Moving Incoming Files to Other Locations

Configure rules to move files entering your SystemLink server. This allows you to use folders or file storages as an alternative or in addition to the central SystemLink file service.

To transfer files from your devices or software to the SystemLink file service, use one of the following methods:

Complete the following steps to configure a rule for moving incoming files:

1. Click »Utilities»Files, then click »File Moving Rules in the ribbon.
2. Click New.
3. Enter a name for the rule and select the default destination to move the files to.
   

   Note  

   To change the default destination, launch NI SystemLink Server Configuration on the server through the Windows Start menu and click FileMoving. Click Browse to locate and set the default destination. To create a new destination, you must add a configuration JSON file to C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\Skyline\Data\FileMoving on your server.

4. Specify a relative path below the root path you specified in step 3. You can use the properties of the file to determine the folder structure. An example relative path is <Year>\<Month>\<Day>, representing the creation date of the file. This relative path will create folders within the root path that correspond to the specific year, month, and day values of the files. The following is a list of properties you can use as placeholders in relative paths.
   

   Note  

   Property placeholders are case-sensitive.

   • Day
   • Month
   • Year
   • Name
   • Extension
   In addition to these properties, you can specify a relative path containing any custom property you define using the File API.
5. Select the operation you want to apply to incoming files.

   Operation	Description
   Move	Moves files to the specified folder.
   Copy	Moves files to the file service and copies them to the specified folder.

   

   Note  

   If more than one rule applies to a file, the file service applies all rules. If at least one rule is a move operation, you cannot view the file in the Files application.

6. Indicate whether you want the rule to replace invalid characters in file path names with underscores using the checkbox.
7. Select how you want the rule to work if there is a conflict; for example, if a file of the same name already exists in the new location.

   Conflict Resolution	Description
   Overwrite	Overwrites the existing file.
   Rename Existing	Renames the existing file in the target folder and adds the new file with its name.
   Rename New	Renames the new file and adds it to the target folder.
   Do Nothing	Does not resolve the conflict but adds the new file to the file service.

8. Specify Rule Matching Metadata for the file moving rule. Rule Matching Metadata refers to any values in incoming files that determine which files to move. If a file's metadata matches a value you specify, the file service moves that file.
9. Click Create.