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Tasks

GoAnywhere Director includes over 60 built-in tasks for performing a wide variety of business processes. This includes tasks to retrieve and distribute files, transform data, encrypt/decrypt files, compress/decompress files and interact with databases. Other tasks can be used to call native commands, execute programs, send emails, search and replace file contents and more.

You can also build your own custom tasks to use within Projects. This is especially helpful if you need to perform special processing or connect to ERP systems and other applications using proprietary interfaces.

Multiple tasks can be "chained" together within a Project to perform a series of steps. For instance, a Project could be defined with a task to retrieve an XML file from a trading partner, then another task to parse the XML and finally a task to import the data into a database table.

Listed below is a summary of the built-in tasks:

DATABASE
SQL Runs any SQL statement supported by the database server (i.e. SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, CREATE, DELETE, CALL, etc). This task is especially useful for extracting data from database tables, which could then be converted to various file formats and transmitted.  It is also useful for importing data from files that may have been retrieved from trading partners.
 
DATA TRANSLATION
CSV Write Converts a set of records to a CSV (delimited text) formatted file.
CSV Read Reads a CSV file and produces an output that can be used in another task (for instance, to import into a database).
Fixed-width Write Converts a set of records to a fixed-width (e.g. fixed length) formatted file.
Fixed-width Read Reads a fixed-width formatted file and produces an output that can be used in another task (for instance, to convert to XML format).
Flat File Read Reads a flat file and produces an output that can be used in another task.
Excel Write Converts a set of records to Microsoft Excel file format. Supports Microsoft Excel 95, 97, 2000, XP, 2003, 2007, and 2010 file types.
Excel Read Reads an Excel file and produces an output that can be used in a different task (for instance, to convert to CSV format). Supports reading from Microsoft Excel 95, 97, 2000, XP, 2003, 2007, and 2010 workbooks.
XML Write Converts records to an XML document. Accepts multiple inputs to produce complex XML structures with optional Schema and DTD validation. For example, order header and order detail records can be combined within a single XML document.
XML Read Reads data from a XML document (with or without Schema and DTD validation) and produces one or more outputs that can be used in another task (for instance, to import into a database).
 
FILE ENCRYPTION
PGP Encrypt Encrypts files using the Open PGP (GPG) encryption standard.
PGP Decrypt Decrypts files using the Open PGP (GPG) standard.
PGP Sign Signs files with a private key (uses Open PGP).
PGP Verify Verifies file signatures with a public key (uses Open PGP).
 
DATA COMPRESSION
Zip Compresses, packages and optionally encrypts files using the ZIP standard.
UnZip Decompresses ZIP files.
GZip Compresses files using the GZIP standard.
GUnzip Decompresses GZIP files.
Tar Packages several files together using the TAR standard.
Untar Unpackages a TAR file.
 
FTP
FTP Connects to a FTP server for performing file transfers (gets, puts) and other FTP commands.
FTPS Connects to a FTPS server for transferring files over SSL/TLS.
SFTP Connects to a SFTP server for transferring files over SSH.
SCP Connects to a SCP-compliant server for transferring files over SSH.
 
E-MAIL
Send E-Mail Sends E-Mail messages through a SMTP server (with or without S/MIME encryption). Supports file attachments.
Retrieve E-Mail Retrieves E-Mail messages from POP3 and IMAP servers (with or without S/MIME encryption).
 
AS2
AS2 Send messages using Applicability Statement 2.
 
HTTP
HTTP Transfers files or calls web services using HTTP protocol.
HTTPS Transfers files or calls web services using HTTPS (HTTP over SSL).
GoAnywhere HTTPS Posts and Gets data from the HTTPS server in the GoAnywhere Services™ product.
 
MQ ENTERPRISE MESSAGING
Open MQ Session Opens a Message Queue Session with a MQ (JMS) Server.
MQ Send Message Sends messages to a MQ Server.
MQ Retrieve Message Retrieves messages from a MQ Server.
Commit/Rollback MQ Message Processes or rolls back MQ Messages without closing the session.
Close MQ Session Closes the session with the MQ Server.
 
LOCAL FILE SYSTEM TASKS
Copy Copies files and directories on local file systems, as well as network shares.
Create File List Builds a list of files based on filter criteria (e.g. wildcards, size, date). This "file list" can then be used in other tasks.
Move Moves files and directories.
Delete Deletes files and directories.
Make Directory Creates a new directory on the file system.
Merge Files Merges multiple files into a single file.
Rename Renames one or more files in a directory.
Search and Replace Searches for a string in a file and replaces it with a new value.
 
NATIVE CALLS
Execute IBM i Commands and Programs Executes (calls) a command or program on a IBM i (iSeries) machine.
Execute Native Command Executes a command (e.g. executable, script, etc.) on the system that is locally accessible by GoAnywhere Director.
 
JOB CONTROL
Call Module Routes control to another Module within the Project.
Call Project Executes a Project on the same installation of GoAnywhere Director.
Call Remote Project Executes another Project on a different installation of GoAnywhere Director.
Delay Pauses the Project for a specified period of time.
Exit Module Exits the Module when a condition is true.
Exit Project Exits a Project at the specified location if a condition is true.
Raise Error Generates an error in the Project, which can be used to abort the job or route control to another Module.
 
MISCELLANEOUS
Create Workspace Creates a temporary directory to store files while the job is running.
Delete Workspace Deletes the job's workspace, if any.
Set Variable Assigns a new value to a Variable.
Timestamp Makes the current date and time availabe to various tasks in the project. Custom formats can be defined to indicate how the date and/or time should be formatted.
Print Writes user-specified text into the job log.
GoAnywhere Director can be installed onto Windows, Linux, IBM i, AIX (pSeries), UNIX, HP-UX, Mac OS and Solaris platforms.  IBM i is also referred to as System i, iSeries, as400, as/400 and i5.