How can I use sftp with SAP?

Question

Currently we use FTP, but there is a requirement to use SFTP. According to our Basis guys SFTP will not work. We have a couple of alternatives:

• Use PI
• Use a Unix script to move the files

However, is there something we are missing that would enable us to use SFTP in a similar way to FTP?

Example of code calling FTP:

  CALL FUNCTION 'HTTP_SCRAMBLE'  
    EXPORTING  
      SOURCE      = i_password
      sourcelen   = dstlen
      key         = c_key
    IMPORTING
      destination = lw_password.

  CLEAR: ftp_hdl, o_file.
  CALL FUNCTION 'FTP_CONNECT'
    EXPORTING
      user            = i_user
      password        = lw_password
      host            = i_host
      rfc_destination = c_rfcdest_sapftp
    IMPORTING
      handle          = ftp_hdl
    EXCEPTIONS
      not_connected   = 1
      OTHERS          = 2.

RFC Destination c_rfcdest_sapftp is defined as follows in SM59:

Connection Type: T (TCP/IP)
Activation Type: Start on Front-end Work Station
Program: sapftp (Is there a SFTP variant of the program?)
Start Type: Default Gateway

Answer 1

As odd as it is, SAP doesn't support SFTP out of the box. As I understand it, PI will do FTPS (which is different, I believe) There is at least one company selling a 3rd party bolt-on to PI to use SFTP. A quick Google will turn it up. That is what we had to do here to get SFTP & PGP encrypted files without invoking OS scripts.

EDIT: This is no longer a true statement. Please see the comments below.