Overview
This node connects to an SFTP server to perform file operations such as downloading files, listing directory contents, deleting files or directories, renaming/moving files or directories, creating directories, and uploading files. It is useful for automating file management tasks on remote SFTP servers, such as backing up files, retrieving data, or organizing remote directories. For example, it can download a file from a remote server and output it as binary data for further processing in a workflow.
Use Case Examples
- Download a file from a remote SFTP server and save it as binary data in the workflow.
- List all files in a remote directory, optionally recursively, to get an overview of the directory contents.
- Delete a file or directory on the remote server as part of a cleanup process.
- Rename or move a file or directory on the remote server to reorganize files.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Path | The remote directory or file path to operate on, such as the directory to list or the file to download. |
| Put Output File in Field | The name of the binary field where the downloaded file's binary data will be stored. |
| Options | Additional options for the download operation, including enabling concurrent reads for faster downloads, maximum concurrent connections, and chunk size for parallel downloads. |
| Additional Fields | Additional optional fields such as a custom file name to override the remote file name for the downloaded file. |
Output
JSON
json- The JSON data output, which varies by operation. For download, it includes the binary file data in the specified binary field. For list, it includes file metadata for each listed file. For other operations, it includes success status or error messages.
Dependencies
- Requires an SFTP server connection with credentials including host, port, username, password or private key, and optional passphrase.
Troubleshooting
- Common errors include specifying a non-existent remote path, attempting to download a directory instead of a file, or lacking permissions on the SFTP server.
- Error messages like 'Path does not exist' or 'Path is a directory, not a file' indicate incorrect path usage and can be resolved by verifying the remote path and operation type.
- Connection errors may occur if credentials are incorrect or the server is unreachable; verify connection details and network access.
Links
- ssh2-sftp-client NPM Package - The underlying library used for SFTP operations in this node.