In this article we will look into how to setup the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server and use it in BI Publisher Reports and HCM Extracts.
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
How to setup FTP server in BI Publisher:
Navigate to Tools > Reports and Analytics
Click on Browse Catalog to navigate to BI Catalog page.




- Server Name — example: myFTPserver
- Host — example: myhost.company.com
- Port — the default for FTP is 21.The default for Secure FTP (SFTP), is 22. If you wish to use the defaults at run time, you can leave this field empty, BI Publisher automatically uses 21 for FTP and 22 for SFTP. However, if you wish to use the Test Connection option from the UI, you must supply the correct port number in this field 21 for FTP or 22 for SFTP.
- Use Secure FTP — Select this box to enable Secure FTP (SFTP). Ensure to set the correct Port as described above.
- Use Passive Mode — Passive mode is recommended when the FTP server is behind a firewall.
- Enter a username and Password for the server.
Once these details are entered, we can click on “Test Connection” and it will show successful when the username and passwords are correct.
I have setup a Dummy FTP Connection as below:

How to use FTP delivery option for BI Reports:
Navigate to BI Catalog again and let’s see how we can use the FTP option for generating the BI Publisher Output.



Input the Remote Directory were the file should be placed on the FTP server. And the Remote File Name is the override for the output file name.
After providing this, you can click submit. The report will run and generate the output on the FTP server.
How to use FTP delivery option for HCM Extracts:
We can setup the FTP delivery option in HCM Extracts like below:

There is no dropdown for server name and we need to type in the exact servername that we have configured in BI Administration area, else the extract will fail.
Also we need to input the Remote Directory and the Remote File Name which are the file path and file name for the output file.
Once the extract is run, the output will be placed on the FTP server.
Tip: Once the FTP server is setup, it is better to test it once by scheduling a BI Report or extract to see if everything is working fine or not.