Inbound file transfer allows Fixiam to automatically import user records from an external SFTP server and provision them into your Fixiam directory. The import process is incremental: new users are created, existing users are updated based on the primary user identifier, and duplicate records are skipped.

Overview

Use inbound file transfer when your organization maintains employee or user data in an HR system, ERP, or another external system that exports CSV files to an SFTP server.

The setup process consists of five steps:

Connection
Attribute mapping
Lifecycle status mapping
Processing settings
Review and activate

Once activated, Fixiam automatically checks the configured SFTP location based on the selected sync frequency and applies any changes found in new files.

Before you begin

Ensure you have the following information from the external system administrator:

SFTP host address
Port number
Authentication credentials
Remote directory containing the files
CSV file format
Column names in the source file
Lifecycle status values (if applicable)

Create an inbound source

To create a new inbound file transfer:

Go to Provisioning.
Select Inbound.
Click Setup New Provisioning.

The Add Inbound Source wizard opens.

Step 1: Configure the connection

Provide the connection details for the external SFTP server.

Connection fields

Field	Description
Source name	A descriptive name for the inbound source
Host	SFTP server hostname or IP address
Port	SFTP port (typically 22)
Authentication method	Password or SSH key authentication
Username	SFTP username
Remote directory	Folder containing inbound files
File pattern	File name pattern such as `*.csv`
CSV delimiter	Character used to separate values

Click Test Connection to verify connectivity before continuing.

A successful connection confirms that Fixiam can reach the SFTP server and access the configured directory.

Step 2: Configure attribute mapping

Map columns from the external CSV file to Fixiam user attributes.

Primary user identifier

Select a Primary User Identifier. This identifier is used to match existing users during synchronization.

Common identifiers include:

Email
Employee ID
Username

Column mappings

Add mappings between source columns and Fixiam user attributes.

Example:

Source column	Fixiam attribute
`email`	Email
`first_name`	First name
`last_name`	Last name
`employee_id`	Employee ID
`department`	Department

The primary identifier must also be included in the column mappings.

Step 3: Configure lifecycle status mapping

Lifecycle status mapping allows Fixiam to interpret status values from the source file.

Identity status

Specify the source column containing identity status values, then map each source value to a Fixiam identity status.

Example:

Source value	Fixiam identity status
`Active`	Active
`Suspended`	Suspended
`Terminated`	Disabled

Work status

Specify the source column containing work status values and map each value to the appropriate Fixiam work status.

This ensures users receive the correct availability and lifecycle state during provisioning.

Step 4: Configure processing settings

Processing settings control how frequently files are imported and what happens after successful processing.

Sync frequency

Select how often Fixiam checks the SFTP server for new files.

Available options include daily synchronization and other supported intervals.

After processing

Choose what happens after a file has been processed.

Recommended option:

Archive (move to folder)

Specify:

Archive directory if selected
Error directory

Processed files are moved to the archive directory, while files that fail processing are moved to the error directory.

Failure notifications

Enable Notify on Failure to receive email notifications when a processing run encounters errors.

Step 5: Review and activate

Review the complete configuration before activation.

Verify:

Connection settings
Attribute mappings
Lifecycle mappings
Processing schedule
File handling rules

Click Activate to create the inbound source.

Fixiam immediately begins monitoring the configured SFTP location according to the selected sync frequency.

Synchronization behavior

Inbound file transfer uses incremental synchronization.

During each sync run:

New records are created
Existing records are updated
Duplicate records are skipped
Lifecycle status changes are applied

For example, if an employee's department or work status changes in the source file, the change is applied automatically during the next scheduled synchronization.

Note: Updates are applied based on the configured sync frequency. Any changes detected in the source file are synchronized during the next scheduled run or when Sync Now is triggered manually.

Manage an inbound source

After activation, the inbound source appears on the Inbound Provisioning Overview page.

From the overview page you can:

View details
Edit the configuration
Run a manual sync
Disable synchronization
Delete the source

View source details

The Overview tab displays the current configuration and synchronization status.

Available information includes:

Source name
Source type
Authentication method
Remote directory
File pattern
Primary identifier
Sync frequency
Last sync time
Total files processed
Total records processed

Use Sync Now to trigger an immediate synchronization without waiting for the scheduled sync.

Monitor processing runs

The Processing Runs tab provides the history of synchronization executions.

Each run includes:

Field	Description
Run ID	Unique processing run identifier
Status	Success or processed with errors
Trigger	Manual or scheduled
Started	Start time
Completed	Completion time
Files processed	Number of files processed
Created	New users created
Updated	Existing users updated
Failed	Failed records
Lifecycle exceptions	Lifecycle mapping exceptions

Use this page to verify synchronization results and identify failed imports.

Review processed files

The Files tab displays every processed file.

Available information includes:

File name
File size
Processing status
Total rows
Successfully processed rows
Failed rows
Lifecycle exceptions
Detection time
Processing time
Associated run ID

This helps confirm that expected files were detected and processed successfully.

View processing logs

The Logs tab provides detailed processing messages for each run.

Log entries include:

Informational messages
Parsing results
Validation errors
User creation failures
Identifier conflicts
Processing exceptions

Common log information includes:

Run ID
Log level
Message
Row number
Column
User identifier
Timestamp

These logs are useful for troubleshooting failed imports and correcting source data issues.

Common synchronization outcomes

New user created

A record with a new primary identifier is imported and a new Fixiam user is created.

Existing user updated

A record with an existing primary identifier updates the corresponding Fixiam user attributes.

Duplicate skipped

If a duplicate record is detected within the processing scope, the duplicate is skipped.

Lifecycle updated

Changes to mapped lifecycle or work status values are applied during synchronization.

Troubleshooting

Connection test fails

Verify:

Host name
Port number
Username
Authentication credentials
Network connectivity
Remote directory permissions

No files processed

Check:

Remote directory path
File pattern
File extension
Sync frequency
SFTP upload location

Users not updating

Verify that:

The primary user identifier is correct
The identifier exists in both systems
The identifier is included in the attribute mappings

Lifecycle changes not applied

Ensure that:

The lifecycle status column is configured
Source values are mapped to Fixiam statuses
The source file contains valid lifecycle values

Best practices

Use Email or Employee ID as the primary identifier.
Archive processed files to avoid reprocessing.
Configure an error directory for failed files.
Enable failure notifications for production environments.
Test synchronization with a small sample file before activating scheduled imports.
Review processing logs after the initial synchronization to confirm successful provisioning.