Bridge FTP Connectivity with Apache NiFi

Apache NiFi supports powerful and scalable directed graphs of data routing, transformation, and system mediation logic. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for FTP, NiFi can work with live FTP data. This article describes how to connect to and query FTP data from an Apache NiFi Flow.

With built-in optimized data processing, the CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live FTP data. When you issue complex SQL queries to FTP, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to FTP and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations client-side (often SQL functions and JOIN operations). Its built-in dynamic metadata querying allows you to work with and analyze FTP data using native data types.

Connecting to FTP Data in Apache NiFi

1. Download the CData JDBC Driver for FTP installer, unzip the package, run the .exe file to install the driver.

2. Copy the CData JDBC Driver JAR file (and license file if it exists), cdata.jdbc.ftp.jar (and cdata.jdbc.ftp.lic), to the Apache NiFi lib subfolder, for example, C:\nifi-1.3.0-bin\nifi-1.3.0\lib.

   On Windows, the default location for the CData JDBC Driver is C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for FTP.

3. Start Apache NiFi by running the run-nifi.bat file in bin subfolder, for example, C:\nifi-1.3.0-bin\nifi-1.3.0\bin.

   (OR)

   Use the command prompt to navigate to the particular directory and run the run-nifi.bat file for example:

   cd C:\nifi-1.3.0-bin\nifi-1.3.0\bin
   .\run-nifi.bat
   

4. Navigate to the Apache NiFi UI in your web browser: It should be https://localhost:8443/nifi.

   Note: If users are utilizing an older version of Apache NiFi, they should access it via http://localhost:8080/nifi. In earlier versions, HTTP was the protocol employed. However, in the most recent version, HTTPS is the standard. By default, HTTP operates on port 8080, while HTTPS uses port 8443.

5. When accessing Apache NiFi via a URL, it prompts you to enter a username and password for login.

   To retrieve login credentials, users should consult the 'App.log' file located within the log directory of their NiFi installation. This file typically contains the necessary details for accessing the NiFi interface.

6. Click the (Configuration) button from the Operate sidebar under the "NiFi Flow" process group.
7. In the NiFi Flow Configuration page, navigate to the "Controller Services" tab.
8. Click the button to create a new controller service.
9. In the Add Controller Service page, select "DBCPConnectionPool", and then click Add.
10. In the Configure Controller Service page, navigate to the "Properties" tab.
11. Click the gear button to configure the new DBCPConnection Pool.

12. Fill in the properties:

    Property	Value
    Database Connection URL	jdbc:ftp:RemoteHost=MyFTPServer;
    Database Driver Class Name	cdata.jdbc.ftp.FTPDriver
    Database Driver Location(s)	Path to your Apache NiFi's lib folder where the JAR files are present.

    Built-in Connection String Designer

    For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the FTP JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the JAR file from the command-line.

    java -jar cdata.jdbc.ftp.jar

    Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

    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.

13. To establish a connection and execute a select query, simply drag and drop the processor (indicated by the yellow highlight) into the workspace.
14. Select the 'ExecuteSQL' processor and click the 'Add' button to make it visible in the workspace.
15. Click on the added processor (ExecuteSQL)to open the connection page.
16. Click on the Verify Properties button and verify to test the connection.
17. Ensure that all the verification results are successful, and then click on APPLY.
18. Activate the connection by clicking the small button at the right corner of the screen.

Your FTP data is now available for use in Apache NiFi. For example, you can use the DBCPConnection Pool as the source for a QueryDatabaseTable processor (shown below).

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for FTP and start working with your live FTP data in Apache NiFi. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.