File transfer

File transfer is a generic term for the act of transmitting files over a computer network or the Internet. There are numerous ways and protocols to transfer files over a network. Computers which provide a file transfer service are often called file servers. Depending on the client's perspective the data transfer is called uploading or downloading.

There are 2 types of file transfers:

Pull-based file transfers where the receiver initiates a file transmission request
Push-based file transfers where the sender initiates a file transmission request

File transfer can take place over a variety of levels:

Transparent file transfers over network file systems
Explicit file transfers from dedicated file transfer services like FTP or HTTP
Distributed file transfers over peer-to-peer networks like Bittorent or Gnutella
File transfers over instant messaging or LAN messenger
File transfers between computers and peripheral devices
File transfers over direct modem or serial (null modem) links, such as XMODEM, YMODEM and ZMODEM

Protocols

A file transfer protocol is a convention that describes how to transfer files between two computing endpoints. They are meant solely to send the stream of bits stored as a single unit in a file system, plus any relevant metadata such as the filename, file size and timestamp. File transfer protocols usually operate on top of a lower-level protocol in a protocol stack. For example, the HTTP protocol operates at the topmost application layer of the TCP/IP stack, whereas XMODEM, YMODEM, and ZMODEM typically operate across RS-232 serial connections.

File transfer

Protocols

See also