RFC 1545 (rfc1545) - Page 1 of 5


FTP Operation Over Big Address Records (FOOBAR)



Alternative Format: Original Text Document



Network Working Group                                      D. Piscitello
Request for Comments: 1545                                      Bellcore
Category: Experimental                                     November 1993


            FTP Operation Over Big Address Records (FOOBAR)

Status of this Memo

   This memo defines an Experimental Protocol for the Internet
   community.  This memo does not specify an Internet standard of any
   kind.  Discussion and suggestions for improvement are requested.
   Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

   This paper describes a convention for specifying longer addresses in
   the PORT command.

Introduction

   This RFC specifies a method for assigning long addresses in the
   HOST-PORT specification for the data port to be used in establishing
   a data connection for File Transfer Protocol, FTP (STD 9, RFC 959).
   This is a general solution, applicable for all "next generation" IP
   alternatives, and can also be extended to allow FTP operation over
   transport interfaces other than TCP.

Acknowledgments

   Many thanks to all the folks in the IETF who casually mentioned how
   to do this, but who left it to me to write this RFC.  Special thanks
   to Rich Colella, Bob Ullmann, Shawn Ostermann, Steve Lunt, and Brian
   Carpenter who had the time and decency to comment on the initial
   draft.  :-)

1.  Background

   The PORT command of File Transfer Protocol allows users to specify an
   address other than the default data port for the transport connection
   over which data are transferred. The PORT command syntax is:

      PORT 

   The  argument is the concatenation of a 32-bit internet
    and a 16-bit TCP .  This address
   information is broken into 8-bit fields and the value of each field
   is transmitted as a decimal number (in character string



Piscitello