FTP and SFTP Connectors

Use a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) to communicate and transfer files between a server and Minitab Connect. You need the username and password for the server to access the files and import them into Connect. For a SFTP connector, you can alternatively use a Secure Shell (SSH) key instead of a username and password.

Both SFTP and FTP connectors interact with Connect the same way; however, the SFTP connection provides more security than the FTP connection.

Set up a new connection

Complete the following steps to set up a connection in Minitab Connect.

Select the Minitab Connect button to open the Navigation pane.
Select System > Connections and select Add New Connection.
Enter a Name that identifies the table and a Description for the table.
In Type, enter FTP or SFTP and select the appropriate connector from the results.
On the Setup tab, enter the following:
- Under Beacon, specify which beacon you want the connection to go through if you have multiple beacons. Usually, the default works best.
- Under FTP Host or SFTP Host, enter the host of the server.
- For a SFTP Port, you usually use port 22.
- If you use a FTP connection, you must enter the Username and Password for the sever. Contact your IT department if you do not know the database username and password.
Select Next.
For an SFTP connection, use Authentication Method to select whether to authenticate the server using a password or an SSH key. If you use an SSH key, Connect creates a unique public key that you must add to the authorized keys on your SFTP server.
Under FTP Path or SFTP Path, enter the path to the connection. The path name must end with a back slash (/). If you want to connect to a sub-folder, then enter the path to an existing sub-folder. Leave a single back slash to connect to the root folder.
Select Next.

After you complete the setup, Connect communicates with the server to ensure that the credentials and directories are valid. If the connection is successful, Connect displays a list of files and folders that are found on the server.

Export a file to a connection

Complete the following steps to export data from a Minitab Connect table.

Open the Outputs tab of the Flow Tool .
Select the plus sign beside Export to add a new export.
From Export, select New Export to set up an export to a server. If you select One Time Download, Connect downloads the file to your computer and does not create an export.
Enter a Name for the export.
Under View, select a saved view of the table. If you select None, Connect exports all the data from the table.
Under Delivery, select Connection.
Under Connection, select the FTP or SFTP connection that you previously set up.
Under FTP Path or SFTP Path in the Delivery column, enter the path to store the file. The path name must end with a back slash (/). If you want to export to a sub-folder, then enter the path to an existing sub-folder. Leave a single back slash to export to the root folder.

You can specify the file type and file name along with other options. After you save the export, Connect adds it to the list of exports in the Outputs tab. Select Run to run the export.