SFTP Requirements

Setting up SFTP requires whitelisting IP addresses, configuring a File Transfer Protocol to connect your student information system to Badge.CI Solutions will create SFTP credentials and securely pass the details to the client. Each client will have access to a dedicated directory that they can organize according to their needs. 

Guide

1. Whitelist IP Address
2. SFTP Client Settings
   • WinSCP
   • FileZilla
3. File and Column Requirements

Set up the Data Connection

Whitelist IP Address

IP addresses can be static or dynamic. The difference between the two is that dynamic IP addresses constantly change. If a client's IP address is dynamic, IP addresses must be whitelisted to ensure a successful connection to the SFTP server.

If you are unsure of your IP address, click here to get this information.

1. Provide all potential Public IP addresses that will connect to the SFTP server to your CI Solution's project manager.

Only provide Public IP addresses (e.g., CIDR or IP range). 
Even after a successful connection, contact us if you have additional public IP addresses to whitelist by submitting a ticket here.

Once IP Addresses are whitelisted, CI Solutions will provide credentials to access and connect to our servers.

SFTP Client Settings

Clients can import the data using SFTP or an FTP app (e.g., WinSCP, FileZilla)

For timing and frequency, we recommend one daily upload either in beginning or end of the day. 

When clients begin sending requests to add and update files to the SFTP servers, Badge will receive the requests and complete them through a queue. The Badge dashboard will notify clients that data has completed importing. 

Data files transferred using SFTP is routinely overwriting outdated data in Badge. Excluding/Removing/Deleting records from your CSV file before transferring data in Badge will not delete records in Badge. To delete records in Badge, click here to delete records.

Configure your WinSCP or FileZilla settings to ensure a successful upload into the SFTP server.

WinSCP

1. Open WinSCP > Click Advanced

2. On the left-hand menu, click Connection

3. Uncheck "Optimize connection buffer size"

4. Increase the "Server response timeout" to 360 seconds

5. Click SAVE

6. Disable .filepart extension 

File transfer should successfully complete.

FileZilla

1. Open FileZilla > Click Edit

2. Select Settings from the drop-down menu

3. Increase Timeout in seconds to 0

Data In and File Requirements

Clients must follow data formatting requirements to ensure a successful import. Whether that is from an internal database or a third-party information system, data must cohere to formatting requirements.

Data should be saved as a CSV file when transferring records in. Images should be saved as a ZIP file without any sub folders when transferring images in. Click here to read about the formatting requirements.

Before uploading a new file, please review the following: 

• Column fields must be the following data type:

• yyyy-mm-dd (e.g., 2023-05-12)
• yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss (e.g., 2023-05-12 05:45:07)
• mm/dd/yyyy (e.g., 2023/05/12)
• mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss (e.g., 2023/05/12 05:45:07)

• Files must be saved as a CSV file and less than 5MB

• Required Default Column Fields: ID and Campus

The ID column will be the student/staff ID.

The Campus column will be the student/staff's location (e.g., School, Office, Store). 

Campus field names are case sensitive and should match exactly the campus field name in Badge.  
(e.g., A column name "Sampleton District" in the CSV file will not import to the column name "sampleton district" in Badge.)

• Do not import any fields that do not require sorting, filtering, printing, or identification purposes

Consult with your CI Solutions' Project Manager for more information on your required columns (e.g., First Name, Last Name)

Password Changes

If you are getting an authentication error while connecting to the Badge SFTP server, the password may be incorrect. Ensure the password is correctly typed by checking the spelling and confirming if the organization password is up to date. 

If you need to change passwords, request a password reset by submitting a ticket here.

Ensure all organization members know of the password update.