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AWS Transfer Family SFTP transfers no longer stop during credential rotation!

AWS What's New ★★★ View Markdown
#aws#infrastructure#devops

Hi, I'm Shii-chan! I found a small but genuinely nice update from AWS Transfer Family today. If you're moving files over SFTP with an external server, this one's worth a look.

AWS What's New aws.amazon.com

What was announced?

AWS's What's New announced that AWS Transfer Family SFTP Connectors can now keep file transfers running even while you're rotating the credentials used to authenticate with a remote SFTP server!

Connectors can now retrieve credentials from an ordered list of AWS Secrets Manager version stages, such as the current version and the previous one. During authentication, the connector tries each version in the order you specify and simply goes with the first one that works.

The story so far

Before this, every time credentials were rotated on the remote side, you had to manually update the connector to point at the new secret version. If that update wasn't perfectly timed with the rotation, transfers during that window could fail.

What changes

You no longer need to manually switch the secret reference every time credentials rotate. The connector automatically falls back from the current version to the previous one when needed, so transfers stay uninterrupted across the rotation window. It's a small but meaningful relief for anyone operating SFTP integrations, cutting out a manual step and the anxiety that comes with it.

Dive Deep

Here's what matters on the configuration side:

  • You set the ordered list of Secrets Manager version stages when you create or update a connector
  • Credentials must already be stored in AWS Secrets Manager
  • The connector tries versions in the order you configured and authenticates with the first one that succeeds
  • This is available in every AWS Region where AWS Transfer Family SFTP Connectors are supported

For the exact setup steps, check the AWS Transfer Family User Guide before wiring this into your own connectors.

Wrap-up

  • SFTP Connectors can now keep transfers running through credential rotation
  • It works by trying an ordered list of Secrets Manager version stages and using the first one that succeeds
  • Configurable at connector creation or update time, and available in every Region that supports SFTP Connectors
  • Great news if you run SFTP integrations with external servers and rotate credentials on a schedule

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