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Triggers

Triggers automate the launch of SchemAlign pipelines. Instead of requiring every run to be started manually from the Workspace, triggers define when and how a pipeline should begin.

SchemAlign trigger patterns include:

Scheduled triggers

Run a pipeline on a defined cadence, such as hourly, nightly, weekly, or after a business process window.

HTTP triggers

Expose a controlled endpoint that can launch a pipeline when an approved external system calls it.

File Arrival triggers

Watch an SFTP Space in/ directory and launch a pipeline when a direct file arrives and becomes stable.

When to use triggers

Use a trigger when a pipeline has a repeatable operational purpose:

  • nightly data movement
  • identity or account lifecycle workflows
  • scheduled report extraction
  • periodic validation jobs
  • HTTP-launched integrations started by a trusted system
  • file-driven integrations started when an external system uploads to managed SFTP

File Arrival triggers

File Arrival connects SchemAlign's managed SFTP service to pipeline automation.

Typical flow:

External system
    ↓ SFTP upload
SFTP Space /in
    ↓ file becomes stable
File Arrival trigger
    ↓ durable queue
Pipeline run

What File Arrival watches

File Arrival watches direct files inside the selected Space's in/ directory only.

Path or action Triggers a run?
/space-alias/in/file.csv created Yes, after the file is stable
/space-alias/in/file.csv overwritten as a new generation Yes, after the new generation is stable
/space-alias/out/result.csv created No
/space-alias/in/processed/file.csv created No
/space-alias/in/subfolder/file.csv created No
File deleted No

Polling is intentionally non-recursive so outbound files and nested processing folders do not create accidental trigger loops.

FIFO ordering

File Arrival events are queued durably in PostgreSQL and preserve arrival order.

If these files arrive:

A.csv
B.csv
C.csv

they remain ordered:

A.csv
B.csv
C.csv

A later file does not leapfrog an earlier arrival simply because it stabilizes sooner.

Detection-only behavior

File Arrival does not automatically:

  • import or read the file
  • move the file
  • archive the file
  • delete the file

It detects the stable arrival, records durable arrival metadata, and queues a normal visible pipeline run.

The pipeline author decides how to consume and manage the file.

Referencing the arrived file

The exact canonical SFTP path is available to the triggered run as:

{{trigger.file.sftp_path}}

A File Get node can use that runtime value as its Remote path to read the file that caused the trigger.

For example:

File Arrival
    ↓
File Get
Remote path = {{trigger.file.sftp_path}}

Wildcards are not automatically expanded.

See Use SchemAlign Managed SFTP and File Get.

Trigger safety

Triggers should be treated as operational automation, not just shortcuts. Before enabling a trigger, confirm that:

  • the target pipeline has been tested manually
  • credentials and service accounts are configured correctly
  • expected outputs are stored in the right place
  • failures will be visible in Overview and run history
  • the schedule, HTTP access pattern, or file-arrival behavior will not overload source or destination systems
  • File Arrival pipelines explicitly handle retention, move, archive, or deletion behavior when required

Do not use triggers to bypass review

A trigger should automate an approved pipeline. It should not be used to launch unreviewed destructive writes, untested custom node code, or pipelines that still require manual validation.