Upload files to Sharepoint document libraries via FTP - sharepoint

I was wondering if anyone knows how to or if it is possible to upload files to a sharepoint (v3/MOSS) document library over FTP. I know it is possible with webdav. If it is possible is this even supported by Microsoft?

I don't think so. I think your options are:
HTTP (via the upload page)
WebDAV
Web Services
The object model

You can map a drive to a SharePoint document library, for example \\serveraddress.domain.com\Documents. So I would try mapping a drive on your FTP server, then making sure files that come in over FTP get sent to that drive.

Big edit: Have any of you figured out how to upload to SharePoint (WSS)? I've tried drive mapping and then using Robocopy and Synctoy to copy files thinking a tool might offer greater control (i.e. a Copy Date Modified control). As I understand it the files are actually stored in SharePoint as database objects and therefore SharePoint views display the database object (SQL object's) properties in Document Libraries where a new user would expect to see the file properties. Those file properties are still alive! They just need to be uncovered by a different view. I particularly like the mapped network drive view of a SharePoint Document Library. File attributes are pretty important to my team, so we were concerned about that at the start. As an opinion note though, the default view showing attributes that appear as incorrect is just plain annoying!
The best solution we've come up with for doing large file migrations into SharePoint is a mapped network drive then using a tool called FreeFileSync available at SourceForge to move your files and folders. It's great because it produces verbose error messages and give a lot of control, especially for the instances that SharePoint tries to block a particular filename or file extension.

Direct FTP into SharePoint is not one of your options. You would need to have a timer job run that checks your FTP directory and uploads into the document library.

Yes it is possible.
The WebDav Redirector allows you to access webdav resources (including Share Point) via UNC path, ie \yourspserver\site\doclib. The IIS FTP server accepts UNC paths as backing storage to virtual directories.
On your ftp server, right click the ftp site in the IIS Manager and select "Add Virtual Directory". Give it a name and specify the sharepoint unc path for the physical path. You'll need to set the "connect as" user to a domain user that has access to the sharepoint folder you're connecting to.
Connect to the ftp folder and you should be able to "cd" into the directory and put/get files without issue (just confirmed it myself). The only caveat is an age old bug/feature of IISFTP, that doesn't show a virtual dir in an ls/dir command listing. The fix is to create a physical folder that mirrors the virtual directory's location. For example, if your ftp root is c:\inetpub\ftproot, then you'll need to create a dir that matches the name of your virtual dir in this location. It will then show up in an ls/dir listing but the cd command will still move into the virtual dir, not the physical dir.

You can directly SFTP/FTP into your SharePoint doc library using Couchdrop. It turns your SharePoint into a native SFTP/FTP server, you can create additional users, etc. Sing out if you need assistance more than happy to assist.
Full disclosure: I represent Couchdrop

Related

How to store only metadata of local & cloud storage files in SharePoint Online, not the files themselves?

I am new to SharePoint Online, but haven't found anything via Google: I have tons of files (read: terabytes) stored on my filesystem and on a cloud storage and want to access their metadata to allow searching for them. Is this possible without uploading them into SharePoint Online? It should also be possible to "sync" the hierarchy of the crawled folder so I can click through the folder structure in SharePoint. I do not want to store the content of these files though (for storage space reasons).
It is like having a synced folder in SharePoint where the files are searchable, but they are just shortcuts of some kind, without content.
I thought of creating some sort of timed job which crawls the file system and creates empty files in SharePoint which contain the metadata and a link to the file, but this seems very crude to me. Is there a better solution or maybe even something SharePoint Online itself provides?
// edited: I need to crawl not only files on my filesystem but also cloud storage files of different cloud storage services.
// whoops got that wrong, it is SharePoint Online, not 2013.
You can add the file share as one of the sources. SharePoint will be able to crawl & Index the files in the file share.
Steps on how to do it can be found here...
How to: Configure Enterprise Search to index a file share

Sharepoint 2010: Copy or add file to Document Library

I have a silverlight application inserted in a SharePoint page. The SilverLight application runs on a different server thatn that of SharePoint. From an event in the SilverLight, I generate a document on the server side from SQL Server. I can generate the doc on the server hosting the silverlight application and also copy it to the SharePoint server. I wanted to know if I can include this file in a sharepoint document library automatically. I was thinking if like emailing to a list allows us to copy the file into the library, can we configure the reverse, means copying the file make it part of the list.
Update:
I wanted to avoid uploading. For me uploading is sending the file from one location to the target location. But what I am saying is, if I copy the file into the folder where SharePoint keeps the file physically for the particular list, can it be added to the list automatically?
I am not sure, how well I am being able to describe the point. Please elaborate if required or I can answer your queries.
SharePoint stores the files in a database, not a folder.
WebDAV access may be what you're looking for - it's a backbone of the the Explorer View feature that allows a user to access a document library as if you were accessing a file system through a Windows Explorer window.
You can configure "incoming e-mail" properties for the document library, and assign an e-mail address.
After that, when you e-mail a document as attached to e-mail to this e-mail address, then attachment will be saved to that library by sharepoint automatically.

