File Transfer Job Details

Theme: Configure
Who Is It For? Automation Engineer

What Is It?

The information in this section applies to defining a File Transfer job. The text fields in the graphical interfaces support OpCon token replacement. Properties are resolved as the SAM prepares to send the job to the agent. For additional information about the SMA File Transfer process, refer to File Transfer Jobs.

danger

If the agents and the machines involved in the file transfer are not properly configured, the file transfer job fails. For more information, refer to File Transfer Settings. These settings are commingled with the agent's Job Output Retrieval System (JORS) parameters. For additional information, refer to the agent online help for the desired platform. For more on the JORS Port Number and viewing job output, refer to Viewing a Job Output File.

note

Machine definition for Primary and Alternate machines and Machine Groups is not available for File Transfer Job Details.

File Information

• Machine (Source): Defines the machine with the source file to transfer. Only the machines enabled for file transfer can be defined for this value. Refer to File Transfer Settings

• User (Source): Defines the Batch User ID with access to the file on the Source machine. Define "N/A" if the platform does not require a user. OpCon Users can only specify Batch User IDs they have privileges to that are defined in Batch User Privileges

• Source File: Defines the full path and file name to transfer

  note

  To use Machine Instance Properties, always fully qualify the property so OpCon resolves the correct values (e.g., [[MI.LSAMPath.Windows1]]). For more information, refer to Fully Qualified Property Name Syntax.

  note

  Regarding the Source File and Destination File information, folders or directory names may not be specified without a file name following them because you cannot transfer a folder to a folder.

  • To achieve a multiple file transfer:
    note

    At the publication of this document, the following platforms support multi-file transfer: Windows and UNIX.

    • Use asterisk (*) as a wildcard to match zero or more characters in the source file name
    • Use question mark (?) as a wildcard to match any single character in the source file name
      note

      Only Windows and UNIX agents support wildcards at this time.

    • Do not use wildcards in the path leading to the group of files to transfer
      note

      Continuous uses gzip for packaging multiple files, and some platforms may limit the file size to 2GB while others allow much larger sizes. For more on gzip, please visit http://www.gzip.org/.

    • If you use wildcards for the source file and the source machine does not support the feature, the job will fail
      note

      The multiple file transfer feature does not include transferring subdirectories. It only transfers the matching individual files names in the directory specified.

• Machine (Destination): Defines the machine that will receive the file. Only the machines enabled for file transfer can be defined for this value. Refer to File Transfer Settings

• User (Destination): Defines the Batch User ID with access to the location on the Destination machine that will receive the file. Define "N/A" if the platform does not require a user. OpCon Users can only specify Batch User IDs they have privileges to that are defined in Batch User Privileges

• Destination File: Defines the full path and file name for the destination

  note

  To use Machine Instance properties, always fully qualify the property so OpCon resolves the correct values (e.g., [[MI.LSAMPath.Windows1]]). For more information, refer to Properties.

  • To achieve a multiple file transfer between two machines that support the feature:

    • Do not use wildcards in the path leading to the group of files to transfer

    • For Windows as destination:

      • Name the destination file with the same wildcard pattern as the source file
      • Use asterisk (*) as a wildcard to match zero or more characters in the file name
      • Use question mark (?) as a wildcard to match any single character in the file name
      Examples when Windows is the Destination

      When transferring from Windows or UNIX to a destination Windows machine, the following combinations of Source and Destination wildcard file names are supported:

      • FILE.TXT may be changed to ANY.RTF
      • ?FILE.TXT may be changed to ?ANY.RTF
      • FIL?XX.TXT may be changed to FILE?YYY.RTF

      The non-wildcard characters may be changed in content and length, as long as the wild card character appears in the same relative position. Also, the suffix may be changed.

      The following combinations of Source and Destination wildcard file names are not supported by the destination Windows agent:

      • C:\path*today.* may not be changed to C:\new\path*back (the number of wildcard characters do not match)
      • FIL*XX.TXT may not be changed to FIL?XX.TXT (the type of wildcard character used does not match)

      Note: If you interchange * and ?, the job will not fail and the file name will only replace one character.

    • For UNIX as destination:

      • Set the destination as the directory for the files to be transferred to

      • Do not define a destination file

        Examples when UNIX is the Destination

        The following example is supported:

        • Source: /tmp/text*

        • Destination: /usr

          The following example is not supported:

        • Source: /tmp/text*

        • Destination: /usr/text* (destination must be a directory)

          Note: Wildcard file transfer only supports the Overwrite option for "When File Exists".

