Issue 4229: Active vs. passive connect for file transfer (Firewalls....)                                                                                                                                            (ftamftp-ftf)
Source: DSTC (Mr. Ted McFadden, mcfadden@dstc.edu.au)
Nature: Uncategorized Issue
Severity: 
Summary: n Section 4.5.2, the specification provides a sample skeleton of the
transfer operation where the protocol information available for the
destination FileTransferSession is "TCP/IP" with a listening address
of "255.255.25.1:8001"

The specification is requiring that the receiver of a file must allow
incoming connections.

Forcing the sender to always connect() and the receiver to always
listen() will cause unnecessary trouble with firewalls.

Since any file transfer could also be accomplished by allowing the
sender to listen and the receiver to make the active connection the
protocol specification should allow for active, passive (or either)
connections.

(A similar issue was raised against the A/V streams spec: issue #2053)

Resolution: see above
Revised Text: The text changes for issues 4177, 4209, 4227, and 4228 apply to this issue.
Actions taken:
March 21, 2001: received issue
Discussion: 
Resolution
Protocol syntax changed to allow for the specification of protocol options. The protocol
syntax definition accommodates the specification of “active” or “passive”.
End of Annotations:=====
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 16:29:38 +1000
From: Ted McFadden <ted.mcfadden@iona.com>
To: issues@omg.org
Subject: ftamftp-ftf issue: Active vs. passive connect for file
transfer (Firewalls....)
Message-ID: <20010321162938.C26849@iona.com>
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Hi,

ftamftp-ftf issue: Active vs. passive connect for file transfer
(Firewalls....)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Section 4.5.2, the specification provides a sample skeleton of the
transfer operation where the protocol information available for the
destination FileTransferSession is "TCP/IP" with a listening address
of "255.255.25.1:8001"

The specification is requiring that the receiver of a file must allow
incoming connections.

Forcing the sender to always connect() and the receiver to always
listen() will cause unnecessary trouble with firewalls.

Since any file transfer could also be accomplished by allowing the
sender to listen and the receiver to make the active connection the
protocol specification should allow for active, passive (or either)
connections.

(A similar issue was raised against the A/V streams spec: issue #2053)

-- 
Ted McFadden
ted.mcfadden@iona.com
Object Oriented Concepts Inc. - An IONA Company
http://www.orbacus.com
Suite 4, 8 Martha St.			          +61-7-3324-9633
Camp Hill, Brisbane, 4169, QLD. Australia