LIDB/AS Dropbox Management User Guide€¦ · The Inbox is used to manage your input files on the LIDB/AS server. Your uploaded file(s) on the LIDB/AS server are listed in the Inbox

LIDB/AS

Dropbox Management

User Guide

August 26, 2019

EGH

55 Waltham Street

Lexington, MA 02421

781.861.0670

www.egh.com

Copyright © 2019 Evans Griffiths & Hart, Inc.

Reproduction or disclosure without written permission is strictly forbidden.

Data Storage Customer files can be transferred from a user PC to the LIDB/AS server via one of two

methods: Interactive (Web-Based), or Mechanized (Scripted).

LIDB/AS Dropbox Management User Guide

8/26/2019 Copyright © Evans Griffiths & Hart, Inc. - 2 -

Interactive (Web) File Transfer

Sign in to the LIDB/AS Dropbox Management web page.

The Inbox Upload Area is used to transfer files from your PC to the

LIDB/AS server.

The Inbox is used to manage your input files on the LIDB/AS server.

The Outbox is used to manage your output files on the LIDB/AS server.

Use the [Add Files] button to select data and control files from your PC.

Use either the [Upload All] button or an individual [Upload] button to start the

upload to the LIDB/AS server.

Uploaded files are listed in your Inbox. When both a data file and its associated

control file have been successfully transferred, the data file will be queued for

processing by the LIDB/AS server.

After processing is complete, you can optionally view, download, and/or delete

any related output files from your Outbox.



Inbox Upload Area

The Inbox Upload Area is used to transfer files from your PC to the Inbox, an

input directory on the LIDB/AS server.

Select file(s) to transfer by doing either of the following:

Click on the [Add Files] button and navigate to the file you wish to transfer.

Left-click on the file to select it.

or

Simply drag a file from your PC window to the [Add Files] button and drop

it. Note: Internet Explorer does not support Drag & Drop at this time.

Multiple files can be selected for upload in this manner.

The selected files and their sizes will be listed, ready for upload. If you decide not

to upload one or more of the files, you can still cancel at this point.

Click on the [Cancel All] button to cancel the upload of all files listed.

or

Click on the Cancel button next to an individual file to cancel the

upload of just that file.



Upload the files. A data file must be uploaded before its associated control file.

Click on the [Upload All] button to upload all files listed. The files will be

uploaded in the order they are listed.

or

Click on the Upload button next to an individual file to upload just

that file.

File transfer to the server is started.

As a file is uploading, the progress bar next to the file will update. When the upload

is complete, a status message will appear in the upper-right corner of your browser

until dismissed (click on the x in the upper-right corner of the message).

Uploaded file(s) will be listed in the Inbox. When both a data file and its

associated control file have been successfully transferred, the data file will be

queued for processing by the LIDB/AS server. After processing completes, the files

will be deleted from the Inbox. Check the Outbox for any related output files.



Inbox

The Inbox is used to manage your input files on the LIDB/AS server.

Your uploaded file(s) on the LIDB/AS server are listed in the Inbox in alphabetical

order by default. The date/time of the upload is shown, as well as the file size. You

can sort on any of the three columns: Name, Timestamp, Size.

You can search in any column by typing your search criteria in the column's white

text field.

Files are automatically deleted from your Inbox once they have been processed on

the LIDB/AS server. However, if your files have not yet been processed, you can

view, download, or delete them.

To view a file in your browser, do the following:

Left-click on the file you wish to view.

The File Detail window will appear. Click on the [View File] button.

The file will be displayed in your browser. Note: It may take some time to

display a large file.

Use the Back link to return to the main page.

To download a file to your PC, do the following:

Left-click on the file you wish to download.

The File Detail window will appear. Click on the [Download File] button.

Depending on your browser configuration, you may be prompted for a

filename and/or location for your saved file.

The file will be downloaded to your PC. You can then exit out of the File

Detail Window by clicking on the X in the upper-right corner.



To delete a file from the LIDB/AS server, do the following:

Left-click on the file you wish to delete.

The File Detail window will appear. Click on the [Delete File] button.

You will be prompted to Confirm Delete. Click on the [Delete] button to

delete the file, or click on the [Cancel] button to keep the file.



Outbox

The Outbox is used to manage your output files on the LIDB/AS server.

Your output files on the LIDB/AS server are listed in the Outbox in alphabetical

order by default. You can sort on any of the three columns: Name, Timestamp,

Size.

You can search in any column by typing your search criteria in the column's white

text field.

You can view, download, and/or delete any files listed in your Outbox. Files older

than 31 days are automatically deleted.

To view a file in your browser, do the following:

Left-click on the file you wish to view.

The File Detail window will appear. Click on the [View File] button.

The file will be displayed in your browser. Note: It may take some time to

display a large file.


To download a file to your PC, do the following:

Left-click on the file you wish to download.

The File Detail window will appear. Click on the [Download File] button.

Depending on your browser configuration, you may be prompted for a

filename and/or location for your saved file.

