Considerations for Watch Directory Scans

The behavior of the watched directory scans is mainly determined by the Watch file interval and File completion delay parameters in the basic configuration. See the Basic Configuration chapter for more details.

The Watch file interval specifies how often watched directories will be scanned. With a shorter interval, new or changes files can be detected more quickly. However, frequently scanning large watch directories may increase the system load.

The File completion delay specifies how long Sterling Connect:Direct File Agent will delay a new or changed file before considering it ready for processing. With a shorther delay, new or updated files will be processed more quickly. However, ensure that the delay is long enough for your applications to finish writing the files to prevent Sterling Connect:Direct File Agent from processing incomplete files.

Scanning large watch directories with thousands of files may take time and can increase the system load and resource usage. It is good practice to let the Sterling Connect:Direct Process remove or archive the file from the watch directory once it has been transferred. For example, the Sterling Connect:Direct Process could do a RUN TASK/JOB to delete the file or archive it in another directory.