Get startedMigrate from Tiny SFTP Server

Comparison & migration

This guide explains how to transfer your configuration from the Tiny SFTP Server to the Buru SFTP Server.

To execute the migration, you must manually retrieve your settings from the configuration file and apply them to the Buru version using the Web Administration dashboard.

Prerequisites

To perform the migration, you need the following:

  • Access to the RebexTinySftpServer.exe.config file.
    • This file is located in the same folder as the Tiny SFTP executable.
  • The Buru SFTP Server installer.
  • Administrative privileges to install the Buru SFTP Server as a Windows Service.

Retrieve current settings

Before installing the new server, you need to extract your current configuration values from the Tiny SFTP Server configuration file.

  1. Navigate to the folder containing your Tiny SFTP Server application.
  2. Open the file RebexTinySftpServer.exe.config in a text editor (such as Notepad or VS Code). Below is an example of the configuration file:
RebexTinySftpServer.exe.config
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="userName" value="tester" />
    <add key="userPassword" value="password" />
    <add key="userRootDir" value="C:\temp" />
    <add key="sshPort" value="22" />
    <add key="sshIPBindings" value="" />
    <add key="userPublicKeyDir" value="" />
    </appSettings>
  <startup>
    <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.0" />
  </startup>
</configuration>
  1. In the configuration file, locate the <appSettings> section.
  2. Record the values for the following keys:
    • userName: Your current username.
    • userPassword: Your current password (stored in clear text).
    • userRootDir: The path to the folder you are sharing.
    • sshPort: The port the server listens on (default is 22).
    • userPublicKeyDir: The folder containing public keys (if used).

Note on host keys

The keys rsaPrivateKeyFile and dssPrivateKeyFile define your server's identity. Buru SFTP Server will generate new, secure host keys during installation. If you wish to migrate your existing keys, you can manually configure them in the config.yaml file or via Server configuration > SSH keys in the Web Admin. Otherwise, you will need to accept the new server key in your SFTP client upon the first connection.

Install Buru SFTP Server

The most efficient way to migrate your primary user is to recreate them directly during the installation process.

Close the Tiny server before installation

Before start the installation, ensure the Tiny server is closed to avoid port conflicts (especially if both use port 22).

  1. Run the Buru SFTP Server installer.
  2. During the installation process, accept the License Agreement and select the destination location.
  3. To finish the installation, click Install.

For additional guidance on the Buru SFTP Server installation, you can check the documentation.

After completing the installation, the Buru SFTP Server configuration wizard will open.

Configure the Buru SFTP Server

When the Buru SFTP Server configuration wizard opens, you can start the configuration, add the primary user, and migrate the configurations used in the Tiny SFTP Server:

  1. Select the server edition and click Next. You can use the Trial edition for this migration.

  2. For Register SSH/SFTP server as a Windows service, use the default options and click Next.

  3. For the SSH/SFTP endpoint configuration, you can use the default settings. If your Tiny SFTP Server configuration used a custom sshPort (other than 22), you can configure it here or update it later in the Web Administration.

  4. For the service account used to run the Windows service, keep the default settings. This identity is used by the operating system to run the service and is not related to the user account used to log in to SFTP

  5. Enable Web Administration to activate the browser-based dashboard. We recommend using the default settings and click Next. If you need to change the default settings, you can do so later in the Web Administration.

  6. For the Web Administration, use the default settings and click Next. By default, it will be available at http://localhost:8880 and is only accessible from the same machine unless the configuration is changed to allow remote access.

  7. You will reach the Add user step. If you want this migrated user to have administrative access to the Web Admin, configure their credentials here using the values retrieved in Step 1. Otherwise, create a dedicated admin account here and add the Tiny SFTP user later through the Web Admin dashboard or CLI:

    1. Username: Enter the value found in the userName key.
    2. Password: Enter the value found in the userPassword key.
    3. SFTP Root directory: Enter the path found in the userRootDir key.
    4. Check the Allow access to Web administration.
    5. Click Next.

