SQL Server

Create a Symbolic Link on an SFTP Server

Demonstrates the Chilkat SFtp.SymLink method, which creates a symbolic link on the server. The first argument is the link target and the second is the new symbolic-link path.

Background: A symbolic link stores a path that points at another location, so it can span directories or filesystems and can even point at something that does not exist. A common use is a stable name like latest.log that is repointed at each day's file. Argument order is a frequent source of confusion — the target comes first, the new link path second — and note that how the target string is interpreted (relative to what) is up to the server's implementation.

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SQL Server

-- Important: See this note about string length limitations for strings returned by sp_OAMethod calls.
--
CREATE PROCEDURE ChilkatSample
AS
BEGIN
    DECLARE @hr int
    DECLARE @sTmp0 nvarchar(4000)
    DECLARE @success int
    SELECT @success = 0

    --  Demonstrates the SFtp.SymLink method, which creates a symbolic link on the server.  The 1st
    --  argument is the link target and the 2nd is the new symbolic-link path.

    DECLARE @sftp int
    EXEC @hr = sp_OACreate 'Chilkat.SFtp', @sftp OUT
    IF @hr <> 0
    BEGIN
        PRINT 'Failed to create ActiveX component'
        RETURN
    END

    --  Connect, authenticate, and initialize the SFTP subsystem.
    DECLARE @port int
    SELECT @port = 22
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'Connect', @success OUT, 'sftp.example.com', @port
    IF @success = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp
        RETURN
      END

    --  Normally you would not hard-code the password in source.  You should instead obtain it
    --  from an interactive prompt, environment variable, or a secrets vault.
    DECLARE @password nvarchar(4000)
    SELECT @password = 'mySshPassword'

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'AuthenticatePw', @success OUT, 'mySshLogin', @password
    IF @success = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp
        RETURN
      END

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'InitializeSftp', @success OUT
    IF @success = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp
        RETURN
      END

    --  Create a symbolic link "subdir/latest.log" that points at "subdir/2026-07-23.log".  The
    --  server's SFTP implementation determines how the target path is interpreted.
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'SymLink', @success OUT, 'subdir/2026-07-23.log', 'subdir/latest.log'
    IF @success = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp
        RETURN
      END

    PRINT 'Symbolic link created.'

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'Disconnect', NULL

    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp


END
GO