Creating a Watch Folder in Console

A watch folder is an automation of file transfers from a source node to a destination computer; files placed into a source folder are automatically transferred to the destination. Watch folders runs only on the client side, and the receiving Aspera client does not need additional software components to support receiving data.

To use watch folders, you must enable the feature on the Console Defaults page, configure the node, and add it as a managed node to Console. In Console, go to Configuration > Defaults and select Enable Watchfolder management. On the node, start watchfolder services if they are not already running and configure the Node API so that Console can add the transfer node as a managed node. For more information on preparing the node, see Configuring a Watchfolder-enabled Transfer Node.

Once watch folders are enabled and your nodes are configured, create watch folders with the following steps:

Go to Activity > Watchfolders and click Create New Watchfolder.
Enter a name for your watch folder in the Name field.
In the Local section, select the source node and path.
Click the Local Node drop-down menu and select a managed node. Only nodes configured to run watch folders appear on the drop-down list. If you do not see any nodes, make sure your nodes are properly configured in Console.
Click Browse and select the source directory, or enter the source path.

Tip: The source folder is relative to associated system user's docroot. For example, if you enter project1/final and the user's docroot is /root, the source path is /root/project1/final. For instructions on modifying the docroot, see Set a Docroot for a Node User or Group.
In the Remote section, enter the credentials to authenticate to the destination node and authorize transfers.
- Address: The hostname or IP address.
- Login: The username of the administrator account (for the SSH connection).
- Select Password or SSH Key and provide the credentials. To use public key authentication, you must have your SSH private key configured in Console. For instructions, on how to configure SSH keys in Console, see Configuring SSH Keys.
- Token: Optional. Enter a token string to use to authenticate the transfer, with the syntax "Basic token_string". To use token authorization, create an access key on the remote node and generate a token from it. For instructions, see "Access Key Authentication" in the IBM Aspera Enterprise Server Admin Guide.
Set the TCP and UDP ports. By default, TCP uses port 22 and UDP uses port 33001.
Click Browse to test the connection and choose the target directory.
Configure additional watchfolder settings.
For more information on watch folder settings, see Watchfolder Options.
Click Create.
Test your watch folder.
Add files to the source directory. If the configuration is correct, Watchfolder detects the new files, starts a transfer, and the added files appear in the target directory. You can see the transfer on the Activity Overview page.