Download file(s) from FTP Server using Command through SQL Server

Introduction

In regular life of coding we are downloading files from FTP server using c# code or any other code it may take much time to code as well as more time to download. Insted of that we can download a file from directly sql.

Background

For this you just need normal SQL syntax and some command line syntax. 

Using the code

To download files from FTP server you can use SQL server with 'Mput' command of FTP which is much lesser to code and will take a bit of time to download. Inverse process is also possible as you can use 'MPut' method to upload a file to FTP server.

For this you can use following script for download file(s) from FTP Server. Just pass your actual attributes and you have done, your files are downloaded. 

MGet Command

-- FTP_MGET.sql (Author Saddamhusen Uadanwala)  
-- Transfer all files from an FTP server to local Direcoty using MGET command.  
   
DECLARE @FTPServer varchar(128)  
DECLARE @FTPUserName varchar(128)  
DECLARE @FTPPassword varchar(128)  
DECLARE @SourcePath varchar(128)  
DECLARE @SourceFiles varchar(128)  
DECLARE @DestinationPath varchar(128)  
DECLARE @FTPMode varchar(10)  
   
-- Attributes  
SET @FTPServer = 'ftpserver'  
SET @FTPUserName = 'username'  
SET @FTPPassword = 'password'  
SET @SourcePath = '' -- Folder path/Blank for root directory.  
SET @SourceFiles = '*.csv'  
SET @DestinationPath = 'D:\Husen\Download' -- Destination path.  
SET @FTPMode = 'binary' -- binary, ascii or blank for default mode.  
   
DECLARE @Command varchar(1000)  
DECLARE @workfile varchar(128)  
DECLARE @nowstr varchar(25)  
   
-- %TEMP% environment variable.  
DECLARE @tempdir varchar(128)  
CREATE TABLE #tempvartable(info VARCHAR(1000))  
INSERT #tempvartable EXEC master..xp_cmdshell 'echo %temp%'  
SET @tempdir = (SELECT top 1 info FROM #tempvartable)  
IF RIGHT(@tempdir, 1) <> '\' SET @tempdir = @tempdir + '\'  
DROP TABLE #tempvartable  
   
-- Generate @workfile  
SET @nowstr = replace(replace(convert(varchar(30), GETDATE(), 121), ' ', '_'), ':', '-')  
SET @workfile = 'FTP_SPID' + convert(varchar(128), @@spid) + '_' + @nowstr + '.txt'  
   
-- special chars for echo commands.  
select @FTPServer = replace(replace(replace(@FTPServer, '|', '^|'),'<','^<'),'>','^>')  
select @FTPUserName = replace(replace(replace(@FTPUserName, '|', '^|'),'<','^<'),'>','^>')  
select @FTPPassword = replace(replace(replace(@FTPPassword, '|', '^|'),'<','^<'),'>','^>')  
select @SourcePath = replace(replace(replace(@SourcePath, '|', '^|'),'<','^<'),'>','^>')  
IF RIGHT(@DestinationPath, 1) = '\' SET @DestinationPath = LEFT(@DestinationPath, LEN(@DestinationPath)-1)  
   
-- Build the FTP script file.  
select @Command = 'echo ' + 'open ' + @FTPServer + ' > ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
select @Command = 'echo ' + @FTPUserName + '>> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
select @Command = 'echo ' + @FTPPassword + '>> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
select @Command = 'echo ' + 'prompt ' + ' >> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
IF LEN(@FTPMode) > 0  
BEGIN  
    select @Command = 'echo ' + @FTPMode + ' >> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
    EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
END  
select @Command = 'echo ' + 'lcd ' + @DestinationPath + ' >> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
IF LEN(@SourcePath) > 0  
BEGIN  
    select @Command = 'echo ' + 'cd ' + @SourcePath + ' >> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
    EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
END  
select @Command = 'echo ' + 'mget ' + @SourcePath + @SourceFiles + ' >> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
select @Command = 'echo ' + 'quit' + ' >> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
   
-- Execute the FTP command via above generated script file.  
select @Command = 'ftp -s:' + @tempdir + @workfile  
create table #a (id int identity(1,1), s varchar(1000))  
print @Command  
insert #a  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
select id, ouputtmp = s from #a  
   
-- drop table.  
drop table #a  
select @Command = 'del ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
print @Command  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command

You can use following script to Upload file(s) from local directory to FTP Server.