    • If you use wildcards for the destination file and the destination machine does not support the feature, the job will fail

    • You can transfer multiple files from a source that supports multiple file transfer to a destination that does not. To do this, specify a single file name in the destination. The single file created is a gzip file; therefore, Continuous recommends naming the file with an extension of ".tar.gz" (e.g., "myfiles.tar.gz")

note

On File Transfer jobs where an MCP or IBM i machine is the destination machine and the data type is text, the record length of the destination file may be specified. Specify record length by appending a comma to the destination file title, and then the constant "REC=nnnnn" (without quotation marks), where nnnnn is the desired record length.

note

When a specific blocking factor is required on an MCP destination file, the blocking factor will be identified by the string, ",BLK=nnnnnnnn", where nnnnnnnn represents the number of records per block to be declared for the destination file. Currently, the customer indicates the record length by the string, ",REC=nnnnnnnn". The BLK and REC mnemonics are to follow the file title of the destination file, but need not be in any particular order.

note

When UNIX is involved in a wildcard transfer, If File Exists must be set to Overwrite. Also, Encryption and Compression must be set to None.

• Source Data Type: Defines the data type of the file on the source machine. The following are valid options:
  note

  If anything other than Binary is defined as the Source Data Type, the integrity of the file is maintained but the file structure will likely be altered. This is done in an effort to present the transferred file in a user-friendly structure for the given platform.

  • ASCII: Indicates the file is a simple text file in ASCII format. Set this option when the file should explicitly be treated as an ASCII file
  • Binary: Indicates the file's structure should be left intact during the transfer process. This option must be set for all non-text files. Additionally, this option should be set for text files being transferred between platforms with different text types when the file structure should be left in the original form
  • Default text: Indicates that the SMA File Transfer Agent and Server should use the default text data type for the platform when working with the file. Set this option when the file is a known text file, but it is unknown if the file is ASCII or EBCDIC
  • EBCDIC: Indicates a text file that uses the Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code format. (For example, the MCP and IBM i platforms use this text type.) Set this option when the file should explicitly be treated as an EBCDIC file
• Destination Data Type: Defines the final data type of the file that will be transferred to the destination machine. This data type is available to support cross-platform file transfers that may require translation from one text type to another
  • ASCII: Indicates the file should be written to the Destination Machine as a simple text file in ASCII format. Set this option when the file should explicitly be written as an ASCII file
  • Binary: Indicates the file's structure should be left intact during the transfer process. This option must be set if the Source Data Type is set to Binary, but this option is invalid if the Source Data Type is anything other than Binary
  • Default text: Indicates that the SMA File Transfer Agent and Server should use the default text data type for the platform when working with the file. Set this option when the file is a known text file, but it is unknown if the file is ASCII or EBCDIC and must be readable on the Destination Machine
  • EBCDIC: Indicates the file should be written to the Destination Machine as a text file that uses the Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code format (e.g., the MCP and IBM i platforms use this text type). Set this option when the file should explicitly be written as an EBCDIC file
• If File Exists: Determines how the SMAFT Agent behaves when a target file exists. The following are valid options:
  • Do Not Overwrite: Indicates the SMAFT Agent checks for the existence of the file on the destination machine before starting the transfer. The job fails if the file exists; otherwise, the job proceeds
  • Overwrite: Indicates the SMAFT Agent transfers the file while overwriting any existing file on the destination machine
  • Backup then Overwrite: Indicates the SMAFT Agent checks for the existence of the file on the destination machine before starting transfer. If it exists, the file is copied as <filename>.bak (in the same directory) and the original file is then overwritten. If the file does not exist on the destination machine, a new file is created
  • Append: Indicates the SMAFT Agent will append the source file to the destination file. If the destination file does not exist, a new file is created with destination filename
  • Backup then Append: Indicates the SMAFT Agent checks for existence of the file on the destination machine before starting transfer. If it exists, the file is copied as <filename>.bak (in the same directory) and the source file is appended to the original destination file. If the file does not exist on the destination machine, a new file is created
• Delete Source File: Determines if the deletion of the Source File is disabled, required, or preferred. Only the Windows agent supports this feature at this time (other platforms will follow). The following are valid options:
  • No: Indicates the Source File will not be deleted upon successful completion of the file transfer
  • Required: Indicates the SMAFT job will fail if the Source file is not deleted upon successful completion of the file transfer
  • Preferred: Indicates the deletion of the Source File is attempted upon successful completion of the file transfer. The result of the attempt to delete the source file does not affect the final status of the job
    note

    z/OS does support the "delete source file" option when z/OS is the destination. It is not supported when z/OS is the source.

