Using Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP)

The 911Cellular system allows you to upload files to the platform in several ways, this article details each method

Prerequisites

• Provide your public key and public IPv4 address to support@911cellular.com
  • Support will respond within 72 hours with a username
  • If you do not have a private key then you can generate one on the system you wish to SFTP from by doing the following:

• If your organization has OUTBOUND restrictions on your firewall the following entry will need to be made by your IT department
• Allow OUTBOUND traffic to 3.137.199.120 on PORT 22

Instructions

1. Connect to our SFTP server using your supplied username and password @3.137.199.120
   1. Example: "SftpUser@3.137.199.120"
   2. The IP Address used to connect to 911Cellular’s SFTP server must be whitelisted on our firewall. This IP address can be supplied to us through our Support Team. If you are unable to connect, see the Common Issues section below.
2. Once connected, you will see multiple directories.
   1. The alertrecipients directory is where you should place Alert Recipient .csv files to be processed.
   2. The accesspoints directory is where you should place Access Point .csv files to be processed.
   3. The processing directory is where files that are currently being processed will be moved to. If this directory is not empty, then you know a file is being processed currently.
   4. The processed directory is where files that have successfully been processed will be moved to. If a file is in this directory, you can be confident that the file was processed correctly and was uploaded into the system.
   5. The failed directory is where files that have not been successfully processed will be moved to. If a file is in this directory, there was an issue with validation of either the file name or the contents of the file.
      1. There should be an accompanying -errors.txt file that will give a reason for the failure.
      2. There will possibly be a -warnings.txt file that will include items that should be corrected on the next attempt to ensure proper processing.
3. Our system scans for files to be processed every 60 seconds. Please allow up to two minutes for your file to move into the processing directory before assuming there has been an error.

Uploading Alert Recipient Lists

Naming your file

1. The name of the file specifies which group the recipients will be uploaded into.
   1. If the group does not exist yet, it will be created as a Private Group.
   2. If the group name matches a Public Group, the list will not be uploaded. Lists may only be uploaded into a Private Group.
2. By default, matching of recipients in the file to existing recipients in the system is done using the Email field. If you would instead like to match recipients using the supplied Unique Identifier, append _unique to the end of your file name.
   1. If a recipient is matched, the recipient is updated. Otherwise the recipient will be newly created.
   2. Example file name to match on unique id: “Private Recipient Group Name_unique.csv”

Uploading Access Point Lists

Naming your file

1. The name of the access point csv does not matter. Access points will be uploaded to the Root Zone of the institution. 
   1. Matching of existing access points is done using the supplied BSSID. If there is a match, the existing access point will be updated.

Setup Notifications for Failed Uploads

When an SFTP upload fails, email notification can be sent to designated recipients. To set it up:

1.Create a notifications.txt file and add the email of your recipients, separated by comma or new line.
*No space required before or after the separators. Text file should be named "notifications"

2. Move notifications.txt into the configuration folder and it's ready to be utilized whenever an unsuccessful SFTP upload occurs.

Common Issues

• Unable to access the SFTP server.
  • Check if the IP Address you are connecting to our server has been whitelisted on our firewall. This will need to be checked by contacting support and providing your IP Address.

• • Double check you are connecting to the proper 911Cellular SFTP server.
  • <Your Given Username>@3.137.199.120
  • Double check you are using the supplied password

• My .csv files are failing to upload
  • First, check the failed folder within your SFTP directory. There should be a file that ends with -errors.txt that will contain reasons for the failure.
  • If the file fails to upload but does not generate an errors file, reach out to our Support.

• My .csv files never go to processing and remain where they were uploaded.
  • Contact 911Cellular support to report that files are not being scanned or processed.

FAQs

• Can lists other than Alert Recipients and Access Points be uploaded using SFTP?
  • No, at the moment the only lists that are supported are Alert Recipients and Access Points
  • If you need support for other batch uploads such as Portal Users, Computer Panic Button Machines, Watch Groups, or Mobile Access Lists, please submit a request to 911Cellular and use the Portal in the meantime to manually upload your lists.

• What file types are supported?
  • The only file type supported for SFTP Batch Upload processing is .csv files.

• Does it matter what network I am on when trying to upload a file using SFTP
  • Yes, the IP Address that you connect to our server with must be whitelisted on our firewall. Contact 911cellular support with your IP Address for it to be added to our whitelist.