File Connector Guide > Introduction to File Connector > Repository Files
  

Repository Files

The File Connector uses a file-based cache to hold a list of processed entries.
When needed, it also stores idempotent repository files in a special folder called ".aedata". These "idempotent" files are safe files that record data about the files previously processed. The connector creates these files only when:
  1. 1You enable the No File Operation option for the connection.
  2. 2You do not delete processed files or move them to another location.
Note: If you move files after processing, be sure they are not in the monitored file path as they are processed. You can also move them to a folder name that starts with a period (for example, ".done" or ".error"). This will ensure that the connector skips the moved files during subsequent folder scans.
If you restart your server or republish the connection, the in-memory copy of the repository list is no longer available and the connector loads the list from the file.
The repository file name has the following format:
.aedata/tenant_connectionName_eventSourceName.Aerepo
This file stores the relative path, file size and modification timestamp to detect changes to the file.
Each time the connector loads a repository file, it cleans the repository to reduce repository size and removes entries for files that no longer exist. You can copy previously removed files to a monitored folder if you want to process them again.