SFTP inventory uploads

Here is how to upload your inventory to Rotabull over SFTP.

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Is SFTP the right method?

For pros and cons of this method, as well as potential alternatives, see the notes here.

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Who should set up SFTP?

SFTP uploads are usually set up by an IT manager or someone with knowledge of how to transfer files by this method.

Credentials

The first step to setting up SFTP is to provide our team an SSH Public Key so that we can grant access to our testing environment. Once the SFTP key is provided to our Support Team or your Success Manager, we can provide the addresses for both Test and Production. Please reach out to [email protected] for any questions regarding setting up an SSH key.

General Formatting

• Inventory should be uploaded in a file of csv format (i.e. <my_file>.csv).
• The first row should consist of column names such as "part_number", "condition_code", etc.
• Each subsequent row should represent a single part with values that correspond to the header row.
• There should be no columns without a header value.
• Please remove all whitespace before and after a header (i.e., in " part_number" the initial space should be removed.
• There should be no columns or rows that are completely empty.
• There are no specific characters forbidden by Rotabull. However, Rotabull expects the file will follow the csv specification. You can check that your file is valid using a tool like CSV Lint.

Part Headers

Required Headers

The following headers are required in the file. Without them the file will not upload properly:

• part_number
• condition_code
• description
• quantity

Optional Headers

The following headers will be recognized by Rotabull and can be present in parts data, but are not required:

• alternate_part_number
• asset_id
• batch_number
• certification_source
• class_flag_description
• condition_code_description
• consignment_code
• deal_type
• exchange_capability_description
• ils_flag_description
• lead_time
• location_code
• location_sequence_code
• lot_number
• manufacturer
• min_sell_quantity
• overhaul_capability_description
• part_number_group_description
• part_number_group_id
• part_type_code
• parts_master_list_price
• price
• quantity_min_overhaul
• quantity_reserved
• serial_number
• stock_category_code
• stock_line
• stock_mkt_enabled
• unit
• warehouse_code

Any other headers included in the file will not be recognized and thus will be ignored, but will not cause any errors with the upload.

Part Values

Required

Each part must have a value present for all required headers.

Optional

A part's value for any optional header can be present or blank. If present, the value will be read and saved to the part. If blank, the value will simply be left empty.

MRO Headers

Required Headers

The following headers are required in the file. Without them the file will not upload properly:

• part_number
• description

Optional Headers

The following headers will be recognized by Rotabull and can be present in MRO data, but are not required:

• price
• cage
• exchange_code
• asset_id
• manufacturer

MRO Values

Required

Each MRO must have a value present for all required headers.

Optional

An MRO's value for any optional header can be present or blank. If present, the value will be read and saved to the MRO. If blank, the value will simply be left empty.

Verifying your upload

If your upload is successful, you will be able to see the parts in your Rotabull Listings.

We highly recommend transferring the file programmatically from your application. For troubleshooting during setup, you can use any SFTP client you like. Some common UI-based applications are FileZilla and Cyberduck.

Troubleshooting

• Please check the CSV upload confirmation email you receive after upload. If any rows have issues, they will be included in a file attached to the email.
• If you don't receive a failure email, please check that your file conforms to the rfc4180 standard using a tool like CSV Lint. A common issue that can cause parsing to fail is the inclusion of a single pair of double quotes (") in a cell value.