Setting Up SFTP User Management

SFTP is a secure file transfer protocol that uses SSH for authentication and encryption while presenting a user experience similar to FTP.

The Mirth® Appliance by NextGen Healthcare can host an Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) server. SFTP uses Secure Shell Protocol (SSH) for authentication and encryption while presenting a user experience similar to FTP. Options for SFTP client software range from commercial to open source with broad platform support. SFTP provides an easily accessible option for secure connections to the appliance.

A secure space is set up on the disk for each SFTP user. This space, referred to as a "jail," is unique to each user and is not accessible by any other user. When a user logs on with an SFTP client, they see three folders: inbox, outbox, and processed. The folder names mimic the default folder names for Mirth® Connect by NextGen Healthcare, but users are free to delete the default folders, add folders, or set up any folder structure that suits their needs.

Select Services > SFTP to open the SFTP User Management window, which enables you to add or modify SFTP users.

To add an SFTP user, select Add User on the SFTP User Management window. On the Add SFTP User window, enter a username for the user, the user’s full name, the user’s password, and repeat the password to confirm it. Select Add.

Edit an existing user by selecting the linked name in the list on the SFTP User Management window. When editing a user, you can change their full name, assign a new password, or delete their account. Deleting an account also removes the associated files from the disk.

SFTP transmissions are run on port 22. Using the credentials set while creating an SFTP, you can connect to the SFTP folders with a variety of FTP clients. The following example shows a connection from the Windows freeware client Core FTP LE.

The username and password must match the credentials for the SFTP account set up on the appliance.

All SFTP user folders and files are visible through the Folder browser in the Mirth® Appliance by NextGen Healthcare control panel, and the administrator can centrally manage the users’ files. Mirth® Connect by NextGen Healthcare channels can reference the private user SFTP folders by using the File Reader and File Writer connector types. It is not necessary to use the SFTP connector since the folders are stored on the local file system.

The SFTP user files directory is referenced from the connector with the following path: folders/sftp_users/<username>/files/<folder>/

For example, to access the inbox folder for the user jharris, you would enter folders/sftp_users/jharris/files/inbox/ in the Directory to read field of the File Reader connector.