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November 29, 2007

Active Vs. Passive FTP

Dealing with an issue in a fire-walled environment or a problem with connectivity?

We found this basic walk-through definition of Active vs. Passive FTP.
It's a bit on the technical side, but hopefully is helpful.

Click here to view the article on Active vs. Passive FTP

Summary:
"Active FTP is beneficial to the FTP server admin, but detrimental to the client side admin. The FTP server attempts to make connections to random high ports on the client, which would almost certainly be blocked by a firewall on the client side. Passive FTP is beneficial to the client, but detrimental to the FTP server admin. The client will make both connections to the server, but one of them will be to a random high port, which would almost certainly be blocked by a firewall on the server side.

Luckily, there is somewhat of a compromise. Since admins running FTP servers will need to make their servers accessible to the greatest number of clients, they will almost certainly need to support passive FTP. The exposure of high level ports on the server can be minimized by specifying a limited port range for the FTP server to use. Thus, everything except for this range of ports can be firewalled on the server side. While this doesn't eliminate all risk to the server, it decreases it tremendously."

Posted by Erik Small at 09:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

November 26, 2007

Blog Backup Strategy

Do you write your own blog? If so, check out these simple words of wisdom from Greg Ashbaugh on how he backs up his blog to ensure the safe and quick recovery incase disaster strikes.

"I keep all my local files on a USB thumb drive. I do this so I can work on my site on multiple computers. Once a month I make a backup of these files into a folder called Ashbaughonline-Local. Then at the same time, I use a program called WS_FTP to copy all the live files off my host into a folder called Ashbaughonline-Live. Both of these folders are then stored into a folder named by the month, in this case February. I copy all the live stuff because sometimes you upload photos, and make other live modifications that aren’t done locally. Note, I keep these folders on a separate system from my USB thumb drive.

I’ve seen people lose years worth of data because their database gets corrupt. Imagine years worth of blogging, and it’s all gone with no backup. That would be a tough reality, so don’t let it happen to your site."

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It's much easier to forestall a disaster than to deal with it.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 06:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

November 19, 2007

FTP Server 101: A Beginner's Guide

Looking for the basics on setting up an FTP Server?

Utilize the FTP Technical Guide available on FTPPlanet!

http://www.ftpplanet.com/ftpresources/ftp_server.htm

"Setting up an FTP server is quite simple. Some software has the ability to set passwords, directory access permissions, and a number of other FTP server functions. You can experiment with these attributes as you get more comfortable with your FTP server."

Posted by Erik Small at 01:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

November 16, 2007

Is there a size or quantity limit for file transfer?

A few people have recently asked me if there is a size or quantity limit for transferring files over FTP, SSL or SSH protocols.

The short answer is "No, there is no limit".

Personally, I have had days where I've transferred literally tens of thousands of files from my computer to a remote server. I've also had times where I've had to transfer files well over 1GB in size.

The key variables here are Internet bandwidth and file size -- they both play a big factor in the speed of your file transfers. The faster your Internet speed, the faster you'll be able to send files between your computer and a server. And the bigger the file is, the longer it will take to be transferred.

One trick I like to use is to compress any large files that I transfer into .ZIP format to make em smaller. The smaller the file, the faster it transfers. You can .ZIP a few different ways, but my choice is to use the built-in .ZIP capability of WS_FTP Professional. It's simply a matter of clicking one button and the file automatically is zipped prior to transfer... Yes, it really is that easy!

Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:51 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

November 15, 2007

FTP Program Recommendations - How about WS_FTP?

Do you consider yourself a 'web engineer'? Or someone looking for a way to publish files to a website? A basic FTP program is a standard application for anybody working with website publishing.

Check this recommendation from WebsiteMagazine.com for an FTP program:

FTP Programs: 3 Essential (and Free) Solutions

WS_FTP is a favorite!

WS_FTP:

This is my personal preferred FTP client and the one I use every day. Created by IpSwitch, it's easily the most popular solution available. There is a free home version of WS_FTP but the professional version which runs around $90 with service agreement is more feature filled with a scheduler (for one-time or recurring file transfers), enhanced synchronization, automated scripts and safe backups to name a few.

