Internet Applications: File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

Data transfer before Internet Magnetic media like tapes and disks: An application transferred data on magnetic media The medium was physically moved from one computer to another; Drawback: SLOW Fax: Use the telephone lines; A fax machine consists of a printer, a scanner, a dial-up modem, and a dedicated computer; Drawbacks: requires a dedicated machine and a fax transmission is as expensive as a phone conversation.

Magnetic media like tapes and disks:

An application transferred data on magnetic media

The medium was physically moved from one computer to another;

Drawback: SLOW

Fax:

Use the telephone lines;

A fax machine consists of a printer, a scanner, a dial-up modem, and a dedicated computer;

Drawbacks: requires a dedicated machine and a fax transmission is as expensive as a phone conversation.

The Internet can be used to transfer data Benefits: Efficient: Internet is designed for sending digital data; Less expensive than fax: Internet access is billed a flat rate; Can transfer more types of data than fax, including audio and video.

Benefits:

Efficient: Internet is designed for sending digital data;

Less expensive than fax: Internet access is billed a flat rate;

Can transfer more types of data than fax, including audio and video.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) A general-purpose protocol that can be used to copy an arbitrary file from one computer to another; one of the oldest network application---predates TCP and IP; Later versions were built on top of TCP/IP; Among the most heavily used applications: FTP generated as much as 1/3 of the traffic on the Internet Was exceeded only by WWW (in 1995).

A general-purpose protocol that can be used to copy an arbitrary file from one computer to another;

one of the oldest network application---predates TCP and IP;

Later versions were built on top of TCP/IP;

Among the most heavily used applications:

FTP generated as much as 1/3 of the traffic on the Internet

Was exceeded only by WWW (in 1995).

Issues in designing FTP Must transfer an arbitrary file (size, name,..) Must accommodate multiple file types; Must connect heterogeneous computers. May have to deal with different: Data encodings; File names; File protections;

Must transfer an arbitrary file (size, name,..)

Must accommodate multiple file types;

Must connect heterogeneous computers. May have to deal with different:

Data encodings;

File names;

File protections;

FTP Commands FTP is an interactive protocol: it responds to each command a user enters; signals when it is ready to execute another command; Examples of FTP commands: Open---connect to a remote computer; Get---retrieve a file from the remote computer; Put---sends a file to the remote computer; Bye---terminate the connection and leave FTP.

FTP is an interactive protocol: it responds to each command a user enters; signals when it is ready to execute another command;

Examples of FTP commands:

Open---connect to a remote computer;

Get---retrieve a file from the remote computer;

Put---sends a file to the remote computer;

Bye---terminate the connection and leave FTP.

Transfer Modes FTP defines two types of transfer: textual and binary; Textual: is used for text files; most text files are encoded in ASCII or EBCDIC ftp can translate from the local to remote character set when transferring a file; Binary: used for all other files (audio, image, numbers, …) Files are copied exactly; The resulting copy might be meaningless because FTP does not convert values to the local representation;

FTP defines two types of transfer: textual and binary;

Textual: is used for text files;

most text files are encoded in ASCII or EBCDIC

ftp can translate from the local to remote character set when transferring a file;

Binary: used for all other files (audio, image, numbers, …)

Files are copied exactly;

The resulting copy might be meaningless because FTP does not convert values to the local representation;

Connections, authorizations and file permissions The remote system has to verify that the user is authorized to access files: The user has to provide a login name and a password; If the user is authorized he/she may start transferring files; What if the user does not have an account? System administrator can configure FTP to support anonymous FTP; Login name anonymous and password guest (or e-mail address) allows a user access to public files.

The remote system has to verify that the user is authorized to access files:

The user has to provide a login name and a password;

If the user is authorized he/she may start transferring files;

What if the user does not have an account?

System administrator can configure FTP to support anonymous FTP;

Login name anonymous and password guest (or e-mail address) allows a user access to public files.

A browser can use FTP A WWW browser can be used to FTP instead of a dedicated interface; A browser uses FTP as the transfer protocol, when the URL starts with ftp (instead of http) EX: ftp://ftp.acunix.albany.edu/as7656/temp --- instructs the browser to get file “as7656/temp” from machine ftp.acunix.edu ftp://ftp.acunix.edu/as7656 --- displays all files in the directory “as7656”

A WWW browser can be used to FTP instead of a dedicated interface;

A browser uses FTP as the transfer protocol, when the URL starts with ftp (instead of http)

EX:

ftp://ftp.acunix.albany.edu/as7656/temp --- instructs the browser to get file “as7656/temp” from machine ftp.acunix.edu

ftp://ftp.acunix.edu/as7656 --- displays all files in the directory “as7656”

FTP uses the client-server paradigm: Local application (or browser) is the client Remote FTP program is the server; The FTP server authorizes the connection, locates the file, and uses TCP to send it.

Local application (or browser) is the client

Remote FTP program is the server;

The FTP server authorizes the connection, locates the file, and uses TCP to send it.