File Transfer Protocol

CS-328
Dick Steflik
FTP
RFC 959
uses two TCP Ports
one for control
one for data transfers
command-response protocol
control port uses telnet protocol to negotiate
session
US-ASCII
<crlf> is end-of-line character
Active Mode FTP
Client connect from a random unprivileged port (n > 1023) to the servers
command port (21) and sends port command to tell server to connect to n+1
then listens on the next higher unprivileged port (n+1) for server responses.
The server connects from its data port (20) to the client data port (n+1)

Server Client

20 21 1026 1027

4
Passive Mode FTP
Client opens two random unprivileged ports ( n > 1023 and n+1; ex 1026 and
1027) and connects the first port (n) to server command port 21 and issues a
pasv command (server sends port to use for data); client connects to servers
specified data port, server completes connection.

Server Client

20 2024 21 1026 1027

4
Transfer Files in a Heterogeneous Host Environment

Due to multiple hardware types and operating systems file

are converted to four environmentally neutral data type for
transport and the converted to local types at the destination
ASCII A NVT-ASCII
EBCDIC E EBCDIC Text
IMAGE I Raw binary, series of octets
LOCAL L Raw binary using a variable byte size
Client responsibility to tell server data type to use
Default data type, unless otherwise specified is ASCII
File Structures

Operating System store files in different structures

FTP defined file structures for transporting files
File F Unstructured, sequence of bytes
Record R Series of records
Page P Series of data blocks (pages)
Default file structure is File (F)
File Structure specified using STRU command
Transmission Modes

Mode is used to specify additional coding or sequencing

performed on data
independent of data type and file structure
Stream S stream of bytes, if record structure
EOF sent as record indication; if file
eof indicated by closing stream
Block B file sent as sequence of blocks
preceded by header info allows restart
of an interruped transfer
Compressed C data compressed using run length
encoding
FTP Commands
USER R User name, userid for access control
PASS O Password for access control
ACCT O Account info
CWD O Change working directory
CDUP O Change to parent directory
SMNT O Structure mount, mount a different file system
QUIT R informs server that client wants out
REIN O restarts session at authentication phase
PORT R Host addr and data port to use
FTP Commands (more)
PASV O Passive; informs server that client will contact
to set up data connections, ask server to sent
port info
TYPE R Data type, type of subsequent transfers
STRU R File structure
MODE R Transfer mode
RETR R Retrieve, download the file from server
STOR R Store, upload the specified to server
STOU O Store unique, same as store but server picks
unique file name
FTP Commands (more)
APPE O Append, upload file to server, if file name
exists, append the upload
ALLO O Allocate, sometimes used to preallocate space
REST O Restart, restart an interrupted transfer
RNFR O Rename file from filename
RNTO O Rename file to
ABOR O Abort, ask server to abort last command
DELE O Delete specified file
RMD O Remove directory
MKD O Make directory
FTP Commands (more)
PWD O Print working directory
LIST O Request directory listing
NLST O Request just a file name list
SITE O Site parameters, allow client to specify site
specific options and parameters
SYST O request server operating system
STAT O Request server to send status of current xfr
HELP O general and command specific
NOOP R ask server to send a positive reply
FTP Responses
Each command generates a server response
3 digit code, text, <crlf>
use 3 digit code as driver for GUI Clients or programatic
implementations
use text for Command line clients
Responses
1yz - Positive preliminary reply - command is being acted upon;
expect a final reply code before sending another command
2yz - Positive completion reply - command was successfully
executed; new command may be sent
3yz - Positive intermediate reply - command was accepted, but the
final result is being delayed because other information needs to
be supplied from the client; reply is used for sequencing
command groups
4yz - Transient negative completion reply - command failed, but the
condition is temporary
5yz - Permanent negative completion reply - command failed and
will always fail if given again; the command should not be
attempted again
Response
x0z - Refers to command syntax
x1z - Indicates information returned by commands
requesting information such as status or help
x2z - Refers to the state of the control or data connections
x3z - The reply is associated with the login process and
accounting procedures
x4z - Reserved for future use
x5z - Refers to the state of the requested file transfer or
other file system command
Trivial File Transfer Protocol

RFC 1782
UDP port 69
Simple protocol, usually used to transfer
configuration files
Usually used for transferring boot file for
diskless hosts (X-Stations) or updating
NVRAM
TFTP

Typically used in short distance, low noise

environments
Server is usually implement in firmware for
updating things like routers, bios...
TFTP

Because of its compact size:

no error recovery like TCP based FTP
no command structure like FTP
cannot list directories
transfers to server are to a single configured
directory
Transfer Modes

netascii (8-bit ASCII)

raw binary
mail (obsolete, not used)
TFTP Transfers

client send a RRQ or WRQ to server

server sends ACK 0
client sends DAT1
repeat until done
TFTP Formats
Type Op # Format without header
2 bytes string 1 byte string 1 byte
------------------------------------------------------
RRQ/ | 01/02 | Filename | 0 | Mode | 0 |
WRQ -------------------------------------------------------
2 bytes 2 bytes n bytes
---------------------------------
DATA | 03 | Block # | Data |
---------------------------------
2 bytes 2 bytes
-----------------------------
ACK | 04 | Block # |
-----------------------------
2 bytes 2 bytes string 1 byte
-----------------------------------------------------
ERROR | 05 | ErrorCode | ErrMsg | 0 |
-----------------------------------------------------