A HotFolder task watches a folder and, whenever files arrive, creates batches of a job, imports the files and, if configured, processes and exports them without any user intervention. It is the automation tool of the desktop edition (ADVANCED license or higher); in ChronoScan Enterprise the server runs the hot folders instead.
Before creating a task make sure the job works by hand (a test batch imports, processes and exports correctly), that the Windows user who runs the HotFolder engine can read, write and delete in the watched folder, and that you have decided what to do with the original files (move, delete or rename them; otherwise they would be imported again).
Setting up a task
Import configuration: inside the job, an Import Images or Import PDF configuration defines the folder, the extension mask, whether subdirectories are searched, what happens to the imported files and an ignore pattern. See Input Module Settings.
Task: in the Tasks/HotFolder Tab click Add hotfolder. In the HotFolder Configuration Window choose the job, the import module and the import configuration, how batches are created (one per import session, per directory, per file, or always the same batch) and the options: minimum number of files, delay when new files are found, run frequency, pause and e-mail the administrator on error, time frame and notifications.
Processing and export: click View processing options to open the Process and Tasks Settings Window in HotFolder mode. Tick Process new elements on input finished and, for unattended export, Export Batch on process finished. These settings are separate from the ones used interactively.
Start and monitor: in the Options panel set the Run frequency (seconds between sweeps) and click Start HotFolder and notifications. Tick Start HotFolder with Windows (and Start notifications with Windows) to start them automatically when the user logs on. The HotFolders panel shows name, job, module, configuration, source, status and last process, and each task can be paused, resumed, activated or deactivated.
The HotFolder engine is not a Windows service: it runs in the session of the user who logged on. For 24x7 unattended processing on a server use ChronoScan Enterprise. Each task writes a daily log in the HotFoldersCfg directory of the configuration; it is the first thing to check when nothing comes in.
Hot folders can also take their files from M-Files or SharePoint, and the HotFolder engine can be started from the command line with ChronoScan.exe -hotfolder (Executing ChronoScan on Command line).
