Progress WS_FTP Server Basic
Proven, Reliable, Secure FTP Server

What's New:

New WS FTP Server editions bundle together more advanced features and value than ever before!

New Editions and Pricing

WS_FTP Server is now available in 3 new editions specifically designed with our customer’s budgetary and security needs in mind.  In addition to updated security features and Ad-Hoc and Web Transfer modules, all 3 editions – Basic, Secure and Premium – include 5 licenses of WS_FTP Professional Client, enabling IT with the flexibility to create a more efficient and customized file transfer process for their specific organizational needs.

Fast, Simplified Installs

The WS_FTP Server Installer provides a fast, simplified, completely automated, best-in-class download and install experience.  The entire installation process is completed in under 10 minutes.

Ad Hoc and Web Transfer Module Enhancement

New, advanced functionalities within the Ad Hoc and Web Transfer modules include a modern new user interface and support for Microsoft Outlook 2013 & 2016.

Ad Hoc Transfer Module:

Person-to-Person Module for WS_FTP Server

The WS_FTP Server Ad Hoc Transfer module enables organizations to enforce consistent policies and processes around person-to-person file transfers, including email attachment offloading, security, privacy, risk mitigation, eDiscovery, and more.

The Ad Hoc Transfer module gives IT complete visibility into person-to-person file transfers, while providing end-users with a more convenient way to send files – up to 4GB – via a web browser or Microsoft Outlook.

It doesn’t matter if your file transfer interactions are implicitly ad hoc – spontaneous, impromptu, and defined at the time of collaboration – or are predefined, scheduled, and recurring explicit interactions. The Ad Hoc Transfer module can improve the management and governance of all these interactions and more, delivering powerful benefits for three important user groups: file senders, file recipients, and IT professionals.

Ad Hoc Transfer Module Requirements

Before you install the Ad Hoc Transfer Module, verify that the WS_FTP Server computer has the following:

• The Ad Hoc Transfer Module needs access to the Package Storage root folder on your FTP host or hosts so it can store package files and make them available for download. During the Ad Hoc Transfer Module installation you will specify a Windows user account with permissions to the Package Storage folder.
• For the Ad Hoc Transfer Module to be available to recipients outside your internal network, you must install it in the WS_FTP Server and configure it with the appropriate DNS settings.

Requirements for the WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Client and Ad Hoc Transfer Module end user

The end user can use any computer with an operating system that can support the following:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, 10 or 11 (Windows only); Mozilla Firefox 16 or later, Google Chrome 21 or later, Apple Safari 5 or later (Mac-only)
• Enabled Javascript support in the Web browser
• Enabled Cookie support in the Web browserBroadband connection to the Internet (recommended)

Requirements for the WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Client and the Ad Hoc Transfer Module on Windows Server 2008 R2 or 2012

The WS_FTP installer automatically activates certain components in your Windows Server installation (in addition to the ones activated by a normal Server install). Before installing WS_FTP Server, you should be sure that these changes conform to your organization’s security policies.

The following list shows features activated by the Ad Hoc Transfer Module install under the IIS7 role. Features shown as indented indicate a nested relationship with the non-indented feature above it.

Common HTTP Features

• Static Content
• Default Document
• Directory Browsing
• HTTP Errors

Application Development

• ASP .NET
• .Net Extensibility
• ISAPI Extensions
• ISAPI Filter

Health and Diagnostics

• HTTP Logging
• Request Monitor

Security

• Request Filtering

Performance

• Static Content Compression

Management Tools

• IIS Management Console

The following list shows the Windows Server stand-alone features activated during WS_FTP Server install:

.Net Framework 4.5.2 Features

• .Net Framework 4.5.2
• XPS-Viewer
• WCF Activation (HTTP Activation, Non-HTTP Activation)

Remote Server Administration Tools

• Role Administration Tools (Web Server (IIS) Tools)

Windows Process Activation Service

• Process Model
• .Net Environment
• Configuration APIs

Additionally, the Web Transfer Module install process does the following:

• Runs servicemodelreg to install the WCF service model.
• Places the Web Transfer Module and the underlying web service in classic mode application pools.