The file will be downloaded to your PC. You can then exit out of the File

Detail Window by clicking on the X in the upper-right corner.



To delete a file from the LIDB/AS server, do the following:

Left-click on the file you wish to delete.

The File Detail window will appear. Click on the [Delete File] button.

You will be prompted to Confirm Delete. Click on the [Delete] button to

delete the file, or click on the [Cancel] button to keep the file.



Outbox Upload

Use the Outbox Upload feature to transfer files from your PC directly to the

Outbox, an output directory on the LIDB/AS server.

Click on the Outbox Upload link on the main page.

Select file(s) to transfer by doing either of the following:

Click on the [Add Files] button and navigate to the file you wish to transfer.

Left-click on the file to select it.

or

Simply drag a file from your PC window to the [Add Files] button and drop

it. Note: Internet Explorer does not support Drag & Drop at this time.

Multiple files can be selected for upload in this manner.

The selected files and their sizes will be listed, ready for upload. If you decide not

to upload one or more of the files, you can still cancel at this point.

Click on the [Cancel All] button to cancel the upload of all files listed.

or

Click on the Cancel button next to an individual file to cancel the

upload of just that file.



Upload the files.

Click on the [Upload All] button to upload all files listed. The files will be

uploaded in the order they are listed.

or

Click on the Upload button next to an individual file to upload just

that file.

File transfer to the server is started.

As a file is uploading, the progress bar next to the file will update. When the upload

is complete, a status message will appear in the upper-right corner of your browser

until dismissed (click on the x in the upper-right corner of the message).


Uploaded file(s) will be listed in the Outbox.



CAD

Use the CAD (Change Administrator) feature to access TN files belonging to other

administrators.

When you login to the LIDB/AS Dropbox Management web page, your username is

automatically associated with an Administrator ID. TN file access is determined by

your Administrator ID; you can only manage files that "belong" to your

administrator. The CAD feature allows you to change the administrator with which

you are associated and thus access TN files belonging to other administrators.

Note: Your LIDB/AS user account must have the appropriate security right to use

the CAD feature.

Click on the CAD link on the main page.

A pop-up Change Administrator window will display, listing all available

administrators. You can search for a particular administrator by typing in the white

text field.

Left-click the desired administrator in the list. The CAD window will close

automatically.

On the main Dropbox page, the Admin field will update. You can now manage

files for that administrator.



Mechanized (Scripted) File Transfer

Scripted file transfers are done with HTTP(S).

The cURL utility is a ubiquitous standard for command line transfer over HTTP. It

is available for all platforms at http://curl.haxx.se/. However, any third-party tool

that does HTTP file transfer can be used instead.

In addition, the LIDB/AS Dropbox Management interface provides several custom

extensions to the cURL utility, including a “list” feature, the ability to retrieve

multiple files in a single operation, and support for wildcard deletes.

http://curl.haxx.se/



Notes on Installing Curl on Windows

1. Download the cURL executable from http://curl.haxx.se/download.html.

Locate and download the latest Windows 32 bit or Windows 64 bit stable

version of cURL.

If you are not sure whether you have a Windows 32-bit or 64-bit system,

download the 32-bit version.

2. Open the downloaded zip folder and locate the curl.exe file.

Save the curl.exe file to a convenient location, for example C:\Program Files.

3. Download and save the cURL certificate file from

http://curl.haxx.se/docs/caextract.html.

Save the cacert.pem file on that page to the same location as the curl.exe file,

C:\Program Files in the example above.

Rename the cacert.pem file to curl-ca-bundle.crt.

Note: If you encounter a certificate error when executing the "curl"

command, please contact your administrator for a new cacert.pem file.

http://curl.haxx.se/download.html

http://curl.haxx.se/docs/caextract.html



Mechanized Upload Examples

The preferred method for upload is to use the "-F" switch to POST.

curl -i -u user:pwd -F file=@updates_00000.dat https://dropbox-

lidbas.att.com/dropbox/upload

You may transfer your file using PUT instead of POST with the "-T" switch.

curl -i -u user:pwd -T updates_00000.dat https://dropbox-

lidbas.att.com/dropbox/upload/updates_00000.dat

You may embed your username and password in the URL instead of using

the "-u" switch.

curl -i -F file=@updates_00000.dat https://user:pwd@dropbox-

lidbas.att.com/dropbox/upload

If the curl executable is not in your path, you will need to specify it on the

command line.

"C:\Program Files\curl" -i -u user:pwd -F file=@updates_00000.dat

https://dropbox-lidbas.att.com/dropbox/upload

cURL Options Used in Examples

See the cURL man page for complete documentation. All cURL options have "--"

based verbose equivalents.

-i, --include

Include the HTTP-header in the output display. The HTTP-header includes

information such as return status, server-name, date of the document, and HTTP-

version. The "-i" switch is optional. However, since it includes the HTTP return

status, it is useful when scripting file transfers. On a POST success, you can expect

to see 100 Continue then 200 OK. This is standard for a POST because the client

first asks if a POST will be accepted (response Continue), and then executes it.

http://curl.haxx.se/docs/manpage.html



-u, --user <user:password>

Specify the user name and password to use for server authentication.