    If you need to migrate multiple users, add the primary administrator during installation. You can add additional users later using the Web Administration interface.

  8. Buru SFTP Server will start all services. If all services receive an OK status, click Next.

  9. The installation is complete. Click Finish to close the wizard. You can now access the Web Administration dashboard (http://localhost:8880/) and log in with the credentials you just created.

Configure Advanced Settings (Optional)

If your RebexTinySftpServer.exe.config file contained advanced settings like public keys or custom IP bindings, or if you need to add new users, you can configure them now using the Web Administration.

  1. Open the Web Administration dashboard (http://localhost:8880/).
  2. Log in with the credentials you just created.

If you used the default settings for the Tiny SFTP Server and configured the user during the installation, the username is tester and the password is password.

Network Bindings (Ports and IPs)

If your Tiny SFTP server configuration used a custom sshPort or specific sshIPBindings, you must update the SSH endpoints in Buru to match.

  1. In the left sidebar, locate the Server configuration section and click SSH endpoints.

  2. Update the IP Address / Hostname fields based on the sshIPBindings value from your Tiny SFTP configuration:

    • If sshIPBindings contains specific IPv4/IPv6 addresses or hostnames, add them to the IP Address / Hostname field (one value per row)
    • If sshIPBindings contains special keywords, map them as follows:
      • IPv4Loopback → 127.0.0.1
      • IPv6Loopback → ::1
      • Loopback → both 127.0.0.1 and ::1
      • IPv4Any → 0.0.0.0
      • IPv6Any → ::
      • Any → both 0.0.0.0 and ::

  3. Change all Port fields to match the sshPort value from your Tiny SFTP server configuration.

  4. Click Save.

    SSH Endpoints

Restart required

Any changes made to the server configuration (such as SSH endpoints) require a server restart to take effect.

Logging

One of the main benefits of migrating to Buru SFTP Server is the ability to keep detailed logs. To configure it:

  1. In the left sidebar, under Server configuration, click Logging.
  2. Set the directories to save the logs:
    • Server log: Configure the directory path where general server logs will be stored.
    • Access log: Configure the directory path specifically for tracking user access and file operations.
  3. Select the detail level for the logs from the Minimum log level dropdown menu.
  4. Set the Keep at most size limit to manage disk usage (default is 0, which keeps files forever). You can click "keep all files" to reset this.
  5. Click Save.

IP Access Control

If you require higher security restrictions regarding who can connect:

  1. In the left sidebar, click Protection.

  2. You can explicitly Allow or Deny specific client IP addresses or CIDR ranges to control access to the server. Note that these are the IP addresses of the clients connecting to the server, as opposed to the SSH bindings which are the server's own IP addresses.

  3. Click Save.

    Protection screen

User Permissions and Public Keys

To refine user access rights or enable public keys:

  1. Click Users in the sidebar.

  2. Click on the Username you migrated (for example, "tester").

  3. To update user permissions, under the SFTP/SFTP path mappings section, click the pencil icon and update the access rights to grant specific permissions like Read, Write, or Delete.

  4. To update authentication, under Authentication settings, enable Public key authentication. Then, add the public key if you intend to use SSH keys.

    User configuration

Verify the Connection

To ensure the migration was successful, connect to the Buru SFTP Server using an SFTP client.

  1. Open your preferred SFTP client. Check the documentation to explore available options.

  2. Enter the Hostname (for example, localhost).

  3. Enter the Port number (use the value from sshPort, or 22 if you used the default value).

  4. Enter the Username and Password.

    WinSCP connection

  5. Connect and verify that you can access the files from your mapped root directory.

    WinSCP connection success

On this page

PrerequisitesRetrieve current settingsInstall Buru SFTP ServerConfigure the Buru SFTP ServerConfigure Advanced Settings (Optional)Network Bindings (Ports and IPs)LoggingIP Access ControlUser Permissions and Public KeysVerify the Connection