1. File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
BCIS 82 - Introduction to the Internet
Marge Hohly

2. FTP definition
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a set of rules that allow you to transfer files between two computers across the Internet WITHOUT INVOLVING !

3. FTP Modes FTP allows users to connect in 2 ways:
Full-privilege - Private
FTP servers used by companies, government etc.
Transfer information within an organization
Used by qualified employees only

4. FTP Modes - cont. Anonymous FTP - Public Anyone can access
Don’t need account
Contains shareware, hardware drivers, programs, documents etc. placed in public domain

5. Client/Server Uses a program called a ‘Client’
Connect to a machine called a ‘Server’
Two directions:
Uploading - send files to the server
Downloading - receive files from the server

6. FTP
FTP servers organize files in a tree-like hierarchical file structure.
A main menu (root directory) displays a number of folders (subdirectories) and files.
Folders called “pub” usually contains documents for the public, (anonymous FTP users).
Move around to search for the files you want.
Once located, copy the files over to your local computer by saving the files to your disk.

7. Downloading a document
Many documents are prepared on one computer with various software
Documents are not often readable on all computers
Documents are not often readable with all software
Adobe ‘Acrobat Reader’ - a free application
Makes documents readable on a wide variety of computers
Special type document - Portable Document Format (PDF) file

8. Examples of Downloads Software - like Adobe Acrobat
IRS Tax Forms and Publications
Small Business Administration Forms & Publications

9. More Download sites
Paine Webber Investment Research and News (updated weekly)
Gilbert and Sullivan ballads, scripts, scores, and newsletters
Center for Disease Control Cancer Prevention Publications

10. More Download sites
Car Care Council Maintenance Tips (quarterly newsletter)
Physics Education Research Papers
Print and Mail Passport Applications

11. FTP Server URLs ftp://Server-name
Server-name is the domain name of the FTP server.
Access any FTP server by typing the FTP URL in the NetSite box
e.g.
ftp://wusrchive.wustl.edu
ftp://oak.oakland.edu
ftp://sumex-aim.stanford.edu
ftp://ftp.mcom.com

12. FTP tools Some popular FTP tools:
Fetch for Mac
WS_FTP for Windows
CuteFTP
look at the icons to identify whether the items are folders, text files or binary files or executable programs.

13. File types Zip compressed files Exe executable Txt Text - ASCII
Doc Document
Bin Binary

14. Archie Search tool for locating only FTP sites
Archie is roughly a card catalog system by keeping track of nearly all of the anonymous FTP sites.
Archie has two parts:
Server
searches FTP sites
maintains the database
Client
ask the server for information to provide to the users.

15. Archie
sometimes the files that Archie returns are with the extension .zip
that means the file is compressed.
Compression is a process to shrink a file, making it easier to store and faster to transfer.
.zip files need to be uncompressed after the transfer before you can use them.