Uploading Electronic Files to the Web

Sara Juel

Updated February 09, 2023 16:56

The Upload button uploads a file to the web and then routes the item based on the Active Date. Files are uploaded to the web using file share, FTP, or API. The uploaded file is named using the item ID number and the file's original extension. The Upload button is enabled on both active and inactive items as determined by the Inactive Date. Any unsaved changes made to the item form are automatically saved when the Upload button is clicked.

From the Item form, click the Upload button.
A Choose File to Upload box will pop up.
Choose the file you want to upload and click Open.
A progress bar will appear and show the progress of the upload.
Once the file has been uploaded, the Document Type will display the correct type, the File Size will appear, and the Location will show the name of the file and a link to open the URL.
You can now close the Item form, and the request will be automatically routed to a new status.
If the Item is active (determined by the Active Date) it will be routed to Item Available on Electronic Reserves.
If the item is not yet active, it will be routed to Item Activation Pending.

There is no size limit on electronic files uploaded via the Ares client through FTP or file share. The size limit for uploads using the API upload method can be increased by changing the value of the MaxUploadSize customization key (default value: 150mb). However, there is a 28.6 MB size limit when uploading files via the Ares web interface.

Using the Ares API to Upload Files

As of Ares 5.0, new installations will utilize the API as the default method for file uploads. During installation, the ClientUploadMethod Customization Key will be assigned the value of API and an API config file will be created for use within the client. For previous installations of Ares, please follow the steps below to change your file upload method from FTP or FileShare to API.

After configuring the file upload method to API, the maximum size for file uploads can be changed using the MaxUploadSize customization key (located under System | API in the Ares Customization Manager). The default value for this key is 150mb.

Configuring API File Uploads

To use the Ares API instead of FTP or FileShare for uploading and downloading files within the Ares Client, please implement the following changes below:

Set the ClientUploadMethod CustKey to API.
Click New Record to create an entry in the ApiConfig table.
1. Enter your URL in the Base API URL field.
2. Designate a Description to help easily identify the purpose of the key (e.g., Ares Client or API).
3. Fill out the External User ID Mapping field with ExternalUserId.
Set the value of the ClientUploadApiConfig CustKey to the ID of the ApiConfig you created.

The upload and download process will work the same way as the existing ClientUploadMethods of FTP and FileShare. The API upload method is intended primarily as a replacement for the FTP method, and if used, it eliminates the need for an FTP server. Unlike the other client upload methods, the API will also immediately finalize items uploaded via the batch item upload process, rather than waiting for the System Manager to complete the process.

Using FTP or File Share to Upload Files

Files are uploaded to the web using either the FTP server or file share. The destination of the file is controlled by the ClientUploadMethod key in the Ares Customization Manager. These keys are located in the Ares Customization Manager under System | Client Upload.

Using FTP

If you are using FTP to upload documents, the ClientUploadMethod key should be set to FTP.

The FTP server settings are controlled by the following keys:

ClientUploadFTPServer: the location of the FTP server
ClientUploadFTPPath: the folder where the web documents live
ClientUploadFTPUsername: the FTP username
ClientUploadFTPPassword: the FTP password

Using File Share

If you are using file share to upload documents, the ClientUploadMethod key should be set to Share.

The ClientUploadShare key should be set to the UNC base path of Ares uploads to the server and should be set to the \publicdocs folder on your server, e.g., \\xxx.xx.xx.xxx\publicdocs\.