MPut Command

-- FTP_MPUT.sql (Author Saddamhusen Uadanwala)  
-- Transfer all files from an FTP server Direcoty using MPut command.  
  
DECLARE @FTPServer varchar(128)  
DECLARE @FTPUserName varchar(128)  
DECLARE @FTPPassword varchar(128)  
DECLARE @SourcePath varchar(128)  
DECLARE @SourceFiles varchar(128)  
DECLARE @DestinationPath varchar(128)  
DECLARE @FTPMode varchar(10)  
   
-- Attributes  
SET @FTPServer = 'ftpserver'  
SET @FTPUserName = 'username'  
SET @FTPPassword = 'password'  
SET @SourcePath = 'D:\Husen\Upload' -- Destination path.  
SET @SourceFiles = '*.csv'  
SET @DestinationPath = '' -- Folder path/Blank for root directory.  
SET @FTPMode = 'binary' --  binary, ascii or blank for default mode.  
   
DECLARE @Command varchar(1000)  
DECLARE @workfile varchar(128)  
DECLARE @nowstr varchar(25)  
   
-- %TEMP% environment variable.  
DECLARE @tempdir varchar(128)  
CREATE TABLE #tempvartable(info VARCHAR(1000))  
INSERT #tempvartable EXEC master..xp_cmdshell 'echo %temp%'  
SET @tempdir = (SELECT top 1 info FROM #tempvartable)  
IF RIGHT(@tempdir, 1) <> '\' SET @tempdir = @tempdir + '\'  
DROP TABLE #tempvartable  
   
-- Generate @workfile  
SET @nowstr = replace(replace(convert(varchar(30), GETDATE(), 121), ' ', '_'), ':', '-')  
SET @workfile = 'FTP_SPID' + convert(varchar(128), @@spid) + '_' + @nowstr + '.txt'  
   
-- Deal with special chars for echo commands.  
select @FTPServer = replace(replace(replace(@FTPServer, '|', '^|'),'<','^<'),'>','^>')  
select @FTPUserName = replace(replace(replace(@FTPUserName, '|', '^|'),'<','^<'),'>','^>')  
select @FTPPassword = replace(replace(replace(@FTPPassword, '|', '^|'),'<','^<'),'>','^>')  
select @DestinationPath = replace(replace(replace(@DestinationPath, '|', '^|'),'<','^<'),'>','^>')  
IF RIGHT(@SourcePath, 1) <> '\' SET @SourcePath = @SourcePath + '\'  
   
-- Build the FTP script file.  
select @Command = 'echo ' + 'open ' + @FTPServer + ' > ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
select @Command = 'echo ' + @FTPUserName + '>> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
select @Command = 'echo ' + @FTPPassword + '>> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
select @Command = 'echo ' + 'prompt ' + ' >> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
IF LEN(@FTPMode) > 0  
BEGIN  
    select @Command = 'echo ' + @FTPMode + ' >> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
    EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
END  
IF LEN(@DestinationPath) > 0  
BEGIN  
    select @Command = 'echo ' + 'cd ' + @DestinationPath + ' >> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
    EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
END  
select @Command = 'echo ' + 'mput ' + @SourcePath + @SourceFiles + ' >> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
select @Command = 'echo ' + 'quit' + ' >> ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
   
-- Execute the FTP command via above generated script file.  
select @Command = 'ftp -s:' + @tempdir + @workfile  
create table #a (id int identity(1,1), s varchar(1000))  
insert #a  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command  
select id, ouputtmp = s from #a  
   
-- drop table.  
drop table #a  
select @Command = 'del ' + @tempdir + @workfile  
EXEC master..xp_cmdshell @Command 

Here, we have made a simple text file with a list of commands using your parameters and executed it. Gentle reminder, commectivity and destination path should be there.

Points of Interest

Now, refer this link and try other commands http://www.nsftools.com/tips/MSFTP.htm by yourself.