Problems with FTP Task

I'm relatively new to the SSIS package creation scene and I'm running into a problem with the FTPTask. I'm trying to create a package that will let me download a file from an FTP. I'm trying to use a variable and an expression to set the filename at runtime because the name of the file changes on a daily basis (read: timestamp on the end of the file).
I've managed to get the connection to point to the proper directory, but every time I attempt to run the package I receive a file not found error. If I change the remotepath variable to a static file instead of an expression I do not receive an error.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm losing my mind on this one.

Thanks
Where are you building the expression for the variable?|||Within the variable properties window of BIDS. I set EvaluateAsExpression to true, when I check the parameter on the values portion of the properties window it looks correct.

|||What OS is the FTP server running?|||Near as I can tell Unix, from what I've been reading it's looking like I have to find another way around the problem.
|||

E_DJ wrote:

Near as I can tell Unix, from what I've been reading it's looking like I have to find another way around the problem.

If it's Unix, then yeah, you'll have to implement FTP using the script task.|||Thanks for your help, do you know if MS has any sort of plan to deal with this issue or is it like most things where we're going to have to wait for the next release before anything is addressed?
|||Let's see:

[Microsoft follow-up]

MSFT - When do you plan on fixing the FTP Task when used against non-Microsoft FTP servers?|||

You said "I'm trying to use a variable and an expression to set the filename at runtime".

Can you give me a little more information how you are setting the variable and expression? I just want to make sure I understand your problem.

Also, what's the error message(s)? Thanks.

|||

Cho Yeung - msft wrote:

You said "I'm trying to use a variable and an expression to set the filename at runtime".

Can you give me a little more information how you are setting the variable and expression? I just want to make sure I understand your problem.

Also, what's the error message(s)? Thanks.

Cho, forget about the variable and expression. The issue here is FTP Task support for non-Microsoft FTP servers.

|||

Cho Yeung - msft wrote:

You said "I'm trying to use a variable and an expression to set the filename at runtime".

Can you give me a little more information how you are setting the variable and expression? I just want to make sure I understand your problem.

Also, what's the error message(s)? Thanks.

Specifically, the problem lies in the requirement to have a leading "/" on all remote file paths. This isn't correct and should be removed.

Connect items already out there:

http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=281893

http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=150196

http://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=125356

Basically, having the leading "/" requirement and then implementing a change directory to that "/" can cause the FTP Task to fail because it cannot find the file (because you've changed to the FTP root instead of the logged-in user's root path). Instead, I propose you guys look into the following: First, don't change directories. Second STOP running a directory listing to compare the file requested to the returned list. (Why? Because based on some of the Connect submissions above, the task doesn't know how to parse it.) PLEASE, just implement an FTP task that submits the commands directly instead of trying to make an "intelligent" FTP Task.

[Microsoft follow-up]

|||

I am asking because the original post says

" If I change the remotepath variable to a static file instead of an expression I do not receive an error."

It sounds to me like the package is working if the file is specified explicitly.

|||

That is the case, and hence the question, doesn't really make a whole lot of sense as to why it wasn't working.

I know it's not a directory change issue, I took into account that the actual path on the FTP doesn't match the path I see when I log on via the command prompt, once I worked out the filepath from the root dir it fixed that problem.

This is a bit of a moot point now, I wrote a script task to do what I needed it to. Little odd that it took me a half hour to get something working writing a script that took several hours to get to the same point using the FTPTask component.

|||

I am going to log a bug in our system so we can track this potential problem.