Copia sFTP/SCP

Agent Requirements

Below are the Agent system requirements to configure a Copia Agent for the backup of sFTP or SCP based device:

• The Agent should be tested to confirm that it can backup the desired files via the appropriate Client, whether sFTP or SCP.

Project Configuration

Both sFTP and SCP are handled similarly by Copia, so the following sections will refer to a combined "sFTP/SCP", and only call out each one individually if there is a difference.

sFTP/SCP projects require a File List to determine what files on the device to include/exclude, or exclude from compare. Copia does not provide a default sFTP/SCP filelist, as every device is unique. It is recommended to add a file list for the device type prior to creating a project, as it will be required prior to backup operations.

To configure a sFTP/SCP project, you need a repository with a folder to store the device data. The folder is usually named similar to the target device.

The folder can be made during the project creation process.

Click either of the Add a Project buttons in the Projects tab.

The Add a new project configuration dialog will appear which allows you to fully configure the project, devices and job for the project.

Any items highlighted with an asterisk are required.

This is a multi-step process with each section explained in detail. At any time, you can edit the prior section of this workflow.

The project can be edited after creation. Devices and Jobs can also be edited or created directly, using the Devices or Jobs tab. The steps for creation are similar to the steps provided below for those sections.

Define the Project

To get started, we will first select the Project Type from the list provided, and then select an Agent. If you have not already created an Agent, you can create and assign an Agent at a later time. See more about this in the Agents section of the documentation.

When complete, press Save and Continue.

You will now select the Project Path, which is the location (Repo/Branch) that the project is, or will be stored.

You can edit the previous steps at any time.

For sFTP/SCP, you can either select an existing folder, or create a new empty folder (so that you can upload a copy of your project data from the device) for an initial revision. You can make this choice after you have selected the repository and branch for the project folder.

In this example, we will create a new empty project folder. Once complete, press Save and Continue to proceed.

The project details allows you to update the Project name, and description if desired.

sFTP/SCP projects require a File List to determine what files on the device to include/exclude, or exclude from compare. Copia does not provide a default filelist, as every SFTP/sCP device is unique. It is recommended to add a file list for the device type prior to creating a project, as it will be required prior to backup operations.

If you did not already create a File List, you can press the Create a file list link to create a new file list for this project.

More information about file lists can be found in File List section.

Press Save and Continue to proceed.

Define the Device(s)

The Device Setup section is for defining the device information (Switch, authentication, etc.) that is in your project. If you have pre-created devices, you can add existing devices, otherwise you can Add a Device as seen.

Fill in all required field, and any fields that are applicable.

If the device is a configurable sFTP/SCP Server on a PC, it is important to set the default login location to the folder which is the most proximate to the target files (as defined by the filelist). This is similar to starting your search for a file in the right drawer of a filing cabinet.

For example, if the files are in the directory c:\dir1\dir2, you would not want the default login location to be set to c:\. Doing so would cause a large delay in enumeration of the target directories. It should be set to c:\dir1\dir2 to streamline the process and make file retrieval faster and more direct.

Press Save Device when complete.

Start Directory

By default, Copia begins each backup in the account’s login folder on the server and searches that folder and its subfolders. Files stored in a parent or sibling folder are outside that search. Use Start Directory to choose a different folder where the backup should begin.

Note: If you leave this field blank, the backup will start in the default home login folder.

Entering the path

Enter a path that begins with /. The leading / represents the account’s login folder on the server.

You must enter a relative path from server root starting with '/'

Path formatting rules:

• Always begin the path with / and use / between folder names (for example /folder/subfolder )

• Never include a drive letter such as C:\

• Do not use . or .. in your path

• Match the capitalization of the folder names on the server exactly

For Example

If your backups are saved to this folder on the PC:

C:\ftp_root\cell_04\programs

Your sFTP server home directory is C:\ftp_root. Remove the login folder from the front of the path, then flip the slashes:

• ✅ Correct relative path to enter: /cell_04/programs

• ❌ Incorrect: C:\ftp_root\cell_04\programs (The agent cannot read Windows drives)

• ❌ Incorrect: /ftp_root/cell_04/programs (the Agent is already inside ftp_root)

• ❌ Incorrect: cell_04/programs (the path must begin with /)

If the folder does not exist on the device, the backup fails immediately, and the error message names the folder that could not be found.

The Start Directory becomes the top of the backup, so write your File List patterns as though the Start Directory were the top of the tree. Do not include the Start Directory folder names in a pattern

Define the Job(s)

Creating Jobs is similar for all vendor types, and is described in the Creating Jobs section. It is recommended to review that section while completing a job configuration, and press Save to save the job. You can create more than one job for a device if desired.

Submit the Configuration

Once complete, press Submit Project Setup to create the Project, Device(s) and Job(s).

Don't forget to enable/disable the Watch button, based on your preferences for project Notifications.