• Maximum Transfer Rate (kbits/second): Defines the transfer rate for the job. Valid values include 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, and >2048 kbits/second
• Compression: Determines if compression is disabled, required, or preferred. Supported compression types are tar, gzip, and zip. The following are valid options:
  • <None>: Indicates the transfer does not use compression
  • Required: Indicates the transfer job fails if compression does not occur
  • Preferred: Indicates compression is attempted during the transfer. The result of the compression attempt does not affect the final status of the job
    caution

    Both the agent and the server must both support the same compression type for compression to succeed.

• Encryption: Determines if encryption is disabled, required, or preferred. Supported encryption types are 3DES, AES, and DES. The following are valid options:
  • <None>: Indicates the transfer does not use encryption
  • Required: Indicates the job fails if encryption does not occur
  • Preferred: Indicates encryption is attempted during the transfer. The result of the encryption attempt does not affect the final status of the job
    caution

    Both the agent and the server must both support the same encryption type for the encryption to succeed.

• Start Transfer On: Determines where the job will start. This is important for sites where one machine may be on the outside of a firewall. File transfers across a firewall should start on the Source machine if possible. Contact your firewall administrator to open the required File Transfer Ports. No matter which machine the job starts on, the file transfer port for that machine must be open on the firewall. For more information, refer to File Transfer Settings
  • This field is enabled only if both machines in the File Transfer Information have upgraded agents that support starting the transfer on the Source machine
    note

    Each upgraded agent must communicate with the OpCon server to send a message indicating it can start the transfer on the Source machine.

  • If the agents are not yet upgraded, this field is disabled and the job will start on the Destination machine
  • The valid options include:
    • Source Machine: Choose this option to start the job on the Source machine
    • Destination Machine (Default selection): Choose this option to start the job on the Destination machine
• TLS Security Override: Determines if TLS Security for file transfers is disabled, required, or preferred. The following are valid options:
  • <None>: Indicates that TLS Security should not be used by the SMAFT Agent when connecting to the SMAFT Server
  • Required: Indicates that the SMAFT Agent must use TLS Security; otherwise, the job will be failed
  • Preferred (Default): Indicates that the OpCon job request assembly routine uses the SMAFT Server Port numbers and the SMAFT Server/Agent TLS Capability flags to decide what value to send in the TLS Security Mode field

note

When the TLS Security Override field is left at Preferred status, the OpCon job start request build routine will compare the SMAFT Server/Agent Port number fields and the SMAFT Server/Agent Capable Flags of the two machine records to determine if TLS Security can be supported. If the settings suggest TLS can be supported, it uses TLS; otherwise, it uses an unsecured connection.

To require TLS Security, both the SMAFT Server and the SMAFT Agent must indicate they can support TLS Security. Otherwise, the choice must be to request an unsecured (non-TLS) connection between the two.

Security Considerations

Authorization

OpCon Users can only specify Batch User IDs they have privileges to for the Source and Destination machine users. Batch User Privileges, which define the OS-level credentials used to access source and destination file locations, are managed separately in Batch User Privileges.

Data Security

The Encryption field controls whether file transfer data is encrypted in transit. Supported encryption types are 3DES, AES, and DES. Setting Encryption to Required causes the job to fail if encryption cannot be negotiated; setting it to Preferred attempts encryption without failing the job if unsupported. Both the agent and the server must support the same encryption type for encryption to succeed.

The TLS Security Override field controls TLS Security for the SMAFT connection independently of the OpCon Job Scheduling and JORS services. Setting TLS Security Override to Required means the SMAFT Agent must use TLS Security or the job fails. The default Preferred setting causes OpCon to compare the SMAFT Server/Agent port numbers and TLS Capability flags to determine whether TLS can be supported.

For file transfers that cross a firewall, the transfer should start on the Source machine if possible, and the file transfer port for the starting machine must be open on the firewall.

