Transfer files from Alpha to PC with ftp connaction

[Steven Schweda]

%TCPIP-I-FTP_NODE, client host name: XXX.223.189.238
%TCPIP-I-FTP_USER, user name: anonymous
%TCPIP-I-FTP_OBJ, object: /moz_test/
%TCPIP-I-FTP_CHINFO, TCPIP$FTPC00073: Failed to set default directory
%SYSTEM-W-BADIRECTORY, bad directory file format

It doesn't like a trailing "/" on a directory
name, either. This has the disadvantage of
defeating many clients, but it has the
(unexpected silver-lining) advantage of
defeating many FTP attack scripts all by
itself. For example:

%TCPIP-I-FTP_OBJ, object: /_vti_pvt/
%TCPIP-I-FTP_CHINFO, TCPIP$FTPC00054: Failed to set default directory
%SYSTEM-W-BADIRECTORY, bad directory file format

%TCPIP-I-FTP_OBJ, object: /pub/incoming/
%TCPIP-I-FTP_CHINFO, TCPIP$FTPC00054: Failed to set default directory
%SYSTEM-W-BADIRECTORY, bad directory file format

and so on.

But I digress. Complaints about this FTP
server could keep a whole forum of its own
busy for a long time.

[Aneta]

Thanks all of you,
Is there another way to get files from VMS to PC? I don't have to work with ftp, i just must transfer files form Alphe-VMS to PC.

[Steven Schweda]

> Is there another way to get files from VMS
> to PC? I don't have to work with ftp, i
> just must transfer files form Alphe-VMS to
> PC.

There are several, but FTP is one of the
easiest. Some have already been suggested
here.

> It might be helpful to see exactly what you
> do "with the cmd", so that we might know what
> works and what fails.
>
> Do you have another PC?

Do you ever answer questions, or do you only
ask more?

[Robert Gezelter]

Aneta,

Yes, there is another way.

Use C-KERMIT (as I noted in an earlier post, with a reference to a more extensive article on OpenVMS.org on the subject).

C-KERMIT works in band on a terminal connection (TELNET or SSH), and can be scripted to be totally batch operated (on both the OpenVMS and Windows sides of the connection).

Since it works "in-band" it does not neet arrangements with any other network devices (such as firewalls) in the data path.

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com

[Aneta]

I try to connect with cmd this way:
c:\ftp ip_adress
and i used to be asked to enter username in the Alpha.
but now I got message "connection closed by remote host" after 1 minute.

I had tried to connect from another PC, and it is not working.

[Steven Schweda]

> $ ftp 'alpha_host_name'

> I had run the test, and it works. but from
> PC no.

> c:\ftp ip_adress
> and i used to be asked to enter username in
> the Alpha.
> but now I got message "connection closed by
> remote host" after 1 minute.

Sounds like a firewall somewhere.

> when I try to connect to alpha with
> Internet Explore (ftp://ip adress), I see
> intranet's directories, but I cant open
> them.

I don't have a good explanation for MSIE
working (as well as it ever does) but the
command-line FTP client not working from the
same PC.

[Steven Schweda]

> Since it works "in-band" it does not neet
> arrangements with any other network devices
> (such as firewalls) in the data path.

And a firewall can't block SSH or Telnet?

Kermit is fine, but it's not a network
panacea.

[Hoff]

> Since it works "in-band" it does not neet arrangements with any other network devices (such as firewalls) in the data path.

Uh, no.

The ftp client can select ACTIVE and send along a local port for the return connection from the ftp server.

The ftp client can also select PASV and receives a port to connect to the ftp server, and connects to that port.

In either case, any intervening firewalls (and there are often at least two) can be set to accept or to reject connections into the ephemeral port range, or can have differing port ranges set. (Hosts can and do have different ranges for ephemeral ports, just to keep it interesting.)

Oh, and ftp exposes your authentication credentials to anyone in the coffee shop or to any malware on any of the LANs you traverse that knows how to use promiscuous-mode monitoring or snort or such.

Use sftp. sftp is rather more secure. And sftp massively easier to punch through intervening firewalls.

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] Alpha v6.2-1H3 [...]

> File: SYS$SYSDEVICE:[UCX$FTP]UCX$FTPD_STARTUP.COM

> Use sftp. [...]

SFTP is fine, too. Does a UCX which is
compatible with VMS V6.2-1H3 offer SFTP?

[Hoff]

Here's the commercial option:

http://www.process.com/tcpip/sshds.pdf

Or upgrade OpenVMS and TCP/IP Services to a more current version.

Or switch to the Process Multinet stack.

Likely other options around, too.