- 11 minutes to read

File Folder Monitoring Agent

Prevent file pickup failures and integration delays before they disrupt business operations. Nodinite File Folder Monitoring Agent empowers operations teams to monitor file counts, file age, disk space, and pickup locations—then resolve issues instantly without RDP, FTP clients, or server access.

Why Teams Choose This Agent

File-based integrations are the backbone for EDI, batch processing, and data imports, but file problems cascade quickly into business-critical failures—a missed pickup delays order processing, stale files indicate processing failures, disk space exhaustion stops new file arrivals. Traditional file monitoring creates operational bottlenecks:

  • 📊 File Pickup Failures Go Unnoticed – Integration expects files in pickup folder (every hour, every day) but files never arrive—no alerts until business users complain about missing data
  • ⏳ Stale Files Indicate Processing Problems – Files accumulate in folders (hours, days, weeks) without being processed—indicates downstream application failures or stuck file watchers
  • 💾 Disk Space Exhaustion Stops Integrations – Pickup locations fill up (logs, temp files, unprocessed data)—new file arrivals fail with "disk full" errors
  • 🔐 FTP/SFTP Client Access Sprawl – Granting FTP client or server RDP access to help desk means exposing server credentials, network paths, and file system structure
  • 🧩 Fragmented File Monitoring Tools – File monitoring requires separate tools (Windows Explorer, FTP clients, custom scripts, scheduled tasks)—no unified dashboard across protocols
  • 💸 Manual File Cleanup Overhead – Operations teams spend hours manually connecting to servers, navigating folders, identifying old files, deleting them—repetitive work without automation

The Nodinite File Folder Monitoring Agent solves this by providing unified multi-protocol monitoring, proactive file age alerts, and instant remote actions—with role-based delegation and zero server access required:

✅ Monitor file counts before pickup failures cause delays – Alert when expected files missing or unexpected file accumulation detected—prevent missed batch processing
✅ Detect stale files instantly – Alert when file age exceeds threshold (e.g., "files older than 2 hours")—identify stuck processing before business impact
✅ Track disk space on pickup locations – Monitor available disk space on network shares, FTP servers, SFTP servers—prevent "disk full" integration failures
✅ Fix issues from web browser without server access – List files, download for analysis, view folder contents—delegate to operations teams without granting RDP or FTP credentials
✅ Monitor unlimited folders with one license – SMB shares, NFS mounts, FTP servers, SFTP servers, DFS—all from single agent installation
✅ Regex filtering for complex scenarios – Monitor specific file patterns, exclude temp files, track subfolders—flexible monitoring rules
✅ Auto-discover new pickup locations – As integrations deploy new file drops, agent automatically detects and monitors them—no manual configuration

How It Works

graph LR A[Nodinite File Folder
Monitoring Agent] --> B[SMB/DFS Shares
Windows/Linux] A --> C[FTP/FTPS Servers
On-Premises/Cloud] A --> D[SFTP Servers
SSH Protocol] A --> E[NFS Mounts
Unix/Linux] B --> B1[Pickup Folders] C --> C1[Pickup Folders] D --> D1[Pickup Folders] E --> E1[Pickup Folders]

The File Folder Monitoring Agent connects to multiple protocols (SMB, NFS, FTP/FTPS, SFTP) across on-premises and cloud platforms—monitoring file counts, file age, and disk space from a single agent installation.

Tip

Regex Pattern Support: The agent supports advanced regex filtering for file and folder names—monitor specific file patterns (e.g., INV_*.xml), exclude temp files (*.tmp), or track nested folder structures with precision.

What You Can Do

📊 Prevent Pickup Failures with File Count Monitoring

  • Alert on missing files (expected file count not met)—indicates upstream system failures, network issues, or partner data delays
  • Detect unexpected file accumulation (file count exceeds threshold)—signals downstream processing failures or stuck file watchers
  • Track file count trends over time (hourly/daily patterns)—identify capacity planning needs before folders overwhelm storage
  • Set per-folder count thresholds—critical EDI folders have strict limits; batch folders allow larger volumes

Example: EDI pickup folder /incoming/orders/ expects 100-150 files per hour. Alert triggers when count drops to <50 files—operations team investigates upstream partner system before order processing SLA breach.

⏳ Detect Stale Files Before Processing Stalls

  • Monitor file age per folder (e.g., alert if files >2 hours old)—indicates downstream application failures, file watcher crashes, or processing deadlocks
  • Distinguish stale files from normal aging—10 files aged 24 hours signals stuck processing; 1,000 files aged 5 minutes signals normal batch delay
  • Track age thresholds per file type—critical transaction files (invoices, orders) have strict age limits; batch reports allow longer retention
  • Identify root causes faster—stale files without new arrivals = processing failure; stale files with new arrivals = throughput bottleneck

Example: Invoice processing folder /app/invoices/in/ shows 500 files aged >4 hours (normally processed within 30 minutes). Investigation reveals database connection pool exhausted in invoice app—fixed before invoices overdue.

