The Ensign - New FTP Servers Speed File Transfers

New FTP Servers Speed File Transfers

By Stf/C Wayne Spivak, JN

The Ensign ® Feburary 1999

USPS now has two major avenues to retrieve files, documents and graphics over the Internet. Both are dependent on FTP (file transfer protocol) services, an integral part of the Internet just like e-mail and the Web. FTP will make file retrieval less costly to everyone.

Before we set up the FTP server, you had to dial long distance to connect to the Information Interchange (IIS) computer at USPS headquarters in Raleigh. For everyone except local members, this meant a long-distance phone call. However, most members can get on the Internet with a local phone call. With the Internet, members can use their Web browsers or a vertical FTP client (specialized software) to reach the FTP servers.

An FTP server is set up just like your computer's hard disk, with directories that contain either files or other directories (sub-directories). It is customary to place files that are to be transferred (downloaded) in the /pub directory. Following that custom, I have placed all files that I have received in the /pub/psml subdirectory.

If you use a Web browser to access the FTP sire, enter the following URL (uniform resource locator): ftp://sb.usps.org. This will bring you to the root level. Click on pub and then click on psml. A shortcut would be to use ftp://sb.usps.org/pub/psml. From this point in the document tree, you can find your file. We will have an index of all files when it becomes necessary.

If you have an FTP client, just point it to sb.usps.org and select the anonymous login option. Your password, if asked, is your e-mail address. Change directories to /pub/psml and presto! You're there.

If you want to post a file to the FTP server, you will have to send the file to me (Wspivak@usps.org) or Dan Bartell (dtb@usps.org) for security reasons.