For Microsoft Windows systems, SFTPPlus is distributed as an installation package.
However, since some firewalls deny the downloading of .exe files, we are also providing a .rename_to_exe installation file for Windows, solely to overcome such limitations. After downloading this file, please change its extension to exe and continue the normal installation steps.
To install SFTPPlus you will have to launch the server installer as a Windows Administrator.
An installation log file will be generated and stored inside the installation folder. The name of the file is install.log.
On Windows systems, the server runs as a single service, and by default it will run under the SYSTEM account.
When launched, the server will log the privileges enabled for the account used for running SFTPPlus. This can be used for debugging privilege-related issues.
The automatic installation process will generate a new configuration file, together with the associated SSH keys and the SSL self-signed certificate.
For application accounts, all file system activity will be executed under the Windows service account. Application accounts are locked into their home folders.
For local accounts, the file system access will be granted according to user permissions for the local file system.
Note
The server must be installed on a local drive. Installing the server on a network mapped drive is not supported. However, SFTPPlus can serve files stored on network mapped drivers to its clients.
Warning
To prevent creating huge log files, the default configuration creates a log file which is automatically rotated at the end of the day. Please take the time to alter the log file configuration option to suit your needs.
A ZIP archive of the server installation package can be provided on request.
To install the server, copy the server folder to your preferred install location, e.g. ‘C:\Program Files’.
For Windows systems, the following BAT files are provided to install and uninstall the service. These must be executed as an administrator:
* service-install.bat
* service-start.bat
* service-uninstall.bat
After the service is installed, regular Windows Services management tools can be used for starting, stopping, restarting, or removing it.
In order to perform a silent installation of SFTPPlus, open a command line with full administrator access rights (Run As Administrator).
Then go to the SFTPPlus’ distributable location and run the following command:
sftpplus-windows-x86-VERSION.exe /S [/D=c:\path\to\install folder]
where:
* VERSION - is the SFTPPlus distributable version
* /S - makes the installation process silent
* /D - defines the installation directory. If no value is defined for it,
it will install the server in the default location
("C:\Program Files (x86)\SFTPPlus" for x64 environments or
"C:\Program Files\SFTPPlus" for x86 environments)
If a custom installation path is desired, then the parameter can be
used as follows ``/D=Custom\installation\path``.
It must be the last parameter used in the command line and must not
contain any quotes, even if the path contains spaces.
Only absolute paths are supported.
Note
When installing in silent mode, the installation log file will not be generated.
For security reasons, creating a dedicated service account is recommended. Use the newly created service account to run the SFTPPlus service after completing the installation.
Below is a list of explicit steps to be followed in order to configure the service successfully.
Create a new standard Windows user account.
Control Panel -> User Accounts -> Manage Account -> Create new Standard account option
or use
Computer Management administrative tool -> Local Users and Groups -> Users -> New User
Open Windows Services, select the SFTPPlus service and stop it. In its Properties window, select the Logon tab and set the Log on as to be the newly created OS account.
Open the Registry Editor and navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\eventlog\ Application\sftpplus-service
Access the Permission windows for the sftpplus-service registry key and grant Full control for the dedicated OS account.
Ensure that the dedicated account has the appropriate rights to modify/write/read the log and configuration folders.
To allow the server to create missing home folders under a Windows system, the account used for running SFTPPlus will require backup and restore privileges.
Local Security Policy administrative tool -> Local Policies -> User Rights Assignment ->add the account to Back up files and directories and Restore files and directories policy settings
or use
Computer Management administrative tool -> Local Users and Groups -> Groups -> add the user to Backup operators group.
Start the SFTPPlus service.
Once installed, SFTPPlus should have the following hierarchical folder structure on disk.
This list also describes the permissions required for the service account.
The Local Manager is a good way to visualize the current Configuration, and is even configurable itself. You might want to check out the Getting Started guide to get an idea of how best to begin. There is also an FAQ if you have an idea, but are in search of answers. If you want to skip ahead, the Configuration Instructions or the Usage Instructions might be good places to go.