Get File
Description
Retrieves information about a file from a remote FTP server.
The file can be identified using either a File Reference or a remote file path.
The activity returns a File Reference, allowing the file to be used by subsequent activities without requiring the path to be specified again.
Common Capabilities
Process Data Support
This activity supports dynamic configuration using variables from the Process Data drawer.
You can bind values from Model Data, Form Data, System Data, Enterprise Variables, and Activity Outputs.
Learn more → Using Process Data
Design-Time Configuration
Connection Name
The name of the configured FTP connection used to authenticate with the remote server.
If no connection exists, click Add Connection to create one inline.
File
The file to retrieve.
You can provide either:
- A File Reference returned by a previous activity.
- A Remote Path identifying the file on the FTP server.
Examples:
/reports/january.csv/archive/2024/report.xlsx
When a remote path is used, you can browse the remote directory structure using the path browser, which connects through the selected FTP connection.
Wait All Incoming
Controls how this activity behaves when multiple incoming execution paths converge.
Determines whether the activity executes when:
- any incoming path completes, or
- all relevant paths have completed before execution
Learn more → Execution Control
On Error
Defines how the workflow behaves if this activity encounters a runtime error.
Supported strategies include Fault, Continue, Suspend, and Retry.
Output
File Reference
A File Reference to the file. File References are an IB-X file system abstraction and can be passed directly to other activities that accept file inputs, regardless of the underlying storage provider.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The file name (for example, january.csv). |
| Full Path | The complete path of the file on the FTP server. |
| Size | The file size in bytes. May be empty if the FTP server does not provide this information. |
| Last Modified | UTC date and time the file was last modified. May be empty if the FTP server does not provide this information. |
Remarks
- This activity retrieves information about the file but does not download its contents.
- The availability of metadata depends on the FTP server implementation.
- Some FTP servers may not provide file size, modification date, or other metadata attributes.
- The activity faults if the file cannot be found unless the configured error handling strategy specifies otherwise.