Options

The following table lists the agent platforms supporting SMA File Transfer and the options each platform supports.

IBM i File Transfer Options Support

Supported Options	Supported Values
Source Data Type	ASCII EBCDIC Default Text Binary
Destination Data Type	ASCII EBCDIC Default Text Binary
If File Exists	All
Delete Source File	All
Maximum Transfer Rate	All
Start Transfer On	All

MCP File Transfer Options Support

Supported Options	Supported Values
Source Data Type	ASCII EBCDIC Default Text Binary
Destination Data Type	ASCII EBCDIC Default Text Binary
If File Exists	All
Maximum Transfer Rate	All
Start Transfer On	All

OS220 File Transfer Options Support

Supported Options	Supported Values
Source Data Type	ASCII Default Text
Destination Data Type	ASCII Default Text
If File Exists	All
Maximum Transfer Rate	All
Start Transfer On	Destination

UNIX File Transfer Options Support

Supported Options	Supported Values
Source Data Type	ASCII Default Text Binary
Destination Data Type	ASCII Default Text Binary
If File Exists	Single File: All Wild Card: Overwrite
Delete Source File	All
Maximum Transfer Rate	All
Compression	Single File: All Wild Card: None
Encryption	Single File: All Wild Card: None
Start Transfer On	All

Windows File Transfer Options Support

Supported Options	Supported Values
Source Data Type	ASCII Default Text Binary
Destination Data Type	ASCII Default Text Binary
If File Exists	All
Delete Source File	All
Maximum Transfer Rate	All
Compression	All
Encryption	All
Start Transfer On	All
TLS Security Overwrite	All

z/OS File Transfer Options Support

Supported Options	Supported Values
Source Data Type	ASCII EBCDIC Default Text Binary
Destination Data Type	ASCII EBCDIC Default Text Binary
If File Exists	All
Maximum Transfer Rate	All
Start Transfer On	Destination

Failure Criteria

• Fails if "Preferred" settings not satisfied: Determines if the job should fail when the file transfer itself succeeds, but the transfer did not comply with the preferred settings for Delete Source File, Compression, and Encryption

Configuration Options

Setting	What It Does	Default	Notes
User (Source)	Defines the Batch User ID with access to the file on the Source machine.	—	—
Source File	Defines the full path and file name to transfer	—	—
User (Destination)	Defines the Batch User ID with access to the location on the Destination machine that will receive the file.	—	—
Destination File	Defines the full path and file name for the destination	—	—
Source Data Type	Defines the data type of the file on the source machine.	—	must be set for all non-text files. Additionally, this option should be set for text fil
Destination Data Type	Defines the final data type of the file that will be transferred to the destination machine.	—	must be set if the Source Data Type is set to Binary, but this option is invalid if the
Delete Source File	Determines if the deletion of the Source File is disabled, required, or preferred.	—	Valid values include 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, and >2048 kbits/second. - Compression: Determines if com
Maximum Transfer Rate (kbits/second)	Defines the transfer rate for the job.	—	Valid values include 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, and >2048 kbits/second. - Compression: Determines if com
Compression	Determines if compression is disabled, required, or preferred.	—	—
Encryption	Determines if encryption is disabled, required, or preferred.	—	must be open on the firewall. For more information, refer to [File Transfer Settings](..
Start Transfer On	Determines where the job will start.	selection	must be open on the firewall. For more information, refer to [File Transfer Settings](..
TLS Security Override	Determines if TLS Security for file transfers is disabled, required, or preferred.	—	must be to request an unsecured (non-TLS) connection between the two.
Fails if "Preferred" settings not satisfied	Determines if the job should fail when the file transfer itself succeeds, but the transfer did not comply with the preferred settings for Delete Sourc...	—	—

Operations

Monitoring

• File transfer jobs fail if agents and machines are not properly configured with File Transfer Settings. These settings are co-mingled with the agent's JORS parameters. Verify machine records have correct SMAFT port numbers and that required firewall ports are open.
• When TLS Security Override is set to Required, both the SMAFT Server and SMAFT Agent machine records must indicate TLS support; if either lacks TLS capability, the job cannot start.
• The Fails if "Preferred" settings not satisfied flag causes the job to fail even when the transfer completes successfully if the preferred settings for Delete Source File, Compression, or Encryption were not met.

