Managed Server

A managed server is an SFTP server that eCourtDate hosts for the agency in AWS GovCloud. eCourtDate provisions the server, its SSH key, and its firewall, and sets its host and credentials. The agency (or the case management system) connects to it and pushes export files, which eCourtDate then picks up through an SFTP Profile.

Use a managed server when the agency does not operate its own SFTP server. When an SFTP server or S3 bucket is already in place, connect to it as the agency's own server instead. See Server Setup.

Create a managed server

1. In the Console, open SFTPs and click Add Server.
2. In Create Server, enter:
   • Name: a label for the server (for example, County Court SFTP).
   • Hosting: choose Managed by eCourtDate. The Console describes it as "eCourtDate creates an SFTP server for you in AWS GovCloud. Its host and credentials are set by eCourtDate and can't be changed."
   • Agency: the agency this server belongs to.
3. Click Create. eCourtDate provisions the server, generates its SSH key, and creates its firewall. The server's page opens with a Managed by eCourtDate badge.

A managed server is always SFTP, so the form does not ask for a type.

Find the server's host and connection details

The Console shows the server's address directly. A third-party "what is my IP" tool is not needed.

On the server's Overview tab, the Server Info section shows the Host, the server's IP address and the connection target. The instance card below it also lists the Public IP under Network Information. Right after creation, AWS takes a minute to assign the address; until then the Settings tab reads "Waiting for AWS to assign an IP address. Reload this page in a minute."

The connection details for a managed server are:

Setting	Value
Host	The Host shown under Server Info
Username	ubuntu
Port	22
Directory	/home/ubuntu
Authentication	The SSH key from Download key

The Settings tab lists these values in a read-only Connection section, with the note "This server is managed by eCourtDate, so its host and credentials can't be changed." Only the server's Name, Agency, and Status can be edited. To connect a server the agency runs, create a new server and choose Your own server.

Copy Connection Link at the top of the server page copies a ready-made sftp://ubuntu@host:22/home/ubuntu string. Notify emails the server's name, host, and status to the signed-in user and the server's creator.

Allowlist the IP address

A managed server blocks all inbound traffic except from allowlisted IP addresses. Add the IP address of the machine that will connect before the first attempt. With a managed server, this is the only allowlisting to do.

note

The Overview tab also shows a Whitelist IP Addresses card with eCourtDate's own connecting addresses. Those apply when eCourtDate connects to a server the agency runs. For a managed server, eCourtDate handles its own access, so only the rule under Inbound Security Rules needs adding.

1. Open the server and go to the Security tab.
2. Under Add Inbound IP Rule, enter:
   • IP Address: the public IP address of the machine that will connect (for example, 203.0.113.10). Entering it with /32 works too. The form shows the address the Console is being used from: "Must be a public IP address. Your current IP is <ip>/32." When the Console is open on the same network that will connect, use that value.
   • Description: a label for the rule (for example, County CMS server).
3. Click Add. The rule opens port 22 (TCP) on the server's firewall. Outbound traffic is blocked.

To allow a different machine, such as the case management server rather than the workstation, enter that machine's public IP address instead. The form refuses a private address (10.x, 172.16.x through 172.31.x, or 192.168.x) and an address range, because connections arrive from the machine's single public address.

To revoke access, click Remove next to the rule.

Download the SSH key

Managed servers use SSH key authentication. eCourtDate generates the key when it provisions the server, and the key cannot be replaced.

1. On the server page, click Download key. The browser saves a .pem file named after the server.
2. Store the .pem file securely. It is the private key for connecting.

See Authentication for converting the key for Windows clients and for client-specific setup.

Test and connect

1. Click Test connection on the server page to confirm the server is reachable. A successful test reads "Connection successful" followed by the host and response time.

2. Connect from the SFTP client using the Host, the username ubuntu, and the downloaded .pem key. For example:

   sftp -i county-court-sftp.pem ubuntu@<host-from-console>

3. Place export files in the server directory. eCourtDate retrieves them through the SFTP Profile linked to this server once Auto Sync is enabled.

Delete a managed server

Deleting a managed server terminates its AWS instance and permanently destroys every file stored on it. Download or back up any files still needed first.

1. On the Settings tab, click Delete Server.
2. Type the server's name to confirm, then click Delete Server.

The dialog lists how many SFTP Profiles use the server. Those profiles stop working once the server is gone, and their Connection tab reads "The linked server is unavailable" until another server is selected.

See also

• Server Setup: create SFTP Profiles and connect the agency's own server.
• Authentication: SSH key setup and client configuration.
• SFTP Troubleshooting: connection diagnostics.