FTP monitor node does not pick any files

[Seppia]

Hello

Using FFASTRANS 1.0.0.3 I'm struggling with the FTP monitor node, I can't make it pick up any files on an FTP server.
Credentials are OK, I know this because at the end of the workflow I have a delivery node on the same FTP account of the same FTP server in a subfolder, and this one works : when manually submitting a file to the workflow, at the end the FTP delivery node does upload properly the resulting file.

On the FTP server log, I see successful incoming connections from the client, exactly at the frequency of the "Sleep Timer" of the workflow. More precisely, the server logs a burst of 3 connections within a few seconds, connecting and disconnecting right away. Then nothing for the amount of time specified in the "Sleep Timer" of the workflow.

On the FTP monitor node, the file filters are set to Accept all kinds (*) and Deny Files filter is empty.

So far I've tried :
- ticking and un-ticking the "Check for growing files" tickbox
- stopping and starting the workflow, re-setting it (by right-clicking on the workflow name in the left column)
- clearing cache history from the node
- uploading new files to the FTP server folder

So basically the connection to the FTP server in itself works, but the FTP monitor node seems to just connect and disconnect right away, without picking any file.

[admin]

Hi, Seppia.

We use the FTP monitor every day in some of our production/news critical workflows so we know it works. BUT, it might be a problem related to how FFAStrans communicates with your particular FTP server. The only way for me to see what's going on is to try the very FTP server your trying to use. I realize that it might not be possible due to security or corporate policy but it's really the only way. Do you know it there are any "strange" characters in the path you're trying to monitor?

-steinar

[Seppia]

Hello Steinar

it might be a problem related to how FFAStrans communicates with your particular FTP server.

That's my thoughts too. Maybe something related to passive mode, or passive ports, ... Something get stuck in the way the client "talks" to the server and the server "answers" to the client. But I don't really know where I could find the log of the FTP Monitor node "client", so I could see exactly what it's talking about with the server ?

The server is a Synology NAS running DSM's latest version : DSM 6.2.2-24922 Update 4
Here are the settings (I don't know if you're familiar with Synology NAS FTP Server) :

Synology_FTP_Server_settings.PNG (73.39 KiB) Viewed 11160 times

I don't know if it is relevant, but the FFASTRANS P.C. and the Synology NAS FTP Server are on the same local network, so there should not be any routing or Firewall problem : Windows can connect to it, display the folder content, I can move/delete/add/rename files from the Windows File Explorer of the FFASTRANS P.C.

[admin]

Hi Seppia,

I think I might have solved the problem. Could you please replace the existing Processors/processors.a3x with the one attached, then try the monitor and report back?

-steinar

[Seppia]

Hi Seppia,

I think I might have solved the problem. Could you please replace the existing Processors/processors.a3x with the one attached, then try the monitor and report back?

-steinar

Hello

Yes, the FTP pickup works, thanks a lot

Now I hit a roadblock in my workflow a bit further down in another node as the "%s_original_full%" variable outputs a "No such file or directory" when the initial monitor node was from an FTP server and not from a local directory.
Maybe I can go around by using the "%s_source%" variable instead of the "%s_original_full%" ?

[admin]

Happy it worked!

What was/is your intention with the %s_original_full% variable? Generally, the file path variable does not always work well with ftp paths, but it depends on your action.

-steinar

[Seppia]

What was/is your intention with the %s_original_full% variable? Generally, the file path variable does not always work well with ftp paths, but it depends on your action.

I needed an audio passthrough, but the A/V Decoder got in the way :
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1014

[Seppia]

I noticed the "%s_original_full%" variable also got in the way of deleting the source file, after encoding from an FTP server.
So I split my workflow in two workflows :
- the first workflow is only two nodes : the FTP Server monitor and it goes Delivered into a local folder
- the second workflow (that carries the actual video encodings and stuff) starts then from the local folder, so I can use the %s_original_full% variable in this one like I needed before.

But the new problem that I haven't figured out now is with the first workflow ("Monitor" from FTP server > "Deliver" to local folder). The "Deliver" node does not respect the "Move source instead of copy" tickbox when the source is on an FTP server/provided by an FTP monitor node : the source file stays on the FTP server, and I don't know how to delete it.

Any hint ?

[admin]

Yes, well that's a shortcoming of the %s_original_full% when coming from FTP. Currently there is no inbuilt method to deal with this but I will put a note in the docs about it. You can try and trigger curl or some other external at the end of the workflow.

The reason for this behavior is that the "Folder" delivery node has no FTP-mechanism and I'm unsure if it's correct to add it to the node. Anyway, thanks for pointing out the shortcoming and I will see if we can find a way to implement a way to deal with it.

-steinar

[Ghtais]

Hi all

up for this last post.
Is there still no way to delete sources coming from FTP ? any tips that can help ?
Thx