Automating FTPS Transfer

Got one for you guys:

So I’ve been tasked with automating a daily FTPS transfer where we’re retrieving a file from a third party vendor and storing it on a Windows server. This must be completed daily at the same time. This must involve as little overhead as possible. The vendor will not allow us to use SCP/SFTP (port 22 is not open). Only FTP/FTPS is available for use here.

If I were able to use SFTP or SCP this would be done already as it’d be really easy to script a daily job for this. However, I’ve never used FTPS from command line and can’t find any reference to anyone else doing this as well.

So, I’m looking for instructions, commands to use, or any resources anyone can provide in regard to securely automatically transferring files on a recurring basis using FTPS (again, NOT SFTP/SCP).

Thanks in advance.

what up… ftp is cake.

write a file on the fly like this, no extention:

open ftp.domainname.com
domain\username
crypticpassword
cd todirectory
cd “non dos happy directory”
put d:\crap_062508.zip
quit

then just write a batch file to call the file…

ftp -s c:\filename

i think it’s -s… i can verify or write the vbs or batch to create the dynamic file if needed… i ftp mad files nightly… this process works like a charm

For sure, but I need to use FTPS (SSL)…which was why I was hung up.

I figured it out though- I downloaded “SSLFTP”, so now I can basically substitute “ftp” with “sslftp” in my batch file and it’ll work like a charm.

Thanks for the response.

ahh… sorry man… i didnt’ even type PSFTP

it’s a Putty tool that’s free… same theory and syntax.

good write up:
http://the.earth.li/~sgtatham/putty/0.52/htmldoc/Chapter6.html

-Sonny

I use PSFTP quite a bit. In this case, I’d use PSFTP if I could, but I can’t transfer over SSH- it has to be traditional FTP with SSL encryption.

I’m still having issues. No one uses FTPS…the rest of the world uses SFTP.

this is true.

wow… i guess i wasn’t really reading what you were asking… i mean we ftp over ssl but use certs and ipsec to create the tunnel then rock and roll… i’m guessing that’s not possible in this scenario? is it internal to internal? internal / external?

this sounds hokey… wtf is up? I guess i can’t speak on ftps vs. sftp because i just always use sftp, why can’t you(just curious)?.. i’m guessing it’s an antiquated platform?

oh yeah… come to think of it I have had this discussion before… our Oracle guys need FTPS… they use glub tech’s product

http://www.glub.com/products/secureftp/

http://www.glub.com/products/secureftp/download.shtml

It’s external to internal- we’re retrieving files from a vendor who does some outsourced data cleansing for us. Believe me, if this were internal to internal or internal to external, I wouldn’t be jammed up like this with FTPS.

The vendor will not allow any transfer protocol beside FTPS- why, I honestly can’t answer. I’ve tried to get them to use SFTP (like the rest of the world), I’ve tried to get them to let us create a VPN tunnel…but they insist on FTPS. They won’t give us port 22, won’t give us VPN, ect.

I’m going to try a new FTPS package tommorow morning (“MoveITFreely”). I captured a bunch of packets while my transfer attempts were erroring out and it looks like the FTPS package I was using doesn’t support passive mode FTP with SSLv3, which was causing my issues. The new package does. I’ll report back with my results.

The new package works…so, if anyone here ever needs to automate FTPS transfers for any strange, strange reason, use “MoveITFreely” and you’ll be good.

nice!