Administrators frequently ask for a general description about how Automation tasks work, and what processes occur when Automation moves files from place to place. This article aims to discuss the broad function of Automation as a client when it processes a task. 

Because of this relationship, the usernames for each host profiles are usernames set up on other servers like that SFTP server in question. Then once the hosts' owner has the user set up, admins can input the credentials in the host profile in Automation and connect to transfer files successfully.

A common question is if Automation can be used to schedule or perform certain batch files remotely for its server hosts. Automation as supported does not function in this way and it cannot be used to trigger batch files on a Source or Destination to perform tasks on those hosts. 

Sometimes people think of these tasks in terms of Get, Push, Pull, and Post verbs regarding how downloads and upload actions occur. The confusion occurs as if the download process is specifically for the "client" while the Upload is what a "server" does, whereas the accurate role assignment is that the client is the host that would make any of those verb requests, and the server is the host that is responding to the request. Often misconceptions come from working with standard FTP clients like WS_FTP Pro, Filezilla, or WinSCP. These verb functions are occurring in the background, but when working with the application they are less relevant for Automation and do not really reflect the role Automation plays in its relationship to the host. 

Automation is always the client in the client-server relationship in tasks. Automation is always the host making a request of the servers in its tasks, which makes it the client in the relationship. The server fields requests from clients, and provides the action on the files whether it is a download or a file upload of some sort. The standard chronology of the task is generally:

1) Automation connects with the Source host as a client and downloads the files with a Get/Pull type of request. 
2) It stores them in the Cache Directory temporarily. 
3) It performs any processes or scripts on the files to transfer them while in the Cache Directory. Because the Automation server is performing these actions with the Administrator privileges owned by the Windows service user, it has broad control of those file transformations. 
4) It uploads the file as a client to the Destination host by making a Put/Post type of request. 
4a) In instances of Advanced tasks, Automation may use conditional criteria to determine more behaviors on the files. 
5) Any After task actions trigger based on the Task Status of the task run (e.g. Emails sent, Next Task Triggered). 
6) After the task completes, the files in the Cache Directory are deleted. For more information about the Cache Directory, please see this documentation: https://docs.progress.com/bundle/moveit-automation-web-admin-help-2025/page/General-Tab.html

In many cases, administrators receive a general "Invalid Username and Password" type error description for the host's user, which means the host owner has not created the user on the server. 

Connection denial errors can occur if the host has not whitelisted connections from Automation's IP Address. 

Protocol restraints can also cause connection errors for Automation if organizations do not provide updated SSH keys, SSL Certificates / versions / ciphers or credentials. The server has greater ability to control how these functions are configured. For SSL encryption, Automation uses Microsoft's SCHANNEL as its SSL Engine. For SSH encryption, Automation uses a new SFTP library starting in version 2021.1 (https://docs.ipswitch.com/MOVEit/Automation2021_1/ReleaseNotes/en/index.htm#link1) 

When errors occur, often the first step is to verify with the host's owner what credentials and protocol details they need for the host setup in the Automation instance. 

References to Other Documentation:
Enhancement request MOVEit-I-404 - https://moveit.ideas.aha.io/ideas/MOVEIT-I-404
Hosts documentation - https://docs.progress.com/bundle/moveit-automation-web-admin-help-2025/page/HOSTS.html