Discover how a bimodal integration strategy can address the major data management challenges facing your organization today.
Get the Report →Create FTP-Connected Nintex Workflows
Use CData Connect Server to connect to FTP from Nintex Workflow Cloud and build custom workflows using live FTP data.
Nintex Workflow Cloud is a cloud-based platform where you can design workflows to automate simple or complex processes using drag-and-drop interactions — without writing any code. When paired with CData Connect Server, you get instant, cloud-to-cloud access to FTP data for business applications. This article shows how to create a virtual database for FTP in Connect Server and build a simple workflow from FTP data in Nintex.
CData Connect Server provides a pure SQL Server interface for FTP, allowing you to build workflows from live FTP data in Nintex Workflow Cloud — without replicating the data to a natively supported database. Nintex allows you to access data directly using SQL queries. Using optimized data processing out of the box, CData Connect Server pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc.) directly to FTP, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return the requested FTP data.
Create a Virtual SQL Server Database for FTP Data
CData Connect Server uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources and generate APIs.
- Log into Connect Server and click Connections.
- Select "FTP" from Available Data Sources.
-
Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to FTP.
To connect to FTP or SFTP servers, specify at least RemoteHost and FileProtocol. Specify the port with RemotePort.
Set User and Password to perform Basic authentication. Set SSHAuthMode to use SSH authentication. See the Getting Started section of the data provider help documentation for more information on authenticating via SSH.
Set SSLMode and SSLServerCert to secure connections with SSL.
The data provider lists the tables based on the available folders in your FTP server. Set the following connection properties to control the relational view of the file system:
- RemotePath: Set this to the current working directory.
- TableDepth: Set this to control the depth of folders to list as views.
- FileRetrievalDepth: Set this to retrieve and list files recursively from the root table.
Stored Procedures are available to download files, upload files, and send protocol commands. See the Data Model chapter of the FTP data provider documentation for more information.
- Click Save Changes
- Click Privileges -> Add and add the new user (or an existing user) with the appropriate permissions.
With the virtual database created, you are ready to connect to FTP data from Nintex.
Connect to FTP in Nintex
The steps below outline creating a new connection for access to FTP CData Connect Server from Nintex to create a new FTP data source.
- Log into Nintex Workflow Cloud
- In the Connections tab, click "Add new"
- Select SQL Server as the connector and click "Connect"
- In the SQL Server connection wizard, set the following properties:
- Connection Name: name the connection (e.g., CData Connect Server FTP Connection)
- Username: your Connect Server username
- Password: your Connect Server password
- Database Host: your Connect Server SQL Server endpoint (e.g., connect_server_url)
- Database Name: the virtual FTP database (e.g., FTP1)
- Click "Connect"
- Configure the connection permissions and click "Save permissions"
Create a Simple FTP Workflow
With the connection to CData Connect Server configured, we are ready to build a simple workflow to access FTP data. Start by clicking the "Create workflow" button.
Configure the Start Event Action
- Click the start event task and select the "Form" event
- Click "Design form"
- Drag a "Text - Long" element onto the Form and click the element to configure it
- Set "Title" to "Enter SQL query"
- Set "Required" to true
- Drag a "Text - Short" element onto the Form and click the element to configure it
- Set "Title" to "Enter desired result column"
- Set "Required" to true
Configure an "Execute a Query" Action
- Add an "Execute a query" action after the "Start event: Form" action and click to configure the action
- Set "SQL Script" to the "Enter SQL Query" variable from the "Start event" action
- Set "Column to retrieve" to the "Enter desired result column" variable from the "Start event" action
- Set "Retrieved column" to a new variable (e.g., "values")
Configure a "Send an Email" Action
- Add a "Send an email" action after the "Execute a query" action and click to configure the action
- Set the "Recipient email address"
- Set the "Subject"
- Set the "Message body" to the variable created for the retrieved column
Once you configure the actions, click "Save," name the Workflow, and click "Save" again. You now have a simple workflow that will query FTP using SQL and send an email with the results.
To learn more about SQL data access to 200+ SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources directly from your cloud applications, check out the CData Connect Server. Sign up for a free trial and reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.