bbftpPRO upgrades to bbftp
A bbftpPRO client is in principle compatible with a bbftp server and vice versa, though mixing them is not advisable.
The main upgrades to bbftp are:
- the firewall and NAT friendly and secure access (one multi-purpose port)
- transparent RFIO interface (for Castor files)
- authentication a la SSH (no more password typing in) - allows invoking from batch scripts
- optional encryption of transferred files (switch -h)
- application of the multiple streams concept to multiple files (in case of mget/mput of numerous small files)
- recursive mget/mput/mdelete of whole directory trees
- exclusion of already transferred files
The command line to invoke a permanent bbftpd server that uses the default bbftp port (5021) for both control and data would be:
- bbftpd -b -e -l information
Symmetrically, at the client site, a unique data port (e.g. 4321) could be set by including the -D4321:4321 switch in the bbftp command line:
From a user point of view, the transparent RFIO interface means that a file is just a file and that the rfio options are obsolete (and kept only for backward compatibility).
The SSH-like authentication uses a pair of public/private keys of type RSA (ssh-keygen -t rsa -m PEM) and works in relation with a permanent server. The public part of the key generated at the client site should be included into the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file at the server side. (see man ssh)
A remote (via ssh) invocation of the server is done with command lines like these:
- bbftp -s ...
- bbftp -s"bin/bbftpd -s -e -l information" ...
By default, all control exchanges are encrypted (e.g. file names, directory lists). To cipher (RC4) the files being transferred, add the -h switch (standing for hidden) to the client bbftp command line (or use "setoption encrypt"):
The number of files transferred simultaneously is up to the client and depends upon two numbers: by default, the server won't accept more than 25 streams/file and the client could set a global number of streams per session up to 255 (using switch -p). Therefore, anything between 10 big files and 255 small ones (less or equal to 1 MB) may be transferred at once.
To activate a recursive directory transfer, use "setoption recursive".
To activate exclusion of already transferred files, use "setoption exclude".
Note: the meaning of the -g bbftp command line switch has been slightly changed - its argument has become optional. This way its (simple) presence triggers the GSI authentication instead of the (default) RSA one.
« bbftpPRO Homepage