SMB Read file activity

Introduction

An SMB Read file activity, using its SMB connection, retrieves the content of a text-based file from an SMB server. This activity is intended to be used as a source in operations and supports JSON, XML, and CSV files.

Create an SMB Read file activity

An instance of an SMB Read file activity is created from an SMB connection using its Read file activity type.

To create an instance of an activity, drag the activity type to the design canvas or copy the activity type and paste it on the design canvas. For details, see Create an activity or tool instance in Component reuse.

An existing SMB Read file activity can be edited from these locations:

• The design canvas (see Component actions menu in Design canvas).
• The project pane's Components tab (see Component actions menu in Project pane Components tab).

Configure an SMB Read file activity

Follow these steps to configure an SMB Read file activity:

• Step 1: Enter a name and specify settings
  Provide a name for the activity and specify the folder path and file.

• Step 2: Provide the response schema
  Provide a custom response schema (optional).

• Step 3: Review the data schemas
  Any response schemas are displayed.

Step 1: Enter a name and specify settings

In this step, provide a name for the activity and specify a folder path and file.

The interface for this step depends on which Choose folder option you select:

• Select existent folder: Choose from a list of existing folders. The domain (specified during connection configuration) must have access to these folders.
• Inform folder name manually: Enter the folder path manually.

Select existent folder

If you select Select existent folder for Choose folder, this interface appears:

• Name: Enter a name to identify the activity. The name must be unique for each SMB Read file activity and must not contain forward slashes / or colons :.

• Choose folder: Select the Select existent folder option.

• Select a folder: This section displays folders available in the SMB folder specified in the connection.

  • Selected folder: After you select a folder, it is listed here.

• Search: Enter any folder's value into the search box to filter the list of folders. The search is not case-sensitive. If folders are already displayed within the table, the table results are filtered in real time with each keystroke. To reload folders from the endpoint when searching, enter search criteria and then refresh, as described below.

• Refresh root elements: Click the refresh icon or the words Refresh root elements to reload folders from the SMB endpoint. This may be useful if folders have been added to the SMB server. This action refreshes all metadata used to build the table of folders displayed in the configuration.

• Selecting a folder: Within the table, click a folder name to select it. You can select only one folder.

  • Refresh: When hovering over a folder name, click the refresh icon or the word Refresh to load its sub-folders. Once sub-folders appear, you can select them for use in the activity.

  Tip

  If the table does not populate with available folders, the SMB connection may not be successful. Ensure you are connected by reopening the connection and retesting the credentials.

• Get files: Enter the name and extension of the file to read.

• Save & Exit: If enabled, click to save the configuration for this step and close the activity configuration.

• Next: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and continue to the next step. The configuration will not be saved until you click the Finished button on the last step.

• Discard Changes: After making changes, click to close the configuration without saving changes made to any step. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.

Inform folder name manually

If you select Inform folder name manually for Choose folder, this interface appears:

• Name: Enter a name to identify the activity. The name must be unique for each SMB Read file activity and must not contain forward slashes / or colons :.

• Choose folder: Select the Inform folder name manually option.

• Path address: Enter the path of the folder containing the file to read. Use this format: example-folder-1/sub-folder-13.

• Get files: Enter the name and extension of the file to read.

• Save & Exit: If enabled, click to save the configuration for this step and close the activity configuration.

• Next: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and continue to the next step. The configuration will not be saved until you click the Finished button on the last step.

• Discard Changes: After making changes, click to close the configuration without saving changes made to any step. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.

Step 2: Provide the response schema

In this step, you can provide a custom response schema.

• Provide response schema: The response schema defines the structure of response data used by the Read file activity. For instructions on completing this section, refer to Schemas defined in an activity.

• Back: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and return to the previous step.

• Next: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and continue to the next step. The configuration will not be saved until you click the Finished button on the last step.

• Discard Changes: After making changes, click to close the configuration without saving changes made to any step. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.

Step 3: Review the data schemas

Any response schemas are displayed in this step. Each user interface element of this step is described below.

• Data schema: A user-provided response schema is inherited by an adjacent transformation and is displayed again during transformation mapping.

  Note

  This activity doesn't have any default response schemas. If you didn't provide a response schema in step 2 of the activity configuration, you must define one in a transformation.

• Refresh: Click the refresh icon or the word Refresh to regenerate schemas from the SMB endpoint. This action also regenerates a schema in other locations throughout the project where the same schema is referenced, such as in an adjacent transformation.

• Back: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and return to the previous step.

• Finished: Click to save the configuration for all steps and close the activity configuration.

• Discard Changes: After making changes, click to close the configuration without saving changes made to any step. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.

Next steps

After configuring an SMB Read file activity, complete the configuration of the operation by adding and configuring other activities or tools as operation steps. You can also configure the operation settings, which include the ability to chain operations together that are in the same or different workflows.

Menu actions for an activity are accessible from the project pane and the design canvas. For details, see Activity actions menu in Connector basics.

SMB Read file activities can be used as a source with these operation patterns:

• Transformation pattern
• Two-target archive pattern (as the first source only)
• Two-target HTTP archive pattern (as the first source only)

To use the activity with scripting functions, write the data to a temporary location and then use that temporary location in the scripting function.

When ready, deploy and run the operation and validate behavior by checking the operation logs.