Are Sharepoint template files actually stored on the file system?

I'm new to Sharepoint and just starting to poke around with Sharepoint Designer. I'm curious about the file system I see in Sharepoint designer which doesn't seem to appear anywhere else.
When I open a Sharepoint site in Sharepoint Designer, and I see folders for all my lists, and the Web forms created within them -- am I actually looking at the Windows file system? Or are these virtual-ish files that don't actually exist on the file system?
Put another way, when I create a new List in Sharepoint, do a bunch of template files ("AllItems.aspx," "DispForm.aspx," etc.) get written to the file system somewhere? If so, where?
I ask because I searched and I can't find any of the files I see in Sharepoint Designer anywhere on the actual file system.
Deane,
In essence, you're looking at a hybrid view. When you open SharePoint Designer, you're actually looking at a combination of files that exist in two different places:
The local file system of the SharePoint web front-end (WFE) to which you're connected.
The content database (within SQL Server) that houses the site you have open.
Generally speaking, knowing where any given file resides is a function of whether or not the file is customized. Uncustomized files (such as those that are provisioned through site defintions and Features) do, in fact, live within the server file system. If these files should become customized through editing (e.g., through SharePoint Designer), the edited copy ends up in the content database within SQL Server and is tied to the site.
MSDN has a good article describing SharePoint's virtualized file system and the customization process I'm describing (I'm representing it without going into a lot of detail). I'd recommend checking out the article:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc406685.aspx
I hope this helps!
I think they are on [server]/wwwroot/wss/virtualdirectoryofyoursharepoint and the information about each list is saved in the database of Sharepoint content.

Accessing Sharepoint File Server Search Results Externally

We are currently implementing MOSS 2007 to replace an older portal system (Plumtree) and are currently looking at searching. We have 1000s of documents on a file server that we would like users to be able to search. This I can set up by adding a content source of "File Shares" and pointing it at the UNC of the file share. The issue is getting access to this data when you are not on the local network.
So, file share is \FileServer01\Files. This has a file called Wibble.txt containing the word Wibble.
When I search for Wibble it finds this document, BUT it points to file:\FileServer01\Files\Wibble.txt.
That is great if I am attached to the network, but what about when I am accessing Sharepoint via the Internet and I'm not on the LAN that knows about that server?
If I wrote something from scratch I would have a download page that I passed in the location of the file and it would stream it to my browser. Sharepoint does not seam to do anything like like.
Ideas? Suggestions? Have I missed something simple?
Create an HttpModule that intercepts requests to documents in this file share, and presents them through an HttpHandler to the user. Deploy the module and handler to the web application.
The only way to make that content accessible via HTTP would be to bring everything off the file server and into the SharePoint content database. You can then simply let SharePoint crawl that instead of the file server; and your users will be able to download content as well.
Edit: To make the migration task quicker and easier, you can ensure that the WebDav service is running on the sharepoint box, which will allow you to open a document library using the windows explorer interface.

Adding file to WSS 3.0 document library without GUI

OK I am new to working with SHarePoint Services and have an issue that I am trying to overcome. Where I work, I have implemented a Crystal reports Scheduler that outputs the reports to a shared folder. What I am trying to accomplish now is finding a way that I can point the output of the scheduler to the document library. I was hoping that I could find it like any other shared folder.
On your box hosting sharepoint, turn on the WebClient Service.
Goto the library you wish to upload to, drop down on actions-> open in windows explorer
The path you see can be converted to a UNC path, where you can use it like any other shared folder.
To convert, it should look like \\servername\Shared Documents
This unc can be mapped as a shared folder like any other physical networked folders.
Happy Uploading!
If you want to upload the file in your code (not manually) without mounting a WebDAV share, you can also HTTP-PUT it to the desired URL, for example http://myserver/sites/mysite/mysubsite/mylist/myfolder/foo.doc
Try the code in this question: Uploading files to Sharepoint (WSS 3.0) document library using HTTP PUT
With the tip in this answer: Uploading files to Sharepoint (WSS 3.0) document library using HTTP PUT.

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