protocol profile as shown in the next step.

The fragment that is to be used for a particular part of the transfer operation is then specified in a profile element.

For the current example a fragment only has to be configured for the source part of the transfer as the transfer target is the local file system.

The XML hierarchy for the FTPFragment for this exercise is identified with a name attribute.example is structured as follows:

• ProtocolFragments (parent element)ProtocolFragments
  
  • FTPFragment (with name attribute)
    
    • BasicConnection
      • Hostname
      • Port number (optional)
    • BasicAuthentication
      • Account
      • Password (optional)

Note that in the XML hierarchy shown above has been simplified through the omission of the majority of the optional elements. 

FTP Transfer Properties

The configuration file for this

2) Configuration of the Profile

XML hierarchy shown above reflects key properties of FTP file transfer:

• Only a basic connection with a host name and optional Port number is possible - URL connections are not possible.

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• Only basic authentication with an Account (i.e. user name) and optional Password is possible: SSH authentication, for example is not possible.

b) The Remote Target Fragment

It is not necessary to define a fragment for the target part of the operation as this takes place locally and the target directory is specified as part of the transfer profile.

2) Profile Configuration Considerations

The second configuration The second step is to define the Profile, which is operation-specific. For example, a Profile for a Move operation requires source and target to be specified where as a Remove operation only requires a source.

The operation in the current example is copy Copy for which a source and a target Fragment elements (CopySource and CopyTarget respectively) have to be specified.Fragments are specified using a reference that is specified as an attribute for the CopySourceFragmentRef and the CopyTargetFragmentRef elements.

The type of fragment to be used for the source part of the transfer - here an FTPFragmentRef element - is specified in the CopySourceFragmentRef element.

The FTP fragment itself is then specified in the FTPFragmentRef element's reference attribute.

In this example, the CopyTargetFragmentRef is used to specify that the target is to be local. The target directory is specified in the Directory element, which is a sibling of the CopyTargetFragmentRef reference element.

The XML for the copy operation from remote to local is structured as follows:

• Profile
  • Operation
    • Copy
      • CopySource
        • CopySourceFragmentRef
          
          • FTPFragmentRef (
          name
          • with ref attribute for FTPFragment)
           
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      • CopyTarget
        • CopyTargetFragmentRef
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        • Directory

The CopySourceFragmentRef element calls the FTPFragment defined in step 1.

• • • • • • LocalTarget
        • Directory

Note that once again the XML hierarchy shown above is simplified through the omission of the majority of optional elementsThe CopyTargetFragmentRef specifies that the target is local and the target directory is specified in a sibling element of the fragment reference element.

3) Calling the ConfigurationProfileConfiguration Profile

The configuration profile is specified with two parameters when JADE called from the command line:

• the name of the XML configuration file and
• the Profile to be used.

Example calls for Windows and Unix systems can be found on our Configuring File Transfers with the JADE Client page.

Further Information

• Configuring File Transfers with the JADE Client
• Authentication
• Parameter Reference

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The configuration for a simple FTP file transfer is shown in the Example JADE Configuration for Simple FTP File Transfer article.

Further Information

• Configuring File Transfers with the JADE Client
• The SOS XML Editor
• Authentication
• Parameter Reference

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