Drop zone configuration in server.properties

Slimani

Hi Team,

Can we configure customize datadropzone folder at different shared location same as export directory by editing server.properties file?

Thank you kin advance

Best regards

Josh Boxer

Hi Ali

Yes you can change the location of the dropzone folder by updating server.properties: https://docs.experianaperture.io/data-quality/aperture-data-studio-v2/set-up/install-data-studio-on-windows/#database-folder-locations

By default, the location of the dropzone folder is <ApertureDataStudio>\data\datasetdropzone\<EnvironmentLanel>\<DatasetLabel> 

Where  

• <ApertureDataStudio> is the location of the application data folder 
• <EnvironmentLabel> is the External Label of the environment 
• <DatasetLabel> is the External Label of the Dataset 

e.g. C:\ApertureDataStudio\data\datasetdropzone\Default\CustomerDataset 

The default base location of the dropzone folder can be customized to be in a location of your choice by adding or changing the Dataset.dropzone entry in the server.properties file on the server.  

e.g.  Dataset.dropzone=c:\\MyDropzone

(note that any backslash needs to be escaped with an additional backslash) 

The change will not take effect until the server is restarted. If the folder does not exist then it will be automatically created (along with all of its dropzones) when the server starts. 

Note that External Dropzone folders are supported for Azure and S3: https://docs.experianaperture.io/data-quality/aperture-data-studio-v2/get-started/configure-external-systems/#configureexternalsystemdropzone

Slimani

Thank you Josh

Best regards

Slimani

Hi Josh,

We tried these recommendations a lot, but unfortunately it's not working. We are not able to change the datasetDropzone new repository.

We tried these paths

Dataset.DROPZONE=path\=\\\\gvepsn0021\\daperture_data\\datasetdropzone

Dataset.DROPZONE=path\=\\\\gvepsn0021.emea.givaudan.com\\daperture_data\\datasetdropzone

But each time the repository is created in the same location:

D:\ApertureDataStudio\data\datasetdropzone\Development

FYI: gvepsn0021 is a shared FTFS drive

Thank you in advance for your help

Best regards

Ali

Josh Boxer

Maybe try creating it 'locally' in a different location to ensure that is not the issue. Set it to something like Dataset.dropzone=D:\ApertureDataStudio\data\DROPTEST and restart the server

If that is successful then try setting it to your network drive. Note this comment on the documentation article:

"To configure Data Studio to write to a network drive, use the full UNC path and make sure that the account running the Data Studio Database Service (by default the Local System account) has write access to the network drive folder location"

-Josh

Josh Boxer

@Slimani did you ever resolve this issue?

Another customer was having a similar issue and we realised that the casing they were using in the server.properties file did not match the directory they were pointing at

Henry Simms

@Slimani Just to clarify on this, it's the setting name in the server.properties file that's case-sensitive:

Dataset.dropzone

rather than

Dataset.DROPZONE

The documentation has been updated to reflect this:

Slimani

Hi Josh and Henry,

Thank you for your response.

We use the below line in the server.properties

Dataset.dropzone=path\=\\\\OurSharedLocationServerName\\daperture_data\\datasetdropzone

and we have restarted the service "experian aperture data studio database server 2.4.0" , but the service did not start and gave the below error in the log file:

2021-11-26 10:34:29,848 FATAL c.e.ServerMain [main] 21001: Custom Dataset dropzone 'path=\\OurSharedLocationServerName\daperture_data\datasetdropzone' is not a full absolute path

It seems that Aperture is waiting for an absolute path instead of shared location path.

Thank you in advance for your response.

Best regards

Henry Simms

Hi @Slimani

Try the same setting but removing "path\=". I have tested with a remote dropzone on a network drive (using 2.5.6) with the following setting and it worked:

Dataset.dropzone=\\\\my.server.com\\usr\\Temp\\henry\\dropzone

That should at least get you past the "is not a full absolute path" error.

You may then start to see an error: "Unable to create Dataset dropzone folder: <name>". If you see this, it's almost certainly a permissions issue. The login user account used by the Experian Aperture Data Studio Database Server must have full control over the root dropzone folder on the network location.

Henry

Slimani

Thank you Henry,

It works.

Thank you for your support.

Best regards