💾 Monitor Disk Space Before Integration Failures

  • Track available disk space on pickup locations—SMB shares, FTP servers, SFTP servers, NFS mounts
  • Alert before disk full (e.g., <10% free space)—prevents "disk full" errors that stop new file arrivals
  • Monitor disk space trends—identify log file growth, temp file accumulation, or unprocessed data buildup
  • Prioritize cleanup actions—know which folders need immediate attention before they fail

Example: FTP server /data/ftp/incoming/ shows 5% free space remaining (normally 40%). Alert triggers—investigation reveals 2 weeks of unprocessed log files consuming 200GB. Logs archived to prevent pickup failures.

🔊 Track File Size Anomalies

  • Monitor file size ranges (min/max/average)—detects truncated files, corrupted uploads, or unexpectedly large files
  • Alert on size threshold violations—prevents processing failures from malformed files
  • Validate file completeness—ensures EDI files, XML documents, CSV exports meet expected size patterns
  • Identify upload failures—zero-byte files or partially transferred files indicate network issues

Example: Partner EDI folder /edi/partner_A/ receives file PO_12345.xml with size 0 bytes (normally 50-100KB). Alert notifies operations—partner's FTP upload timed out mid-transfer. Partner retransmits complete file before order processing begins.

� Multi-Protocol Consolidation

  • Monitor unlimited folders across all protocols—SMB, NFS, FTP, FTPS, SFTP, DFS
  • Unified dashboard across environments—eliminates switching between Windows Explorer, FTP clients, SSH sessions
  • Compare metrics across pickup locations—identify which integrations experience most file age or count issues
  • Single pane of glass for file health—file counts, file age, disk space for all monitored folders

Example: Organization monitors 25 pickup locations (10 SMB shares, 8 FTP servers, 5 SFTP servers, 2 NFS mounts) from single Nodinite instance. Operations team views consolidated dashboard instead of logging into servers with FTP clients or RDP.

🔐 Self-Service Without Server Access

  • Grant read-only folder monitoring to application teams—view file counts/ages without server login credentials
  • Delegate file operations to operations via Nodinite roles—list files, download for analysis without RDP or FTP client
  • Full audit trails for all remote actions—who downloaded which file, when, from which IP address
  • Role-based access per folder pattern—application team sees only their folders, not all pickup locations

Example: Application support team needs to monitor /app/invoices/* folders but should not access /app/payments/ or server filesystem. Nodinite role grants view access to /app/invoices/* pattern—team performs self-service monitoring via web browser, no server training required.

🧹 Remote File Operations

  • List folder contents without FTP client or RDP—view files matching patterns, check timestamps, validate file presence
  • Download files for analysis—retrieve specific files securely for troubleshooting without full folder access
  • Edit monitoring thresholds—adjust file count/age/size limits based on observed traffic patterns without agent reconfiguration
  • Regex filtering—monitor specific file patterns, exclude temp files, track nested subfolders with flexible rules

Example: After production issue, developer needs to analyze invoice file INV_ERROR_2024.xml from FTP server. Downloads file via Nodinite web interface in 10 seconds vs. requesting FTP credentials, installing FTP client, connecting to server, navigating folder structure.

Complete Feature Reference

The File Folder Monitoring Agent provides comprehensive monitoring across four protocol types—each with specialized capabilities for alerts, metrics, and remote actions:

Protocol Monitors Remote Actions Key Features
SMB/DFS Folders File count, file age (created/modified), file size, disk space List files · Download files · Edit thresholds Monitor local folders (C:\Incoming\), UNC paths (\\server\share\), DFS namespaces
FTP/FTPS File count, file age, file size List files · Download files · Edit thresholds Secure FTP monitoring (FTPS), anonymous or authenticated connections, passive/active mode support
SFTP (SSH) File count, file age, file size List files · Download files · Edit thresholds SSH key or password authentication, port forwarding support, cloud SFTP services
NFS Mounts File count, file age, file size List files · Edit thresholds Network File System v2/v3/v4, Unix/Linux file share monitoring

Note

One License, Unlimited Folders: Monitor all your file pickup locations (SMB, NFS, FTP, SFTP, DFS) with a single Nodinite license—no per-folder or per-protocol fees.

