Extensions to FTP (ftpext)

Last Modified: 2003-01-14

Chair(s):

Paul Hethmon <phethmon@hethmon.com>

Applications Area Director(s):

Ned Freed <ned.freed@mrochek.com>
Ted Hardie <hardie@qualcomm.com>

Applications Area Advisor:

Ned Freed <ned.freed@mrochek.com>

Mailing Lists:

General Discussion: ftp-wg@hethmon.com
To Subscribe: ftp-wg-request@hethmon.com
In Body: subscribe
Archive: http://w3.hethmon.com/ftpext/

Description of Working Group:

1. Recommend changes to the FTP protocol to support users of
  languages other than English.

2. Define a new command for a uniform directory listing between
  platforms. This command will provide an alternative to the existing
  LIST and NLST commands which has a common format between all FTP
  implementations and which also provides the ability to represent
  non-ASCII filenames.

3. Make recommendations for standards-track protocol extensions to
  support IPv6 in FTP. The group will evaluate RFC 1639 and recommend,
  revise, or redo as appropriate.

4. Define a mechanism for ftp clients and servers to transmit
  information regarding extensions supported and not supported.
 
5. Propose extensions, and/or review proposals submitted by others,
  to improve the security of FTP.

6. Define a standardized method of checkpoint/restart which works
  for the stream transfer mode.

7. Define a means of file transfer between a client and server
  (as opposed to a client mediating a transfer between two servers)
  which does not require the IP addresses of the endpoints to
  be transmitted in the FTP protocol.

8. Produce an informational document describing the SIZE and MDTM
  commands as currently used.

The following issues are specifically omitted from the working group's

charter, but may be added by the Area Directors if time permits,
once the above goals have been acheived.

1. Compression of files for transmission.

2. Internationalization of charset conversion for transmission.

Goals and Milestones:

Done    Issue an Internet-Draft covering internationalization issues.
Nov 96    Issue an Internet-Draft for an extension mechanism.
Nov 96    Issue an Internet-Draft for a standard listing command.
Feb 97    Issue a second Internet-Draft for an extension mechanism.
Feb 97    Issue a second Internet-Draft for a standard listing command.
Mar 97    Submit the listing and extension mechanism Internet-Drafts to IESG for consideration as Proposed Standards.
Mar 97    Issue an Internet-Draft for checkpoint/restart.
Done    Issue an Internet-Draft for IPv6 support, and to remove the necessity of transmitting IP addresses in the FTP protocol for transfers between a client and server.
Apr 97    Issue a second Internet-Draft for checkpoint/restart.
Done    Issue a second Internet-Draft for IPv6 support and to remove the necessity of transmitting IP addresses.
May 97    Submit the IPv6/IP and checkpoint/restart Internet-Drafts to IESG for consideration as Proposed Standards.
Jun 97    Submit 'FEAT' I-D as a proposed standard. Title: 'Feature negotiation mechanism for the File Transfer Protocol'
Jun 97    Submit draft-allman-ftp-sec-consider as Informational RFC.
Jun 97    Issue revised 'EPRT/EPSV' I-D.
Jun 97    Issue revised I-D for MLST/MLSD/REST. Title: 'Extended Directory Listing and Restart Mechanism for FTP'
Jun 97    Submit draft-allman-ftp-sec-consider as Informational RFC.
Jun 97    Issue revised 'EPRT/EPSV' I-D. Title: 'FTP Extensions for IPv6, Address Translation, and Mobile IP.'
Done    Issue a second Internet Draft for i18n.
Done    Issue an Internet-Draft for checkpoint/restart.
Done    Issue updated I-D for i18n.
Done    Issue an Internet-Draft covering internationalization issues.
Done    Issue a second Internet-Draft for MLST and FEAT.
Done    Issue an I-D for ipv6 support.
Done    Issue a third Internet Draft for MLST and FEAT.
Done    Issue an Internet-Draft for MLST and FEAT.
Jul 97    submit EPRT/EPSV as a proposed standard
Jul 97    submit MLST/REST as proposed standard
Jul 97    submit revised I18N I-D
Aug 97    submit I18N I-D as a proposed standard
Oct 97    Issue WG Last Call for:Security Considerations, Variable Protocol Specification, Internationalization Issues
Nov 97    Submit Security Considerations, Variable Protocol Specification, Internationalization Issues to IESG for consideration as RFCs
Nov 97    Issue WG Last Call for:Feature Negotiation & Extended Directory Listing
Dec 97    Submit Feature Negotiation & Extended Directory Listing to IESG for consideration as RFCs.

No Current Internet-Drafts

Request For Comments:

Feature negotiation mechanism for the File Transfer Protocol (RFC 2389) (18536 bytes)
FTP Extensions for IPv6 and NATs (RFC 2428) (16028 bytes)
FTP Security Considerations (RFC 2577) (17870 bytes)
Internationalization of the File Transfer Protocol (RFC 2640) (57204 bytes)
Extensions to FTP (RFC 3659) (137962 bytes)