Connection information

Owned by Karl Tompson
Last updated: Apr 26, 2022
2 min read

A Connection is a single source of downloadable files. The Downloader currently supports two distinct types:

  • Salesforce Data Export

  • HTTP(S) index

Each Connection includes the following information.

Basic settings

  • Download path: the location where files will be downloaded to on the service host

  • Overwrite existing files: true to overwrite, false to automatically create a unique name

  • Auto-remove downloaded files: an optional period after which previous downloaded files are deleted

  • Access list: if non-empty only users allowed by this ACL will be able to view or edit the Connection

  • Email notifications: override the default email address for error notifications

File downloads

Current and previous downloads, each with a download status:

  • Wait: available but not yet added to download queue

  • Queued: added to download queue

  • InProgress: download has started

  • WillRetry: temporary download failure has occurred but retry will occur

  • Failed: permanent download failure has occurred

  • Complete: download has completed successfully

  • Ignore: user has specified this file should not be actioned automatically

This list may be manually altered via the Client application, and is automatically updated via the service.

Note that a Complete status does not guarantee the presence of a downloaded file, as it may have been removed since.

Log entries

A timestamped record of the actions and results relevant to the Connection. Old entries are automatically removed.

Credentials

Where authentication is required for a Connection, the credentials entered at the time of creation are stored. The password is securely encrypted using the Windows Data Protection API, specific to the service host. In the case of Salesforce Data Export Connections only the token returned by the OAuth2 process is retained, not the username and password.

To alter the credentials for an existing Connection, simply follow the add/authentication process again. The Downloader will match against current Connections and update instead of adding a new one.