File channels

Process Server FileChannels provide the ability to get information from local or remote files, which, along with information on FileReceivers (receivers under a FileChannel), provision workunits to be triggered.
Note: 
  • The file channel will only be automatically deactivated if connection failures occur continuously at least 10 times within a 1-hour period since the first failure. If there was a successful connection in between, the failure count and time are reset.
  • Only the file channels experiencing this issue will be deactivated.
  • Deactivated file channels can be manually reactivated once the issue with the SFTP server is resolved.

Monitored information

When you configure a file channel, you can specify the information supplied to a workunit which determines how the workunit is created.

This table shows options and their high level descriptions:

Option Description
File name If File Name is specified, a single workunit is created and triggered. The file name only is included in the WorkunitInputData associated with the workunit.
File data If File Data is specified, a single workunit is created and triggered. The data contained in the file is included in the WorkunitInputData associated with the workunit.
File line If File Line is specified, a workunit is created and triggered for each line in the file, and the line content is included in the WorkunitInputData associated with the workunit.

Monitored directory

When you configure a file channel, specify a directory to monitor for files that are awaiting processing.

FileReceivers carry the information needed to select and process particular files detected in the directory specified by its parent FileChannel. The Process Server channel administrator instantiates and runs a single (by data area) file monitor to actively monitor file directories specified by FileChannels for active FileReceivers.

See Wild cards.

Error and processed directories

An error file directory must also be specified on the FileChannel. Files that are not processed successfully are moved from the monitored directory to the error file directory and deleted from the monitored directory.

A processed file directory can also be specified on the FileChannel but is not required. Files that have been processed successfully are moved from the monitored directory to the processed directory. If a processed file directory is not specified, files that have been processed successfully are deleted from the monitored directory without being saved.

These are additional information about error and processed directories:

  • Files that are moved to error or processed directories can overlay existing files.

  • The error and processed file directories must be local. Infor Process Automation does not support specifying a location on a remote server. This setup is possible for a monitored directory.