-F, --form <name=content>

POST data to the remote URL using Content-Type multipart/form-data.

-T, --upload-file <file>

Transfer the specified local file to the remote URL using PUT.



Mechanized Download Examples

This example creates an output file with the same name as the input file.

curl -u user:pwd -O https://dropbox-

lidbas.att.com/dropbox/download/exceptions_yymmdd.csv

This example specifies an output filename, essentially renaming the file.

curl -u user:pwd -o my_exceptions.csv https://dropbox-


You may embed your username and password in the URL instead of using

the "-u" switch.

curl -O https://user:pwd@dropbox-


If the curl executable is not in your path, you will need to specify it on the

command line.

"C:\Program Files\curl" -u user:pwd -O https://dropbox-

lidbas.att.com/dropbox/download/ exceptions_yymmdd.csv




-i, --include

Include the HTTP-header in the output file. The HTTP-header includes information

such as return status, server-name, date of the document, and HTTP-version. The

"-i" switch is optional; with it, cURL writes the HTTP response headers into the

output file. Do not include it if you want a "clean" file.






-O, --remote-name

Write output to a local file with the same name as the remote file.

-o, --output <file>

Write output to a file using the filename specified.



Mechanized List Examples

The LIDB/AS Dropbox Management interface provides the ability to list files in the

download directory using a custom extension to the cURL utility.

Obtaining a list of available files can be useful if you don’t already know the

name(s) of the file(s) you wish to retrieve.

The asterisk “*” is supported as a wildcard character when specifying filenames.

This example lists all files in the download directory.

curl -u user:pwd https://dropbox-lidbas.att.com/dropbox/download/list/*

exceptions.yymmd1

exceptions_yymmd1.csv

exceptions.yymmd2


update_process.log

To list only files matching a given pattern, you can specify the filename pattern as

part of the command. This example lists all files in the download directory that

match the pattern exceptions*.csv.

curl -u user:pwd https://dropbox-

lidbas.att.com/dropbox/download/list/exceptions*.csv





You can also output the list to a file. This example creates a file named

my_exception_file_list.txt, whose contents will be the list of all files in the

download directory which match the pattern exceptions*.csv.

curl -u user:pwd -o my_exception_file_list.txt https://dropbox-


my_exception_file_list.txt



Note: If no matching files are found when using the "/list/" keyword, you will see

a 404: Not Found return status.






-o, --output <file>





Mechanized Zip File Examples

The LIDB/AS Dropbox Management interface provides the ability to retrieve

multiple files packaged together into a zip archive using a custom extension to the

cURL utility.

The asterisk “*” must be used as a wildcard character when specifying filenames to

be included in the zip archive.

This example creates a zip file named my_output_files.zip, which contains all

files in the download directory.

curl -u user:pwd -o my_output_files.zip https://dropbox-

lidbas.att.com/dropbox/download/*

my_output_files.zip

exceptions.yymmd1


exceptions.yymmd2


update_process.log

This example creates a zip file named my_exception_reports.zip, which contains

all files in the download directory matching the pattern exceptions*.csv.

curl -u user:pwd -o my_exception_reports.zip https://dropbox-


my_exception_reports.zip



Note: If no matching files are found when using the asterisk "*" wildcard, the

specified .zip file will still be created. However, this will be a plain text file with a

.zip extension, not a zip archive. You won't be able to open the file with a standard

zip utility, but if you inspect the contents, you will see the 404: Not Found return

status message.








-o, --output <file>





Mechanized Delete Examples

You can delete an individual output file from the download directory using the

standard cURL utility. In addition, the LIDB/AS Dropbox Management interface

provides support for wildcard deletion of multiple files via a custom extension to

the cURL utility.

This example deletes an individual output file. In this example, the specified

filename is exceptions_yymmdd.csv.

curl -i -u user:pwd -X DELETE https://dropbox-


This example deletes all files in the download directory matching the specified

pattern, which in this case is exceptions*.csv.

curl -i -u user:pwd -X DELETE https://dropbox-

lidbas.att.com/dropbox/download/exceptions*.csv

Note: Although wildcard deletes are supported, it is preferable to perform explicit

deletes whenever possible. You can use the LIDB/AS Dropbox Management “list”

feature to obtain a list of output files in the download directory.




-i, --include

Include the HTTP-header in the output display. The HTTP-header includes

information such as return status, server-name, date of the document, and HTTP-

version. The "-i" switch is optional. On a DELETE success, you can expect to

see 200 OK. If the specified file is not found, the return status will be 403

Forbidden.






-X DELETE, --request DELETE

Delete the file from the remote URL.

Documents

LIDB/AS Dropbox Management User Guide€¦ · The Inbox is used to manage your input files on the LIDB/AS server. Your uploaded file(s) on the LIDB/AS server are listed in the Inbox