Aspera Node File Watcher Action Plugin



This action plug-in provides the ability to detect files and folders matching a certain pattern on a remote Aspera server, via the Aspera Node API.

Saved Parameters Description

Details:

Inputs description

The list of inputs depends on the configuration of the AsperaNodeFileWatcher action template.

Changes in this list of inputs will override any values set in the action template.

Outputs description

Supported Actions

None

Dependencies

None

Operating Instructions

Overview:

This action detects new files or folders matching a certain pattern, located below a watch directory in a remote server. Both the pattern matching and the directory path must be provided by the user. The directory may be searched a single time for a matching file (do not select keep on-going) or can be treated similarly to a hot folder where it is continually scanned for matching files (select keep on-going). Matching file presence can also be checked (select check only once), going on the failure path if no matching file is found.

Instructions:

Populate the watch directory field with the directory to be scanned for trigger files.

The search is case sensitive.

The remote nodes must be running Aspera Enterprise Server, Connect Server or Point to Point (Linux or Windows) with a valid license as they all use the asperanoded service for Node API calls. The node user name is a Node API account (not an operating system account on the Aspera transfer server). The transfer user (which is an operating system account) associated to the Node API account can be found by running this command on the Aspera server:

# /opt/aspera/bin/asnodeadmin -l 
   List of node user(s): 
                user       system/transfer user                    acls 
   ====================    =======================    ==================== 
           node_user                       xfer       [] 
   

The path to configure in the watch directory is relative to the docroot of the transfer user (in this example, xfer).

The transfer user docroot can be found in /opt/aspera/etc/aspera.conf on the remote server such as:

                       <user> 
                        <name>xfer</name> 
                        <file_system> 
                            <access> 
                                <paths> 
                                    <path> 
                                        <absolute>/home/xfer/data</absolute> 
                                    </path> 
                                </paths> 
                            </access> 
                        </file_system> 
                        </user> 

For example, a watch directory like /root refers to /home/xfer/data/root on the remote server.

By default, only HTTPS (port 9092) is enabled on the Aspera servers for the Node API. To enable HTTP (port 9091) as well, make sure that /opt/aspera/etc/aspera.conf on the remote server holds this section:

<server>
    <server_name>testchris2.sl.dev.asperacloud.net</server_name>
    <http_port>9091</http_port> 
    <https_port>9092</https_port> 
    <enable_http>true</enable_http> 
    <enable_https>true</enable_https> 
  </server>

Restart asperanoded on the remote server (as root) to enable any change in this aspera.conf port configuration:

service asperanoded restart

Select the checkbox "Keep trigger on-going" if it is necessary to periodically scan for files and folders arriving into the Watch directory and act upon their arrival. "Check only once" and "Keep trigger on-going" are incompatible options (do not select both of them).

If it is OK to trigger on a partial file, select "Triggers on partial file". This will allow triggering the file before it is stable.

When changing "Return single match?", force to save and re-publish the workflow by slightly moving the plugin otherwise the change in outputs (from an array type to a string type and vice versa) may not be registered.