Configuring an ADF Linked Service Connection for File System
For information on how to enable a connection for use with linked services, see Configuring a Linked Service Connection.
Field labels in this walkthrough follow the underlying Azure Data Factory property names, with the connection column that carries each value named alongside. The exact labels shown in the BimlFlex Connection Editor may differ.
After selecting Azure File Server from the Linked Service Type dropdown, the form required for creating a File System Linked Service will appear.
The Azure File Server option is not offered when the connection's Connection Type is FTP or SFTP.
File Format System Types
A File System Linked Service is selected on a connection whose System Type is a file format. The file format System Types that offer it are Delimited Format, Avro Format, Binary Format, JSON Format, ORC Format, Parquet Format and XML Format.
Choosing an Authentication Method
| Method | Credentials | Additional Settings |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Username and Password | None |
Recommendation: Store the Password in Azure Key Vault rather than entering it as plaintext.
Complete Example: Basic Authentication with Azure Key Vault
| Field | Example Value |
|---|---|
| Connect via Integration Runtime | bfx-selfhosted-ir |
| Host | \\fileserver.contoso.com\exports |
| Username | CONTOSO\bfx-reader |
| Azure Key Vault Linked Service | bfx-kv |
| Secret Name (for Password) | BFX-SRC-FileServerPassword |
Required Fields
Common Required Fields
A File System Linked Service connection has no Authentication Type, so the same fields are required on every connection.
These common required fields are:
Connect via Integration Runtime
Connect via Integration Runtime names the integration runtime for a File System Linked Service connection.
The default value is AutoResolveIntegrationRuntime.
To use another runtime, select it from the dropdown or choose + New to add one.
When a custom value is saved in the linked service form, it will be added to the custom integration runtimes.
The custom values that appear in this dropdown can be maintained in Settings under Azure - AzureIntegrationRuntime.
The runtime is stored in the connection's LS_ConnectVia_IntegrationRuntime column. Any value other than AutoResolveIntegrationRuntime is written to the linked service as the runtime it connects through.
When the file system is located inside an on-premises network, Azure Data Factory connects to it through a self-hosted integration runtime.
Copying files from the local machine is not supported under the Azure Integration Runtime.
Host
The Host is the root path of the folder to copy (for example, \\fileserver.contoso.com\exports).
It is stored in the connection's LS_Host column and maps to the ADF host property.
Username
The Username identifies the user who has access to the server (for example, CONTOSO\bfx-reader).
It is stored in the connection's LS_Username column and maps to the ADF userId property.
Password
The Password field accepts the password of the user as plaintext in the LS_Password column, or an Azure Key Vault reference held in the LS_PasswordKVS_ fields that resolves to the password at runtime.
It maps to the ADF password property.
It is suggested that Azure Key Vault be used in place of manually entering the Password.
Azure Data Factory Linked Service Additional Information
For additional information on ADF File System Linked Service and its connection requirements see the Azure Data Factory File System Connector documentation.