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The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard (RFC 959) for file transfer via TCP/IP. FTP can be used to upload data from the client to the server, and vice versa to download data from the server to the client. Unlike SFTP, for example, FTP uses multiple connections between client and server to transfer data: One connection for transferring commands (the default port for this is port 21) and one (or more) additional connections for transferring data. The advantage of this method is that additional commands can be sent and executed even during data transmission, but the disadvantage is that the configuration of firewall and port forwarding is much more complex than, for example, with the OFTP or SFTP protocols, both of which use only a single connection each. If FTPS is used the configuration becomes even more complex. !MC5 supports both FTP and FTPS.

 

For these reasons FTP is mostly used only for data transfer in internal networks or via VPN connections. For secure data transfer over the internet protocols like AS2, OFTP2 or SFTP are much better alternatives. If the security of the data transfer is guaranteed otherwise, FTP has the advantage that it is relatively simple and very widely used.

 

!MC5 distinguishes between the modules FTP Client and FTP Server. With the FTP Client module you can connect to other FTP servers, transfer data to them and "fetch" data from them. Incoming connections are not possible with the FTP Client. For this purpose you need the FTP Server module. This allows your partners to actively connect to !MC5 using any FTP client program, transfer files to you or "fetch" files from you. However, the FTP Server module cannot be used to actively connect to a partner.

 

In most cases one of the partners is always server, the other client. This means that either the communication is only in one direction or one of the partners has to dial the other one regularly or on request in order to pick up files that may be available. To avoid this it can also happen that both sides act as client as well as server: This way, each of the partners can actively transfer data to the other and does not have to wait for ready data to be "picked up". Which of these three combinations you need must always be clarified on a case-by-case basis with the respective partner.

 

The FTP modules of !MC5 are especially designed for the (automated) transfer of EDI data (MFT = Managed File Transfer).