Legal Definitions - file-transfer protocol

The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard set of rules that computers use to exchange files over a network, such as the internet. It acts like a common language, allowing different computer systems to send and receive data reliably and efficiently.

Here are some examples of how the File Transfer Protocol is applied:

• Imagine a web developer who has just finished designing new web pages and images for a client's website on their local computer. To make these updates live and accessible to the public, the developer needs to move these files from their computer to the web server where the website is hosted. They would use an FTP client application, which leverages the File Transfer Protocol, to connect to the server and upload all the necessary files. This protocol ensures that the HTML documents, stylesheets, and images are correctly and completely transferred to the server, making the updated website visible online.

• Consider a large architectural firm collaborating with an engineering company on a complex building project. The architectural firm generates very large CAD (Computer-Aided Design) files and detailed blueprints that are too big to send via email. To share these critical documents securely and efficiently with the engineering company, the architectural firm might set up an FTP server. The engineering company can then use an FTP client to log in and download the large files directly. The File Transfer Protocol facilitates this transfer, ensuring the integrity and completeness of the large data files exchanged between the two companies.