Auto-Sync & Downloads
Auto-Sync is the automated file retrieval mechanism of SFTP. When Auto Sync Enabled is checked on an SFTP Profile, eCourtDate checks the remote server or S3 bucket once per hour for new files and processes them through the linked Upload Template. New profiles start with Auto Sync off, and show a yellow Auto Sync Disabled badge and an "Auto sync is disabled." warning until it is turned on.
How Auto-Sync Works
- At each sync cycle, eCourtDate connects to the source with the linked server's connection details, or the profile's own details for a manual profile.
- It lists the files directly in the profile's Source Directory. Subdirectories are not scanned, and files whose names start with a dot are ignored.
- It keeps the files whose name contains the Filename Keyword and does not contain the Filename Blockword, ignoring case.
- It skips any file whose name matches an earlier upload in the agency. See Duplicate Prevention.
- It uploads up to Max Files per Upload files (default
1) through the profile's Upload Template. A profile without an Upload Template uploads nothing.
Note: Expect up to a 1-hour delay between when a file is placed on the remote server and when it is processed by eCourtDate.
Recommended Schedules
Coordinate the case management system's export schedule with the Auto-Sync cycle. All times should be based on the agency's local timezone.
Two rules shape every recommendation below:
- Export after the period's work is done. An export that runs before staff finish entering data sends a partial picture. Schedule it late enough that continuances, resets, new settings, cancellations, and dispositions entered during business hours are all in the file.
- Export at the start of an hour. This gives Auto-Sync the full cycle window to discover and process the file rather than racing the next check.
| Frequency | Recommended Export Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | Start of each hour (e.g., 9:00, 10:00) | Best for near-real-time feeds. |
| Nightly | 10:00 PM or 11:00 PM | Recommended for most case management system feeds. Captures the full day of activity, and Auto-Sync processes the file overnight so records are in place before staff arrive. |
| Weekly | 10:00 PM or 11:00 PM Sunday | Captures the week through Sunday. Records are in place Monday morning. |
| Monthly | 1:00 AM on the first day of the month | Captures the completed prior month. Best for reconciliation files. |
Schedule the run at 10:00 PM or 11:00 PM rather than 11:45 PM. A job that starts just before midnight and slips past it computes any date-based window, such as "hearings in the next 30 days", from the following date, which shifts the range of records in the file by a day.
Delete File After Upload
Delete File After Upload is on for new SFTP Profiles. It removes each file from the remote server after it uploads, and also removes a file skipped as a duplicate. This keeps the directory clear and prevents confusion over which files have already been picked up. The SFTP account needs permission to delete files on the server.
To keep source files for the agency's own records, turn the setting off. eCourtDate still skips previously uploaded file names on later sync cycles.
Delivering Reports to the Server
In addition to retrieving files, an SFTP Profile can deliver an eCourtDate report to the server. Configure these fields under Auto-Download Settings on the profile's Settings tab:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Download Report | The report to deliver to the server on each sync cycle. |
| Download Directory | The directory on the server where the report is placed. For a profile linked to a server, it is relative to the server's Source Directory. The directory must exist on the server. |
| Skip Past Reports | On for new profiles. Delivers only report files from the previous day (UTC) instead of every past result. |
A report file is not delivered again when a file with the same name already exists in the Download Directory.
When a Download Directory is set, the profile's Files tab shows its contents. If the directory does not exist, it reads "Directory <path> does not exist on the remote server." Create the directory first, or adjust the path.
Monitoring
After Auto Sync runs, verify results:
- Open Uploads in the Agency app (staging or production) to confirm the file arrived and to review processing status and any row-level errors.
- In the Console, open the SFTP Profile. Last active in the header shows when Auto Sync last ran. A red banner shows the error from the last failed run.
The profile's Monitoring Settings send notifications without anyone checking the Console:
- On-Failure Notification Contacts are notified when a sync fails, and the notice repeats every Failure Grace Period hours (default
24) while the failure continues. They are also notified when no file has uploaded within the Failure Grace Period. - On-Success Notification Contacts are notified for each successful upload.
Need help? Open a support ticket in the Console using the Help button in the bottom-right corner.