{"id":1387,"date":"2021-05-10T12:47:36","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T09:47:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/?p=1387"},"modified":"2021-05-10T13:09:05","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T10:09:05","slug":"what-is-ftp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/what-is-ftp\/","title":{"rendered":"What is FTP?"},"content":{"rendered":"

FTP, also known as <\/span>File Transfer Protocol,<\/b> is a network protocol for transferring files – <\/span>images, text, software, and others over a computer network.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

With FTP, files are<\/span> better managed and more secure<\/b> when it comes to transferring files. FTP uses a client-server model, which means that files can be moved from an <\/span>FTP client to a server <\/b>where they are needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>FTP file transfer process<\/b> is secured with <\/span>SSL<\/b><\/a>\/TLS<\/b>, and in more advanced cases, it is replaced with SFTP, which provides an extra layer of security known as <\/span>Secured Shell or SSH<\/b>.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

History of FTP<\/b><\/h2>\n

The First Generation FTP standard<\/b> was developed between the years<\/span> 1971<\/b> and <\/span>1980<\/b>. The first FTP standard in <\/span>1971 <\/b>was published by <\/span>RFC 114<\/b>. Between<\/span> 1971<\/b> and <\/span>1980<\/b>, Standards RFC <\/span>172, 256, 354<\/b> were published, and the basic FTP commands were defined.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/b> second Generation FTP standard<\/b> was published between <\/span>1985 <\/b>and <\/span>1997<\/b>. With these standards, password authentication and firewall-friendly transfers were defined.<\/span><\/p>\n

The third-generation standards<\/b>, a new solution known as <\/span>Managed File Transfer or MFT<\/b>, was introduced. The MFT solution serves as a replacement for the basic FTP server. It also supports the FTP and SFTP protocols.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before we understand how FTP works, it is essential to know what an FTP client and server are.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

What is an FTP Client?<\/b><\/h2>\n

An FTP client is an <\/span>easy-to-use, intuitive interface<\/b> that helps to facilitate and simplify the file transfer process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An FTP client needs to be installed on your computer, and some clients can only be <\/span>used with a live connection to the Internet.<\/b><\/p>\n

An <\/span>FTP client interface<\/b> is divided into two. A\u00a0 left panel shows files on your computer and, a right panel displays files on the remote server.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is an FTP Server?<\/b><\/h2>\n

The FTP server is where the<\/span> transferred files get uploaded<\/b> from or downloaded to. FTP servers also serve as the middleman between the sender and the recipient of a file.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Some of the benefits of an FTP server include:<\/b><\/p>\n