Get Files and Folders
Description
Retrieves files and folders from a directory on a remote SFTP server.
The activity returns collections of File References and Folder References, along with summary information about the directory contents.
Optionally, the activity can traverse subdirectories and return a recursive listing of all files and folders beneath the specified path.
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 SFTP connection used to authenticate with the remote server.
If no connection exists, click Add Connection to create one inline.
Folder
The folder to enumerate.
You can provide either:
- A Folder Reference returned by a previous activity.
- A Remote Path identifying a folder on the SFTP server.
Examples:
//reports/reports/2024
When a remote path is used, you can browse the remote directory structure using the path browser, which connects through the selected SFTP connection.
Recursive
When enabled, the activity traverses all nested folders and returns files and folders from the entire hierarchy.
When disabled, only the immediate contents of the specified folder are returned.
Defaults to off.
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 References
A collection of File References, one for each file found. 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.
Each File Reference includes:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The file name (for example, january.csv). |
| Full Path | The complete path of the file on the SFTP server. |
| Size | The file size in bytes. May be empty if the SFTP server does not provide this information. |
| Last Modified | UTC date and time the file was last modified. May be empty if the SFTP server does not provide this information. |
Folder References
A collection of Folder References, one for each folder found. Folder References are an IB-X file system abstraction and can be passed directly to other activities that accept folder inputs, regardless of the underlying storage provider.
Each Folder Reference includes:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The folder name. |
| Full Path | The complete path of the folder on the SFTP server. |
| Last Modified | UTC date and time the folder was last modified. May be empty if the SFTP server does not provide this information. |
File Count
The total number of files returned.
Folder Count
The total number of folders returned.
Remarks
- The activity retrieves directory information but does not download file contents.
- Metadata availability depends on the SFTP server implementation.
- Some SFTP servers may not provide file size, modification date, or folder modification date information.
- Recursive listings may take significantly longer to complete when processing large directory hierarchies.
- The order of returned files and folders depends on the SFTP server and is not guaranteed.