Web based FTP transfers
This article will discuss FTP history, some of the disadvantages of the protocol and how these issues can be resolved using JSCAPE Secure FTP Server and web based file transfers.
As a prerequisite to this article you will need to Download JSCAPE Secure FTP Server.
The FTP protocol has been around for a very long time. In fact, the functionality of FTP software today is based on RFC 959 which was first written in 1985. Despite the age of this protocol it has survived the times and is still very much in use today as a reliable method for network file transfer. Over the years several enhancements have been made to the FTP protocol. Perhaps the two most important are those documented in RFC 1579 and RFC 2228. These protocol enhancements provide for passive FTP connections and secure SSL encrypted FTP connections respectively.
Despite the advances in the original FTP protocol there are still some problems that remain unsolved. These problems have less to do with the protocol and more to do with supporting users of the protocol. For this reason these issues cannot be easily solved at the protocol level.
Firewalls
As companies become more concerned about network security, firewalls have become a commonplace appliance. Unfortunately while these firewalls can prevent unauthorized users from getting onto the network they can also inadvertently prevent legitimate users from accessing company resources. To resolve this issue a network administrator must typically modify the firewall rules for each user and their corresponding outbound and inbound FTP connections. Aside from making it more difficult for users to connect, managing this process can also be costly and error prone.
Client Support
There are a vast number of FTP clients available today, each with it's own set of features and also their own interpretation of the FTP protocol specifications. FTP server administrators must know how to support all of these different clients as well as know which ones are compatible with their particular FTP server. There is also the additional cost of purchasing FTP client licenses for each user and the maintenance of these licenses over time.
In order to solve the disadvantages described above a web based file transfer approach is taken. Instead of using a typical FTP client to connect with the FTP server a web based file transfer client is used. This client runs within the web browser without any software to install, licenses to purchase or software to maintain. Additionally, since the client file transfer software runs within the browser and transfers are performed over HTTP/S, there is no need to setup firewall rules for each user. In short the web based approach solves the firewall and client support issues found in typical FTP client/server installations.
JSCAPE Secure FTP Server offers the ability to support web based file transfers. This functionality is integrated into the server and may be easily enabled with just a few quick changes to the server configuration.
Step 1 - Enable Web service
Using JSCAPE Secure FTP Server Manager go to File > Settings > Web panel and enable the protocols that you want to accept web based FTP connections for. Specify the IP address(es) and port(s) that you want to listen on.
Figure 1
Step 2 - Add HTTP/S services for your domain
Using JSCAPE Secure FTP Server Manager go to the Services node for the desired domain and click the "Add" button. When prompted set the Service type to "Web" and select the desired protocols you wish to accept transfers for.
Figure 2
Step 3 - Login to domain using browser
Using your browser type in the address of the web server using the IP address or hostname specified in Figure 1. The login screen will be displayed prompting for the domain, username and password.
Note: The domain is the name of the domain as displayed in the JSCAPE Secure FTP Server Manager "Domains" node.
Figure 3
Step 4 - Transfer files
Once you have successfully logged in the FTP web client interface is displayed. From here you may upload, download, rename and delete files based on your account permissions.
Figure 4
In this article you learned a brief history of the FTP protocol, some of the disadvantages of the FTP protocol and how those issues can be resolved using JSCAPE Secure FTP Server. Download JSCAPE Secure FTP Server today to see what else it has to offer.
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