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Managed Server

A managed server is an SFTP server that eCourtDate hosts for the agency on AWS GovCloud. eCourtDate provisions the server, the SSH key, and the firewall. 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 an external source instead.

Create a managed server​

  1. In the Console, open Servers (or the Servers area within SFTPs) and click Create Server.
  2. Fill in the Create Server form:
    • Name: a label for the server (for example, County Court SFTP).
    • Type: choose SFTP.
    • Managed: leave this checked. It reads "Use eCourtDate's AWS GovCloud-hosted infrastructure."
    • Agency: the agency this server belongs to.
  3. Click Create. eCourtDate provisions the server, generates its SSH key, and creates its firewall automatically. The server shows a deployed status once it is ready.

Find the server's IP and connection details​

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

Open the server in the Console. On the Overview tab, the Server Info section shows:

  • Host: the server's IP address or hostname. This is the connection target.

For a managed server, the EC2 details also list the Public IP and Private IP under the server's network information.

The default connection details for a managed server are:

SettingValue
HostThe Host shown in the Console Server Info
Usernameubuntu
Port22
Directory/home/ubuntu

Use Copy Connection Link to copy a ready-made sftp://username@host:22/directory string, or Notify to email the server details to the server's creator.

Allowlist the IP address​

A managed server blocks all inbound traffic except from allowlisted IP addresses. Add the connecting IP before attempting to connect. With a managed server, this is the only allowlisting to do.

note

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

  1. Open the server in the Console and go to the Security tab.
  2. Under Inbound Security Rules, add a rule:
    • IP Address: the public IP of the machine that will connect. The form shows the connecting IP as a hint: "Must be a public IP address. Your current IP is <your-ip>/32." When the Console is being set up from the same network that will connect, use that value.
    • Description: a label for the rule (for example, County CMS server).
  3. Save the rule. It is applied to the server's firewall on port 22 (TCP). Outbound traffic is blocked.

To allowlist a different machine (for example, the case management server rather than the workstation), enter that machine's public IP instead. Private IP addresses (for example, 10.x, 172.16.x, 192.168.x) are rejected.

To remove access, use the Remove button next to the rule.

Download the SSH key​

Managed servers use SSH key authentication. eCourtDate generates the key when it provisions the server.

  1. On the server page, click Download .pem.
  2. Save the .pem file securely. This 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 in the Console to confirm the server is reachable. A successful test shows the host and a response time.
  2. Connect from the SFTP client using the Host from the Console, the username ubuntu, and the downloaded .pem key. For example:
sftp -i county-court-sftp.pem ubuntu@<host-from-console>
  1. Place export files in the server directory. eCourtDate retrieves them through the SFTP Profile linked to this server once Auto Sync is enabled.

See also​