Common Tasks

• Set Maximum Transfer Rate to control bandwidth consumption (valid values: 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, and >2048 kbits/second); leave blank or set to the maximum when bandwidth is not a concern.
• For multi-file transfers (Windows and UNIX only), use * (matches zero or more characters) or ? (matches any single character) as wildcards in the Source File name. Do not use wildcards in the directory path portion.
• Set Start Transfer On to control whether the transfer connection is initiated from the Source or Destination machine (default: Destination); change to Source when firewall rules require connections to originate from the source side.

Alerts and Log Files

• When Compression is set to Required, verify that both the SMAFT agent and server support a common compression format (tar, gzip, or zip); mismatches cause the transfer to fail.
• When Encryption is set to Required, verify that both the SMAFT agent and server support a common encryption type (3DES, AES, or DES); mismatches cause the transfer to fail.
• Wildcard source file transfers fail if the source machine's agent does not support the multi-file transfer feature. Confirm platform support in the agent documentation before using wildcards.

Exception Handling

Improperly configured SMAFT agents or machines cause file transfer jobs to fail — If the agents or machines involved in a file transfer do not have File Transfer Settings properly configured, the transfer job will fail — Configure File Transfer Settings on both the source and destination machines in OpCon, including the JORS port number, and ensure the required port is open on any firewall between the machines.

Wildcard source file used on a machine that does not support multi-file transfer — If the source machine does not support wildcard file transfers and a wildcard is specified in the Source File field, the job fails — Only use wildcards when both the source machine's agent supports multi-file transfer; verify platform support in the agent documentation.

Compression fails when agent and server do not support the same compression type — When Compression is set to Required, the transfer will fail if the SMAFT agent and server do not both support the same compression type (tar, gzip, or zip) — Verify that both the agent and the server support a common compression format before setting Compression to Required.

Encryption fails when agent and server do not support the same encryption type — When Encryption is set to Required, the transfer will fail if the SMAFT agent and server do not both support the same encryption type (3DES, AES, or DES) — Verify that both the agent and the server support a common encryption format before setting Encryption to Required.

TLS Security set to Required fails if either machine does not support TLS — When TLS Security Override is set to Required, both the SMAFT Server and the SMAFT Agent must indicate TLS support in their machine records; if either lacks TLS capability, the job cannot start — Set TLS Security Override to Preferred to allow OpCon to negotiate TLS automatically, or confirm that both machine records have the correct SMAFT port numbers and TLS Capable flags set.

FAQs

Q: Can a file transfer job fail even if the transfer completes successfully?

Yes. If the "Fails if Preferred settings not satisfied" option is enabled, the job will fail when the transfer succeeds but did not comply with the preferred settings for Delete Source File, Compression, or Encryption.

Q: Where does a file transfer connection initiate from?

By default, the transfer connection is initiated from the Destination machine (Start Transfer On = Destination). This can be changed to start from the Source machine depending on network and firewall requirements.

Q: What data types are supported for file transfers?

File transfers support ASCII, EBCDIC, Default Text, and Binary data types for both source and destination files.

Glossary

JORS (Job Output Retrieval System): The system used to retrieve and display job output — logs and reports — from agent machines directly within the OpCon graphical interfaces.

TLS (Transport Layer Security): An encryption protocol used to secure TCP/IP communications between SMANetCom and agents, ensuring that job start and status data is transmitted safely.

SAM (Schedule Activity Monitor): The logical processor for OpCon workflow automation. SAM monitors schedule and job start times, dependencies, and user commands to determine job execution timing, and processes OpCon events.

LSAM (Local Schedule Activity Monitor): An agent installed on a target platform that runs jobs in the native language of that platform and communicates results back to SAM via SMANetCom over TCP/IP.

Token (Global Property): A named value stored in the OpCon database, referenced in job definitions and events using [[PropertyName]] syntax. Tokens pass dynamic values — such as dates, file paths, or counts — into automation workflows.

Privilege: A specific permission granted through an OpCon role that controls access to a feature, function, or object type. Privileges are organized into categories such as Function Privileges, Machine Privileges, Schedule Privileges, and Access Codes.

Machine: A platform defined in the OpCon database that has an agent installed. OpCon routes job execution requests to machines via SMANetCom, and machines report job completion status back to SAM.

Job: The fundamental unit of work in OpCon. A job defines what to run, on which machine, when to start, and what conditions must be met. Job results are tracked and can trigger events and notifications.