Wednesday 23 August 2017

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)


      The purpose of networking applications is to allow different types of information to be sent between networked devices. In the world of computers, information is arranged in the form of files. A file can contain any type of information. The significance of the contents of a file depends entirely on the user of software program that examines it. When those files are created specially for communication, they are called messages. Transferring files and messages between networked devices is the most basic type of network communication. 
show how is the whole world connected    A file is just a collection of information that is treated as a single unit by a computer system. Files are stored in a directory or folders in a file system. In modern computers, files are normally expressed as a sequence of bytes or characters, and each file is read, written, copied or otherwise manipulated as independent object. So, files are the building blocks of information in computers systems. The transfer of information in networking was originally defined in terms of movement of files. Applications of file transfer are electronic mail (Email), network news (Usenet), hypertext (World Wide Web). 

TCP/IP File Transfer Protocol
    File Transfer Protocol perform one main function: allowing files to be copied from one computer to another without much considerations of their contents. Issues arises due to the format differences in the file stored on differing systems. 
1) To ensure that files are sent and received without loss of data, FTP uses the reliable TCP at the transport layer.
2) After a TCP connection is established, an FTP control connection is created by passing the FTP commands over logical connection based on formatting rules defined by Telnet Protocol.
3) Each command sent by the client receives a reply from the server to indicate whether it is succeeded or failed.
4) A data connection is established for each individual data transfer to be performed. FTP supports normal and passive data connections, allowing either the server or client to initiate the data connection. Multiple data types and file types are supported to allow flexibility for various type of transfers.
   Additional support commands are provided to manage the FTP connection as well as to perform support functions such as listing the contents of a directory or deleting the remaining files. 


FTP Connection 
   When a session is set up, a permanent control connection is set up using TCP for passing commands and replies. When files or other data are to be sent, they are passed over separate TCP data connections that are created and then disabled as needed.
                                                              Figure: FTP operational model
The protocol interpreter (PI) manages the control connections, commands and replies. The data transfer process (DTP) manages sending and receiving data between client and server. Note that user interface only interacts with human FTP user. 

FTP Control Connection Establishment, User Authentication 
    Once TCP has been set up, a specific process is follow for user authentication in which we use login process. This process has two purposes: 
1) Allow access to only authorized users. 
2) Server control what types of access each user has 
3) Server can decides the resource for users. 

User name/password login scheme: 
1) First, the user is identified by sending a user name from the user to server using the USER command. Client sent the User's Password using PASS command. 
2) The server checks the User name and password against its user database to verify that the connecting user has valid authority to access the server. 
3) If the information is valid, the server sends back a greeting to the client to indicate that the session is opened. 
   If the user improperly authenticates, the server will request that the user attempt authorization again. After a number of invalid authorization tries, the server may time out and terminate the connection. 
4) After the authentication succeeds, the server then set up the connection to  allow access to certain files or certain type of files, or to read or write file on server.
           Figure: FTP Control Connection Establishment, User Authentication 
Note that it is not considered secured today because the user name and password are sent across the control connection in clear text.

NetworkingCisco Packet Tracer Networking: Implement File Transfer Protocol ( FTP)


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