RFC 3617 (rfc3617) - Page 1 of 7

Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) Scheme and Applicability Statement for the Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP)

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Network Working Group                                            E. Lear
Request for Comments: 3617                                 Cisco Systems
Category: Informational                                     October 2003


              Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) Scheme and
                    Applicability Statement for the
                 Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP)

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2003).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   The Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) is a very simple TRIVIAL
   protocol that has been in use on the Internet for quite a long time.
   While this document discourages its continued use, largely due to
   security concerns, we do define a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)
   scheme, as well as discuss the protocol's applicability.

1.  Introduction

   The Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) has been around for quite
   some time.  Its common uses are to initially configure devices or to
   load new versions of operating system code [1].  As devices begin to
   adopt use of Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) and Uniform Resource
   Locators (URLs), for completeness we specify a way to reference files
   that is still quite common.  Use of a URI is a convenient way to
   indicate underlying mechanism, server name or address, and file name.

   WHILE WE DEFINE THE TFTP URI TYPE, WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND AGAINST THE
   CONTINUED USE OF TFTP, FOR REASONS LISTED IN SECTION 5 (amongst
   others).  The definition of a URI merely allows tools that currently
   use protocols such as TFTP to have a standard name space and
   structure where one can understand the process used to resolve that
   name.  Indeed it is hoped that the definition of this URI will ease
   transition to modern file transfer mechanisms.







Lear                         Informational
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