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What Is a File Transfer Program?

A file transfer program moves files between systems. An FTP client is one example, while FTP itself is the protocol the client uses to communicate with a server.
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A file transfer program is software that moves files between systems. An FTP client is a familiar example: it lets a person or another program use the File Transfer Protocol to exchange files with a remote server. The program is the tool; the protocol is the set of communication rules it uses.

What does a file transfer program do?

It provides a way to send files to another computer or retrieve files from it. The files may move between a local computer and a remote server, or the transfer may run as part of a larger automated workflow.

In the everyday computing sense, an FTP client is a file transfer program. OpenBSD’s manual describes its ftp utility as an “Internet file transfer program” and as the user interface to the standard FTP protocol: OpenBSD ftp manual.

Is FTP a program or a protocol?

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It defines how a client and server communicate to request, send, and receive files. An FTP client is the software that gives a user—or another calling program—a way to use that protocol. They are related, but the terms are not interchangeable.

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A typical arrangement has two roles:

  • Local client: the program on the computer initiating or managing the transfer.
  • Remote server: the system that provides files for retrieval or accepts files being sent.

The University of Delaware’s explanation of FTP programs describes this local-client and remote-server relationship: University of Delaware: FTP.

Does every file transfer program use FTP?

No. “File transfer program” is a broader phrase than “FTP client.” It can describe software that moves files through different protocols or specialized workflow software built for a particular organization or product.

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Custom enterprise transfer software

SAP’s Designer Guide for Data Services 4.2 SP13 uses “custom transfer program” for a third-party file-transfer protocol program that reads and loads flat files. In that product documentation, this is an option distinct from defining protocols through a file-location object; it is product-specific terminology, not a universal definition. SAP Data Services 4.2 SP13 Designer Guide.

Background or asynchronous transfer software

A program may also accept transfer details and perform the work in the background rather than keeping a user involved in each step. RFC 1068, published in August 1988, describes a historical design with a user-interface program for gathering transfer parameters and a file-transfer-control daemon for carrying out the transfer. It documents a model from that period, not the present-day availability or prevalence of such software. RFC 1068: Background File Transfer Program (BFTP).

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What does the phrase tell you about security?

By itself, “file transfer program” does not identify a protocol or establish how a transfer is protected. Security depends on the particular program, protocol, and configuration. A 2013 U.S. Department of Labor guide describes a specific sFTP workflow using encrypted SSH transport; that agency example should not be read as a complete or current comparison of transfer protocols. U.S. Department of Labor sFTP guide (2013).

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How to interpret the term in context

  • If the context mentions an FTP client, it means software that interacts with an FTP server.
  • If it describes a local and remote computer, look for which side initiates the transfer and which side provides or receives files.
  • If it appears in enterprise product documentation, check whether it means a custom component in that product’s workflow.
  • If it refers to background processing, it may mean a service that executes transfers after receiving instructions.
  • Do not infer a particular protocol or security property from the generic phrase alone.

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