FTP servlet an intro

An FTP servlet is an intermediate application that resides between the FTP server and the FTP client. It works as a proxy interposed within client/server communications and helps to unload some of the computing power of the FTP server and distribute it to the FTP servlet. It also provides a firewall and proxy friendly file transfer environment by wrapping FTP traffic over HTTP. FTP traffic can be wrapped over HTTPs using a SSL certificate to provide enhanced security.

Architecture

FTP clients can connect to the FTP servlet through the Internet. In most cases FTP is wrapped over an application layer protocol. Most commonly used are HTTP (for easy, unencrypted transfers) or HTTPs (for encrypted transfers). The use of HTTPs requires an SSL certificate to be present at the site of the FTP servlet. A number of simultaneous connections can be made to the FTP servlet. The number of connections is restricted to the computing power of the server. The number of end-users supported through the number of connections is usually more. As all connected end-users aren’t “active” until they make a request from the server. Consequently, the number of end-users simultaneously online on the FTP server can be greater than the number of active connections supported by the FTP server.

Security

FTP servlets protect direct access to an FTP server from the outside world. The FTP servlet can be housed on the DMZ. The internal network can house the FTP server. Direct access from the outside can’t be initiated with the internal FTP server. For additional security, port forwarding can also be used to enhance security between the DMZ and internal network.

Issues and drawbacks

FTP servlets can only work with advanced FTP clients that support the wrapping of FTP over HTTP or HTTPs. There are a number of commercially available clients/FTP servlets that work in such a way.

Copyright issues

File sharing has grown in popularity with the proliferation of high-speed Internet connections, and the relatively small file size and high-quality MP3 audio format. File sharing is a legal technology with legal uses, however many users use it to give and accept copyrighted materials without permission or authorization, and this is viewed by some as piracy of intellectual property, also known as copyright infringement.

Despite the existence of various international treaties, there are still sufficient variations between countries to cause significant difficulties in the protection of copyright. Recent years have seen copyright owners challenging file sharing networks, leading to litigation by industry bodies against private individual file sharers. The legal issues surrounding file sharing have been the subject of debate and conferences, especially among lawyers in the entertainment industries.

The challenges facing copyright holders in the face of file sharing systems highlight that current copyright law and enforcement may not be sufficient in dealing with rapidly developing new technologies and uses. Other challenges include ambiguities in the interpretation of copyright law and varying copyright legislations. The high number of individuals engaged in file sharing of copyrighted material means that copyright holders face problems relating to mass litigation and the development of processes for evidence and discovery.

File sharing technology has evolved in response to legal challenges. There is a low technical barriers to entry for would-be sharers, and many file sharing approaches now obfuscate or hide the fact that sharing is happening, or the identities of those involved. For example: encryption and darknets. Furthermore it is contested whether the transfer of segmented files constitutes copyright infringement in itself based on existing laws.

Further challenges have arisen because of the need to balance self-protection against fair use. A perceived overbalance towards protection (in the form of media that cannot be backed up, cannot be played on multiple systems by the owner, or contains rootkits or irksome security systems inserted by manufacturers), has led to a backlash against protection systems in some quarters. For example, the first crack of AACS was inspired by a perceived unfair restriction on owner usage.