Posted by Erik Small at 01:28 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

November 14, 2007

From Astroturfing to XUL

Here's a nice glossary of technology definitions. Nice to see a few familiar buzzwords..... Even better to learn some new online and Internet vocabulary.

Study hard, there will be a pop quiz in the near future!

Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

November 13, 2007

New WS_FTP Server 6.1 Released

Ipswitch released a new version of WS_FTP Server 6.1.

If you are looking for a server, check out this list of enhancements introduced in version 6.1:

Choice of Databases: Administrators have the option to either use the embedded WS_FTP Server database or integrate with an existing Microsoft® SQL Server or Microsoft SQL Server Express for both user authentication and server system configuration (ie: access controls, user permissions, password policies, etc.)

Choice of Web Servers: Administrators can either use the default standards-based Web server that ships with WS_FTP Server or integrate with Microsoft IIS for powering the Web administration interface of WS_FTP Server.

Silent Install for Fast Deployment of Multiple Servers: Enables administrators to customize installation configuration and quickly get multiple server deployments with unattended bulk installations up and running remotely, quickly and easily.

Storage Utilization Displayed to Connecting WS_FTP Professional clients: Users connecting to WS_FTP Server 6.1 with the WS_FTP Professional 2007.1 file transfer client get a realtime view of their server disk space utilization. (note: WS_FTP Professional 2007.1 to be released shortly)

Lock Files During Upload: Ensure version control of files by preventing different users from simultaneously uploading and downloading the same file. File lock during upload prevents users from downloading a file before it is fully uploaded to the server.

Enhanced Password Management: Ability to force end users to change their password upon their initial login to the server. Administrators can also set policies that require users to reset their password at any time on an ongoing basis.

Click here to read more about the release.

Posted by Erik Small at 05:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

November 12, 2007

Tips for Web hosting

Here are some tips for choosing a Web hosting service. The following six tips are fairly universal and should be considered when selecting your Web hosting provider.

* Amount of web space
* FTP access
* Reliability, security & access speed
* Dependence and support
* Pricing plans
* Data transfer (Bandwidth)

Here is the excerpt on FTP Access: "FTP access is very important since it lets you have the ability to upload new pages. A few web hosting service providers let you to just design your web pages with their own personal web builder. This may be useful for beginners however you need to ensure if they provide you the facility to expand later when you enhance your online business capabilities."

I agree with this assessment. Different people have different needs and have different levels of technical sophistication. There are many web hosting services out there that specialize in simple template solutions for beginners & intermediates, while there are many advanced options for the technical mavens amongst us as well.

Posted by Hugh Garber at 07:45 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

November 06, 2007

Ipswitch sponsors Boston Benefit Concert

Ipswitch will be the presenting sponsor of "Give Us Your Poor" benefit concert on November 16 as a partner in the "Boston Helps the Homeless" citywide initiative.

This is one of many outreaches that Ipswitch has been involved in over the years. If you're located in the Boston area, go check out the event on Nov. 16!

Information on the announcement can be found here or visit the "Give Us Your Poor" website.

Posted by Erik Small at 12:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

November 05, 2007

Holiday Cash Club with WS_FTP Server

A nice incentive is available with any purchase of WS_FTP Server from Ipswitch as we enter the holiday shopping season.

Refer the WS_FTP Holiday Cash Club website for information on how to receive a $50 amazon.com gift card with the purchase of WS_FTP Server!

Posted by Erik Small at 01:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page

November 02, 2007

Obtain enterprise-grade file transfers with WS_FTP Server 6

A review of the newest WS_FTP Server 6 by Server Watch introduces the new file transfer server by Ipswitch as a viable enterprise-grade solution.

Read the full review from Server Watch

Here's an excerpt:
"New to WS_FTP Server is high availability and load balancing, features aimed primarily at enterprise environments. With WS_FTP Server installed on multiple machines, a cluster can be formed to distribute load for maximum performance. Should a server go down, the surviving WS_FTP nodes can take up the slack."

Posted by Erik Small at 07:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack digg this add to del.icio.us add to My Web Furl this page