java - Make FileAlterationObserver to observe remote directory

Question

How to make FileAlterationObserver to observe a remote directory?

This can accept a String path or a Java File. Both the cases it will look for the directory in local context. I have a directory in remote server file system.

It would be also helpful if anyone tell me how to create a new File object referring to the file in the remote directory.

Example:

File file = new File("remote directory path");

Answer 1

You cannot.

• The File object cannot refer to an SFTP file.
• There's no way to have the SFTP server notify you on changes in a remote file/directory (the protocol itself does not have a mechanism for that).

All you can do is to use JSch (or other) SFTP interface to check for changes in regular intervals yourself.