Get Started

Step Task Description
1 Review Prerequisites Confirm network connectivity to file servers, FTP/SFTP credentials, SMB/NFS mount permissions, firewall rules allowing agent access to monitored folders.
2 Install the Agent Download the File Folder Monitoring Agent installer, run on Windows Server or Linux, configure protocol-specific settings (SMB paths, FTP hosts, SFTP keys), and register with Nodinite Core Services.
3 Configure Monitored Resources Add pickup folders as Resources, configure file count thresholds, file age limits, file size ranges, regex patterns for filtering, disk space alerts based on business needs.
4 Set Up Alerts Define alert thresholds (file count threshold, file age >2 hours, disk space <10%, file size anomalies)—configure notification channels (email, Teams, ticketing systems).
5 Create Dashboards Build custom dashboards in Nodinite Web Client showing file count trends, file age heatmaps, disk space status, pickup failure summary—tailored for integration teams, operations, and business analysts.
6 Delegate Access Use Role-based access to grant operations teams permission to view Monitor Views, list files, download for analysis—without granting server RDP or FTP credentials. Full audit trails log all actions.

Common Questions

Q: What file protocols are supported? A: The File Folder Monitoring Agent supports SMB/DFS (Windows shares, DFS namespaces), NFS (Network File System v2/v3/v4 on Unix/Linux), FTP/FTPS (File Transfer Protocol with SSL/TLS), and SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol). Monitor unlimited folders across all protocols with one license.

Q: Can I monitor network shares and cloud storage? A: Yes. Monitor UNC paths (\\\\server\\share\\), local folders (C:\\Incoming\\), DFS namespaces, NFS mounts, FTP servers (on-premises or cloud), SFTP servers (AWS Transfer Family, Azure Blob SFTP, cloud providers). Agent supports both on-premises and cloud-based file storage.

Q: How do I monitor specific file patterns with regex? A: Configure regex patterns in Resource settings—monitor files matching pattern (e.g., INV_.*\\.xml for invoice XMLs), exclude temp files (.*\\.tmp$

), track subfolders matching pattern. Regex applies to both file names and folder names for flexible filtering. See Configuration for regex examples.

Q: What permissions are required to monitor folders? A: Minimum: Read-only access to monitored folders—SMB requires read permissions on shares, FTP/SFTP requires authenticated user with read access, NFS requires mount permissions. For remote actions (download files, list contents): same read permissions. No write or delete permissions required unless performing cleanup operations. See Prerequisites for detailed permission requirements per protocol.

Q: How do I prevent alerts for temporary file count spikes? A: Configure per-folder thresholds with appropriate ranges for normal operating patterns. High-volume EDI folders can have higher thresholds (e.g., alert if count >1,000 or <50), low-volume folders have strict thresholds (e.g., alert if count >10). Adjust thresholds based on historical file arrival patterns and processing capacity.

Q: Can I monitor disk space on FTP/SFTP servers? A: Yes (with protocol limitations). SMB/NFS: Agent retrieves actual disk space from filesystem. FTP/FTPS: Disk space monitoring requires SITE QUOTA command support (not all FTP servers). SFTP: Agent can retrieve disk space via SFTP protocol extensions (depends on server SSH implementation). Test disk space monitoring during setup.

Q: What happens if the agent loses connectivity to a file server? A: The agent detects connectivity failure during next monitoring cycle (configurable interval, default 60 seconds), marks the folder Resource as Unavailable with connectivity error message, and triggers alerts. When connectivity restored (network recovery, server restart, credentials fixed), agent resumes normal monitoring automatically—no manual intervention required.

Q: How do I grant operations teams access to download files without FTP client? A: Use Nodinite Roles to define permissions (e.g., File Operations role can list files, download specific files from approved folders). Assign users to roles, create Monitor Views filtered to approved folder patterns—users perform actions from Web Client with full audit trails, no FTP client or server credentials required.

Q: Can I monitor files in subfolders? A: Yes. Configure folder Resource to monitor root only (files in specified folder) or root + child folders (recursive monitoring). Use regex to exclude dynamic subfolders (e.g., exclude .*\\\\temp\\\\.* pattern). Set file count/age/size thresholds that apply to all monitored files matching pattern.

Q: How do I visualize file count and age trends over time? A: Yes. File count and age metrics are stored in Nodinite Resources with timestamps. Build dashboards showing file count trends (hourly/daily/weekly), file age heatmaps, disk space consumption. Export metrics via Web API to Power BI for advanced analytics, capacity planning, and SLA reporting.

Additional Resources

Next Step

Ready to prevent file pickup failures and stale file accumulation? Start by reviewing prerequisites and installing the agent:

Prerequisites for File Folder Monitoring Agent – Confirm folder access, connectivity, and permissions Install File Folder Monitoring Agent – Download and install the agent, configure monitored folders

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