[[sftp-max-fetch]]
= Inbound Channel Adapters: Controlling Remote File Fetching

You should consider two properties when configuring inbound channel adapters.
`max-messages-per-poll`, as with all pollers, can be used to limit the number of messages emitted on each poll (if more than the configured value are ready).
`max-fetch-size` (since version 5.0) can limit the number of files retrieved from the remote server at a time.

The following scenarios assume the starting state is an empty local directory:

* `max-messages-per-poll=2` and `max-fetch-size=1`: The adapter fetches one file, emits it, fetches the next file, and emit it.
Then it sleeps until the next poll.
* `max-messages-per-poll=2` and `max-fetch-size=2`): The adapter fetch both files and then emits each one.
* `max-messages-per-poll=2` and `max-fetch-size=4`: The adapter fetches up to 4 files (if available) and emits the first two (if there are at least two).
The next two files will be emitted on the next poll.
* `max-messages-per-poll=2` and `max-fetch-size` not specified: The adapter fetches all remote files and emits the first two (if there are at least two).
The subsequent files are emitted on subsequent polls (two at a time).
When all are consumed, the remote fetch is attempted again, to pick up any new files.

IMPORTANT: When you deploy multiple instances of an application, we recommend setting a small `max-fetch-size`, to avoid one instance "`grabbing`" all the files and starving other instances.

Another use for `max-fetch-size` is when you want to stop fetching remote files but continue to process files that have already been fetched.
Setting the `maxFetchSize` property on the `MessageSource` (programmatically, via JMX, or via a xref:control-bus.adoc[control bus]) effectively stops the adapter from fetching more files but lets the poller continue to emit messages for files that have previously been fetched.
If the poller is active when the property is changed, the change takes effect on the next poll.

Starting with version 5.1, the synchronizer can be provided with a `Comparator<?>`.
This is useful when restricting the number of files fetched with `maxFetchSize`.

Also see general xref:sftp/inbound.adoc[SFTP Inbound Channel Adapter] chapter for information about `FileListFilter` configuration.

