Control File Transfers between Headquarters and Remote Locations
Efficient, cost-effective and reliable file transfer solution for retail, distribution and manufacturing
Thru’s managed file transfer as a service (MFTaaS) deployed in any Azure region enables data to be automatically transferred to and from a network of remote entities such as retail stores, distribution outlets or branch offices with low IT infrastructure and limited technical resources to an enterprise headquarters with an automated file transfer system.
The solution is hybrid as it uses an on-premises, yet lightweight runtime, called a managed file transfer (MFT) agent, that executes file transfer flows but is centrally controlled and managed from Thru in the cloud.
MFT agents, or Thru Nodes, provide a hub-and-spoke model to connect remote locations to a central hub in the cloud, Thru. From the cloud, Thru orchestrates its nodes to directly access local folders and folder structures on their respective local area networks (LANs).
How Headquarters Connects to Remote Locations
The Thru administrator installs Thru Nodes, which are MFT agents or lightweight runtimes, on Windows or Linux file systems at the remote locations. The Thru Nodes authenticate and connect to Thru in the cloud over an outbound HTTPS connection to receive instructions to either push or pull files from Thru. Files are transferred on a schedule to or from a folder path at the remote location. This allows headquarters and the remote locations to exchange files automatically.
Thru Node Status
Thru Node sends a heartbeat to Thru every minute to tell the system it is up and running. If there is no heartbeat, an alert is triggered by Thru to notify subscribers to alerts. Thru also provides an API for the alert to enable configuration with a ticketing system to open a case for resolution.
Thru Node Updates
Thru Node always checks for updates and automatically updates as available. The system can be configured so updates are done at a specific time.
Guaranteed File Delivery
Files at source and on Thru are stored until delivered. If there is a break in the connection, the transfer makes several attempts until successful or until maximum attempts is reached—at which point an alert is triggered. This alert opens a ticket via API for resolution or simply emails a subscriber of the status.
Modernize File Transfers between Headquarters and Remote Warehouse Locations
Anheuser-Busch (AB InBev) has a network of over 600 wholesalers who are the lifeline of the supply chain. Beer is shipped from the brewery to the wholesalers, and then the wholesalers distribute the beer to the retailers. Data is collected from the retailers and fed back to the wholesalers who then feed data back to AB InBev. These wholesalers have relatively low IT infrastructure and technical resources to manage systems required to transfer this business-critical data.
AB InBev selected Thru to replace its on-premises legacy file transfer system used to transfer files between remote distribution locations and AB InBev headquarters. As part of a strategic initiative to modernize its file transfer solution, AB InBev needed a solution that was backward compatible and forward thinking in its approach to integration.
Thru delivered a cloud MFTaaS solution as the control plane to transfer files from remote locations to headquarters. MFT agents, known as Thru Nodes, acting as endpoints at the warehouses were installed allowing for files to be transferred to Thru over an outbound HTTPS connection.
