Install Pragma Fortress SSH SFTP software on your Windows server. (To download the 14-day trial version, please click here.) To configure the SFTP Server settings, go to the Windows Start Menu > Pragma Server Management, then select "Fortress SSH Local Configuration".
Once the application opens, click on the "InetD" option located at the bottom of the left pane of the configuration dialog. Make sure that the InetD service is running. If the InetD service is not running, you will not be able to make a SSH connection to the server. Expiry of trial period, higher number of processors (including virtual processors) than what your Pragma registration key supports are two of the frequently encountered reasons why the InetD service does not function. In that case, call us at 1-512-219-7270 or email us at: support@pragmasys.com
After making sure that the InetD service is running, click on "SFTP Users" > "Default" user. Select your preferred home directory functionality from the three supported options. The default choice is to "Allow User to Traverse Above Home Directory". If you need to restrict the user to the home directory and its subfolders, select the first option ("Restrict User to Home Directory and Subdirectories). If you would like restrict the user to certain folders and virtualize the directory structure, select the third option (Use Virtual Directory Assignments). Now to test a basic sftp connection, open up a command line window and type of the following:
sftp user@localhost
where the user can be the administrator or any other user. If you use an account other than the administrator account, please make sure that user has the appropriate privileges (including "log on locally rights" under the Windows Administrative Tools > User Rights Assignments) to make an SFTP connection to the server.
[Please note that the users added under the SFTP Server settings need to already exist on the server as local users or in the domain as domain users. New Windows user creation and password set/reset are completed via the Windows user management dialogs. When you make an SFTP connection and enter a password as part of the logon process, that user authentication processing is completed by the operating system in conjunction with the domain controller. SFTP configurations made via the Local Fortress SSH Configuration dialog are only for SSH, SFTP and InetD settings.]
After a successful SFTP connection and user authentication process, you should arrive at a "SFTP>". Once at the prompt, you can enter various sftp commands such as "cd .." to move up the directory structure, "dir" to view the list of files and folder, etc. To confirm that the SFTP connection has been made, go to Windows Start Menu > Pragma Server Management and launch the Session Manager program. Once the Session Manger dialog comes up, connect to localhost and at this point, you should see your SFTP connection showing pertinent details about the SFTP session.
Adding SFTP Users
To add more sftp users, in the Local Fortress SSH Configuration pane click on the SFTP "Users" > "New Users" as needed.
[Please note that the users added under the SFTP Server settings need to already exist on the server as local users or in the domain as domain users. New Windows user creation and password set/reset are completed via the Windows user management dialogs. When you make an SFTP connection and enter a password as part of the logon process, that user authentication processing is completed by the operating system in conjunction with the domain controller. SFTP configurations made via the Local Fortress SSH Configuration dialog are only for SSH, SFTP and InetD settings.]
Access Control and Restrict Users
If you want provide only SFTP access to your Windows server running Pragma Fortress SSH SFTP Server and deny other types of access such as ssh, scp, port forwarding, then click on the "Access Control" option in the Local Fortress SSH Configuration pane and select/de-select the checkboxes as needed.
If you want to allow only certain users SFTP access, add those users in the Local Fortress SSH Configuration pane by selecting "Users" and select the "Only Allow Configured Users Access to Server" checkbox.
SFTP Logging
To turn on SFTP logging, use the drop down menu located under "SFTP Users" option and select the preferred level of logging and set/edit the location where the sftp log files will be created. If the SFTP user needs to access a different drives, then make sure the select "Map User Drives" option for that user. Once the Pragma Fortress SSH SFTP Server has been configured and the InetD service is running, you can connect to the server using any SFTP clients such as Putty, Filezilla as well as Pragma's GUI sftp client, FortressFX and console sftp client, sftp.exe (both clients are part of Pragma Fortress SSH Client Suite).
If you need further assistance in configuring SFTP Server settings, then please call the technical support number at 512-219-7270 or email us at: support@pragmasys.com.