rcp vs ftp advice

[Doug_3]

Hi, I want to copy archived files that are quite large (2 to 25 gig) from one server in a vlan to another serve in a vlan. Would anyone venture their preferred method? We do not want nfs or remote mounting of the file systems. Note these servers are database and app servers in a novell environ. They are stand alone and running untrusted.
The objective is to use unattended cron scripts that are pretty much bullet proof. So the criteria is how consistent either method would be over a period of time.
(Or if someone can suggest another option...)

Thanks in advance,
Doug

[dictum9 · Accepted solution]

How about scp?

If you exchange the keys, the transfer is automatic in the background (i.e. via a script or a cron job) vs. having to be prompted for a password with ftp.

There are "aftermarket" ftp programs, but you have to install/compile them on your system.

[dictum9]

To continue... I wouldn't use any of them r-commands at all, they are fundamentally insecure. Rlogin, rcp, and such.

Use s-commands, ssh, scp.

You have to generate and exchange the public keys. It's very simple. Once the keys are exchanged, the authentication happens in the background, and all traffic is encrypted and the passwords are not passed in the open like with telnet and with ftp.

I don't know if encryption has some overhead.

Another option, about rdist?

[Prasanth B]

Hi,

I would rather use file sharing, something like samba.Copying 25gig over network may take significant time. If you create a share using samba, you could just map the drive on the other machine. By this way duplication of data can also be avoided. I have used samba in the past and it is quite stable. Security wise ftp or rcp is no better than samba. You mentioned novell environement, but not clear whether both app and DB servers are Novell. I am assuming that one server is Unix as you have posted the Q in HPUX area.

-PB

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom Doug,

My advice is neither.

Though it is a bit slower, scp is the way to go. Encrypted authentication and data stream.

SEP

[Larry Basford]

I do a combine with tar to get a smaller file to transfer and use rsh or ssh depending on the security of your network.
ssh is slower due to encription.

tar -cvf - DIRTOSEND|rsh HP_SERVER "(cd /DIRDESTINATION;tar -xvf -)"

This also works well coming from AIX to HPUX
Transfers 5GB in 10 minuets over 2GB lan.

complicated but use variables.

(tarsend)
tar -cvf - $1|rsh $2 "(cd /$3;tar -xvf -)"

tarsend data hpserver newdata