File Transfer Protocol Definition And Channel Between Client And Server.

File Transfer Protocol Definition And Channel Between Client And Server.

FTP is a File Transfer Protocol. It is an internet protocol that allows transferring files between the computers with the help of Internet over Internet Protocol or Transmission Control Protocol. It acts as a channel between the server and the client as it is a client-server protocol. Clients can converse with the server by downloading a file. With the help of this, the client can upload, download, delete, and work with files.

File Transfer Protocol Definition And Channel Between Client And Server.

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is a standard internet protocol for sending files between computers over the internet using TCP/IP connections. It is often used to upload or download files from web servers. It is a client-server protocol that depends on two communication channels between client and server: a data channel for transmitting or sending file content and a command channel for controlling or handling the conversation.

It was in 1971 when FTP was originally defined prior to the definition of IP and TCP and since then has been redefined numerous times. In an FTP session, it is the client who initiates the conversation with the server by requesting to download a file. With FTP, a client can download, upload, rename, delete, move, and copy files from a server.

Though the majority of FTP servers require users to log in before the contents be made available to them, there are some FTP servers that make their content available without logging in and they are known as anonymous FTP. FTP sessions work or function in two modes: either active or passive.

In active mode, the server starts a data connection back to the client and starts transferring or sending data after a client starts a session using a command channel request. In passive mode, it is the server that uses the command channel to send the client the information it needs to open a data channel.

Since in passive mode it is the client who initiates all the connections, it works very well on firewalls and NAT or Network Address Translation gateways.