AzureBlobStorageConnector

In this example, the AzureBlobStorageConnector is used to download an Esri Geodatabase from Blob Storage. After creating a valid web connection to an Azure Storage account (which can be done right in the Account parameter), and browsing to the geodatabase folder, the Container and Path to the object are retrieved, and a destination for the download is selected.

A FeatureReader is added to read the newly downloaded dataset. Here, the PostalAddress feature type will be further processed elsewhere in the workspace.

By executing the download here in the workspace, the geodatabase will be refreshed every time the workspace is run.

In this example portion of a workspace, the AzureBlobStorageConnector is used to download a raster orthoimage from Blob Storage into an attribute.

The file is read from Blob Storage, and the contents stored as a blob attribute. Then a RasterReplacer is used to interpret the blob into a usable raster format.

The combination of these two transformers avoids having to download the image to local storage and re-read it. A similar technique can be used for point cloud files, using the PointCloudReplacer transformer.

SAS Token authentication requires an Account Name and SAS Token with the correct access policies. It is recommended to have Service, Container, and Object policies assigned to this token.

More on SAS Token setup can be found on Microsoft’s website.

An example SAS Token is as follows:

Select ‘SAS Authentication’ as a credential source, and then populate the Account Name and SAS Token as follows:

This transformer accepts any feature.

The output of this transformer will vary depending on the action performed.

• After an Upload action, selected information about the file will be available as attributes.
• A Download action will output the incoming feature and can save to either a file, folder or attribute.
• A Delete action will output the incoming feature.
• A List action will output a new feature for each file/folder found in the path specified. Each of these new features will have attributes listing various pieces of information about the object.

The incoming feature is output through this port.

Features that cause the operation to fail are output through this port. An fme_rejection_code attribute, having the value ERROR_DURING_PROCESSING, will be added, along with a more descriptive fme_rejection_message attribute which contains more specific details as to the reason for the failure.

Note: If a feature comes in to the AzureBlobStorageConnector already having a value for fme_rejection_code, this value will be removed.

Rejected Feature Handling: can be set to either terminate the translation or continue running when it encounters a rejected feature. This setting is available both as a default FME option and as a workspace parameter.

Delete Options

Download Options

Destination

Output Attributes

The selected attributes will be added to the output feature.

List Options

Output Attributes

The selected attributes will be added to the output feature.

Data Source

Upload Options

Metadata

It is possible to specify custom name-value pairs that are associated with the uploaded features.

Generate Shared Access Signature

If checked, a Shared Access Signature (SAS) will be generated for the uploaded file. The attributes _sas_url and _sas_token will be added to the output feature. This option is only available for file and attribute upload. For more information about SAS, please see the Microsoft Azure documentation.

Output Attributes

The selected attributes will be added to the output feature. Only available for file and folder uploads.

Using the Text Editor

The Text Editor provides a convenient way to construct text strings (including regular expressions) from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and constants, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Text Editor

Using the Arithmetic Editor

The Arithmetic Editor provides a convenient way to construct math expressions from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and feature functions, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Arithmetic Editor

Conditional Values

Set values depending on one or more test conditions that either pass or fail.

Parameter Condition Definition Dialog

Content

Expressions and strings can include a number of functions, characters, parameters, and more.

When setting values - whether entered directly in a parameter or constructed using one of the editors - strings and expressions containing String, Math, Date/Time or FME Feature Functions will have those functions evaluated. Therefore, the names of these functions (in the form @<function_name>) should not be used as literal string values.

Content Types

String Functions	These functions manipulate and format strings.
Special Characters	A set of control characters is available in the Text Editor.
Math Functions	Math functions are available in both editors.
Date/Time Functions	Date and time functions are available in the Text Editor.
Math Operators	These operators are available in the Arithmetic Editor.
FME Feature Functions	These return primarily feature-specific values.
FME Parameters	FME and workspace-specific parameters may be used.
Creating and Modifying User Parameters	Create your own editable parameters.

Note: Not all tools are available in all transformers.