TCP/IP DOS Utilities

Setting up your Workstation as a File Server

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Setting Up Your Workstation as a File Server

The LAN WorkPlace® utilities include two utilities, FTPD and TFTPD, which enable you to set up your workstation as a file server. These utilities enable a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or Trivial File Transfer (TFTP) user on your network to access the files on your workstation.

Because FTPD makes exclusive use of your system's resources, you can only run one of these utilities at a time.

The following sections describe how to use each of these utilities to set up your workstation as a file server.

Using FTPD to Set Up Your Workstation as an FTP Server

You can set up your workstation as an FTP server by running the FTPD utility. When your workstation is running FTPD, another workstation or host computer on your network can use FTP to transfer files to or from your workstation. If you have an FTP authorization file, FTPD allows only the users you list in that file to access your workstation with the passwords you specify.

While you run FTPD, your workstation is a dedicated file server until either the FTP user exits FTP or you quit the FTPD utility.

The following sections describe how to start and quit FTPD and how to restrict access to your workstation.

Starting FTPD

You can make your workstation a dedicated FTP file server by starting FTPD. To do so, type the FTPD command in the following format:

FTPD [ -L [ filename ] [ -V ] ] <Enter>

The following table describes the options and parameters you can include with the FTPD command.

FTPD Options and Parameters

Options and Parameters Description
-L [ filename ] This option and parameter create a log file to record all FTP transactions serviced by FTPD (including the users requesting service, the times they logged in and out, and the FTP commands they executed). If the log file you specify does not exist, FTPD creates it in the directory specified by the LAN WorkPlace configuration file, LWP.INI. If it exists, FTPD appends the transaction information to the file. If you omit filename, FTPD sends the transaction information to STDERR (usually your screen).
-V This option activates the FTPD VERBOSE mode. When VERBOSE is active, FTPD sends FTP requests and responses to filename. If you do not specify filename with the -L parameter, FTPD sends its responses to STDERR (usually, your screen).

Options and Parameters	Description
-L [ filename ]	This option and parameter create a log file to record all FTP transactions serviced by FTPD (including the users requesting service, the times they logged in and out, and the FTP commands they executed). If the log file you specify does not exist, FTPD creates it in the directory specified by the LAN WorkPlace configuration file, LWP.INI. If it exists, FTPD appends the transaction information to the file. If you omit filename, FTPD sends the transaction information to STDERR (usually your screen).
-V	This option activates the FTPD VERBOSE mode. When VERBOSE is active, FTPD sends FTP requests and responses to filename. If you do not specify filename with the -L parameter, FTPD sends its responses to STDERR (usually, your screen).

If you need to have several successive FTP sessions for your server, start FTPD by executing the FTPSERV batch file. FTPSERV restarts FTPD after an FTP client closes a connection to FTPD. The FTPSERV.BAT file is stored in your \NET\BIN directory.

Quitting FTPD

FTPD automatically closes when the FTP client exits FTP.

You can stop the FTPD utility by pressing <Ctrl>+<C> or <Ctrl>+<Break>. For this to work, there must be a BREAK=ON statement in your CONFIG.SYS, LANWP.BAT, or AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You can also type BREAK ON at the DOS prompt before you run the FTPD utility.

Restricting Access to Your Workstation

When you are running FTPD, any network user can run an FTP client program to access files on your workstation. If you want to limit access to specific users, create the FTPD user-authorization file, FTPDUSR.LOG. This file lists the users with access rights to your workstation. For FTPD to reference this file, you must place a copy of it in the your \NET\HSTACC directory.

When a network user tries to open an FTP session on your workstation, FTPD looks for the FTPDUSR.LOG file. If it finds the file, FTPD checks it for the user's name and password. If the user is listed in the file, FTPD allows the user to access FTPD on your workstation.

You can create a FTPDUSR.LOG file using any ASCII editor. Each entry in the FTPDUSR.LOG file consists of one line in the following format:

username[:password]

username is the name of the user for whom you authorize access to your workstation. password is an optional password for that user. Neither is case-sensitive and neither can contain spaces or tab characters. The two fields must be separated by a colon and no spaces.

You can include comment lines in the FTPDUSR.LOG file. To include a comment line, type the number sign (#) followed by your comment. FTPD interprets text following the number sign as a comment.

If your workstation is logged into a NetWare server when you set up your workstation as an FTP server, you give NetWare access to FTP clients on hosts that would not otherwise have NetWare access. Once you run the FTP server program, any user who successfully logs in to the FTP server has the same access rights to the files on the NetWare server that you have. You can protect the NetWare server by restricting access to it, using the FTPD user-authorization file.

Using TFTPD to Set Up Your Workstation as a TFTP File Server

You can turn your DOS workstation into aTFTP file server by using the TFTP server program, TFTPD. Any network user running a TFTP client program can access your workstation and transfer files. A TFTP client does not need to use a password, and TFTPD does not verify the user with a log file.

If you are concerned about network security, use FTPD instead of TFTPD. This enables you to verify users and force FTP clients to use passwords. FTPD also lets you specify authorized users in a user-authorization file so that you can protect your workstation and the network your workstation is authorized to access.

Be sure that the local files you allow remote users to overwrite have write permissions established for other users.

The following sections describe how to start and quit the TFTPD utility.

Starting TFTPD

You can start the TFTPD utility by typing the TFTPD command in the following format:

TFTPD [ -L log_file ] [ -P port_number ] [ -V ]

The following table describes the TFTPD command-line options and parameters.

TFTPD Options and Parameters

Command Description
-L log_file This option and parameter change the log file. log_file is the alternative log file in which you can save debugging and VERBOSE mode information. The default log file is XSYSLOG.DAT and is located in the directory in which you start TFTPD. log_file must already exist before you specify this option.
-P port_number This option and parameter specify the port on which TFTPD is to listen for a TFTP user. By default, TFTP listens to port 69.
-V This option activates VERBOSE mode. When VERBOSE is on, TFTPD places all login information generated by the TFTP session in the TFTPD log file, XSYSLOG.DAT, or another log file you specify with the -L log_file option.

Command	Description
-L log_file	This option and parameter change the log file. log_file is the alternative log file in which you can save debugging and VERBOSE mode information. The default log file is XSYSLOG.DAT and is located in the directory in which you start TFTPD. log_file must already exist before you specify this option.
-P port_number	This option and parameter specify the port on which TFTPD is to listen for a TFTP user. By default, TFTP listens to port 69.
-V	This option activates VERBOSE mode. When VERBOSE is on, TFTPD places all login information generated by the TFTP session in the TFTPD log file, XSYSLOG.DAT, or another log file you specify with the -L log_file option.

Quitting TFTPD

To terminate TFTPD on your workstation, press either <Ctrl>+<Break> or <Ctrl>+<C>.

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