Question : FTP Scripting

Hello All,

Need a hand with this. I have been presented with the task of creating a FTP script that will log in, dump files, pick up files, close the session. It has to be able to run over SSL also.

I have reviewsed many of the FTP client products out there that have scheduling and tasks set up, but I havent seen any that let you load your own script into the FTP client and have it execute.

We are rolling out a new service of providing FTP/S and my boss wants to keep it cheap, by either getting a free for commercial use FTP client that can run scripts and connect to SSL, (believe me I have looked there isnt any that I can find..as usuall); or seeing if we can write a script that will run independent of any FTP client.

Since I have no exposure to this in the past I am caught off guard and its my first month on the job...trying to make sure I keep them happy and let them know they made the right choice. I have plenty of networking experiance, just none in this area...

Also....MUST be WINDOWS oriented....FTP server is Serv-U which does not support UNIX SSH, and I know less about Unix then I do about scripting :-)

Here is the basic questions i needed answered:

1. Can i write a ftp script that will connect to FTP/S server that will do the above tasks, if so what language do I use and are there any tutorials for it(if posssible can it be done like a windows login script also)?

2. Can the script be written in some form to run independent of any FTP client program?

3. Does anyone have any example scripts that I can look at to help the learning process, regular FTP script would be great, and FTP/S would knock my socks off ;-)

4. Any FTP client software that can do all the things i mentioned for free?


Thanks for any help you can provide!!!!!

Answer : FTP Scripting

With ftp -s, you don't need to issue the user command after you open.

Try:

open 100.x.x.234
usernamegoeshere
passwordgoeshere

If in doubt run ftp interactively to see what commands to issue.

Unfortunately, I do not believe that MS's ftp client can run securely.  However, once you have the script down, you can use a secure client to do the job.