Also, if HTTPS is not enabled on the site hosting the Web Transfer Module, the install will:

• Create a self-signed certification for the machine hostname
• Grant permissions to EVERYONE to read the folder where the certifications live
• Create an HTTPS binding on the website hosting the Web Transfer Module (if applicable)
• Attach the certificate to the HTTPS binding

Ad Hoc Transfer Plug-in for Outlook Requirements

The following software must be installed on the machine on which you install the Ad Hoc Transfer Plug-in for Outlook. If the required software is needed by only one of the clients, it is noted as such.

• Microsoft Outlook 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007 (Outlook plug-in only)
• Supported Operating Systems:
  • Windows 10 (32-bit and 64-bit)
  • Windows 8.1 (32-bit and 64-bit)
  • Windows 8 (32-bit and 64-bit)
  • Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Tools for Office Runtime (VSTOR 2010) Redistributable (all OS) (Outlook plug-in only)
• Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Tools for the Microsoft Office System (version 4.0 Runtime) Language Packs (non-English OS) (Outlook plug-in only)

On the last screen of the installer, you can select to View Install Log.

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, 10 or 11 (Windows only); Mozilla Firefox 16 or later, Google Chrome 21 or later, Apple Safari 5 or later (Mac-only)
• Enabled Javascript support in the Web browser
• Enabled Cookie support in the Web browser
  

Browser-Based File Transfer Module

Simple, Secure, and Flexible Browser-Based File Transfer

The Web Transfer Module – a Web-based module for WS_FTP Server and WS_FTP Server with SSH – makes it easy for users to transfer files between their computer and WS_FTP Server using a standard Web browser. With this add-on, employees and external business partners can connect to company networks and securely share files, data, and other critical business information.

File transfer just got a whole lot easier

WS FTP Server Web Transfer module simplifies the process of moving and sharing files. No more having to deal with the inefficiencies and security concerns related to email and instant messaging, or the need to manually install, manage, and maintain file transfer software on end users desktops. The Web Transfer module gives users a simple file transfer interface that works on any browser and operating system, so authorized people can securely upload or download files, or even create and delete folders on the remote server.

Simple administration

WS FTP Server Web Transfer module also delivers centralized web administration and deployment. To implement, WS FTP Server administrators simply enable Web access on the WS FTP Server administration console and all user settings, such as password rules, file/folder permissions, disk quotas, and more, are all automatically enforced. And because the Web Transfer module runs within the Web browser without any software to install, end users simply enter the URL or save it and access it as a browser favorite.

The industry’s most secure data-transfer solution

WS FTP Server Web Transfer module offers the same leading security you’ve come to expect from WS FTP Server. Files are transferred over the encrypted HTTPS protocol, which completely protects files as they are being sent from an end user’s computer and the company server. Server administrators define who is authorized to connect to WS FTP Server with the WS FTP Server Web Transfer module. All of their account settings and permissions on WS FTP Server are applied so the user can access their account, files, folders, and virtual folders just as if they connected with traditional desktop FTP or SSH client software.

Risk-free, flexible file transfer

WS FTP Server Web Transfer module runs on the server and can be accessed by end users via today’s top browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari. Not only does this mean you won’t have desktop software to install, update, and maintain, but you won’t have to train employees on new software. And with an unlimited-licensing structure, there is no maximum to the number of people that can use the WS FTP Server Web Transfer module.

Features

The WS_FTP Web Transfer Module offers a numbers of features designed to simplify and secure the file transfer process.

• Easy to Use
  Provides users with a simple file transfer interface that works on any browser and operating system
• Browser-based
  End-users connect to WS FTP Server from any Internet connection over HTTP/S protocol
• Transfer Files
  Easily upload/download files and create/delete folders on the remote server
• Centralized Administration & Deployment
  Administrators simply enable Web access on the WS FTP Server console, and all user settings (such as password rules, file/folder permissions and disk quotas) are automatically enforced
• No software to install
  There is no download required and there is absolutely nothing to install on end-user computers. Authorized people simply use their browser to connect their computer to WS FTP Server and transfer files
• Convenient
  Simple way for organizations to allow employees and external business partner to connect to company networks and share information securely
• Authentication
  Administrators define who is authorized to connect to WS FTP Server with the web transfer module
• Encryption
  Securely transfer files over encrypted HTTPS protocol
• Flexible Deployment
  Administrators can install the module on the same server as WS FTP Server or in a distributed manner on a different server
• Unlimited End Users
  No limit on the number of web client users
• Use any Browser and OS
  Compatible with IE, Chrome, Firefox & Safari. Runs on Windows, Unix, Linux and Mac browsers.

WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Client and Ad Hoc Transfer Module Requirements

The WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Client and the Ad Hoc Transfer Module come bundled with the WS_FTP Server installer. If your license includes these modules, make sure your system can support these requirements.

WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Client Requirements

The Web Transfer Module needs access to the file system on your FTP host or hosts so it can upload and download files. During the WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Client installation, you will specify a Windows user account with permissions to the top folder of each WS_FTP Server host (for each host for which you will enable WS_FTP Server Web Transfer Client). We recommend you create a Windows user account for use by the Web Transfer Module. Note that this Windows user account is used differently depending on the WS_FTP Server host settings and the user database configured for that host:

• If the host uses a Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Active Directory user database, configured to use Windows file permissions, the user account permissions take precedence, and this Windows account is not used.
• If the host has a host-level impersonation account, which is required if the host Top folder uses a UNC path, the host-level impersonation account takes precedence, and this Windows account is not used.
• If the host uses the WS_FTP Server or ODBC user database, and the host-level impersonation is not specified, this Windows account is used.

FTP Server with Failover:

High Availability File Transfer

WS FTP Server can now be configured to support automatic, unattended failover, enabling your organization to achieve high availability for your file transfer processes. WS FTP Server uses cluster technology so file servers, databases, and applications perform clean and automated failovers – in fact, it’s the same technology that Microsoft uses in its operating systems for years.

Simple, Yet Effective Failover

The failover option of WS_FTP Server minimizes the risk of file transfer failure and ensures business continuity related to your file transfers, giving you the ability to:

• Provide continuous service to file transfer users
• Increase application uptime, reliability, and performance
• Align with Microsoft best practices on high availability
• Enhance customer satisfaction with systems that are “always on”
• Reduce costs and eliminate lost revenue from system downtime

Follow Microsoft Best Practices for High Availability

WS FTP Server follows Microsoft’s best practices for high availability. WS FTP Server uses Microsoft Clustering when you only need FTP/S or SFTP support and uses Microsoft Web Farms (with Network Load Balancing) when Microsoft IIS is used to provide WS_FTP Web Transfer or WS_FTP Ad Hoc Transfer services.

When you deploy WS FTP Server with Microsoft Clustering, you benefit from the failover capabilities of two nodes to run both public and private file sharing services. Microsoft Clustering with WS FTP Server acts as a traffic cop to manage the shared IP address and ensure that external connections are arriving at one node at a time. Store the WS FTP Server configuration in a Microsoft SQL Server database and store the files uploaded to WS FTP Server to a NAS or file share. You may enhance your setup with external authentication using an LDAP server, Active Directory, or another ODBC database.

Another option is to run WS FTP Server using the Web Farm deployment which uses two nodes to run both public-facing and internal WS FTP Server services at all times. Then use Microsoft Network Load Balancing services to ensure that traffic is only directed to one node at a time. Store the WS FTP Server configuration in a Microsoft SQL Server database and store the files uploaded to WS FTP Server to a NAS or file share. You may enhance your setup with external authentication using an LDAP server, Active Directory, or another ODBC database.

When it comes to file transfer, down time is simply unacceptable. Now you can maximize system uptime, minimize overall risk, and help your organization deliver the best results possible with WS FTP Server’s failover capabilities.

Compare:

Capability	Basic Edition	Secure Edition	Premium Edition
Enforcement
External authentication (AD; NT; ODBC)			Includes LDAP
Encryption and protocol rules	FTP SSL/FTPS	FTP SSL/FTPS SSH/SFTP	FTP SSL/FTPS SSH/SFTP SCP2 (Secure Copy)
SCP2 (Secure Copy)	-	-
SHA-2
TLS 1.2
OpenSSL 1.0.2k
User provisioning, access and permissions
Password policies
Rules for IP and user lockout
Set user quotas
FIPS 140-2 validated cryptography	-
File extension rules
File deletion rules
User management rules
Rules for alerts and notifications
File integrity checking
Administrative delegation of duties
Visibility
Server logs of all file transfer activity notifications
Syslog integration
Automatic alerts and notifications
Management
Virtualized platform support
LDAP support	-	-
Simultaneous internal & external DBs
WS_FTP Professional Client Licenses	5	5	5
Workflow and scheduling (With MOVEit Automation)	Optional	Optional	Optional
Web Transfer Module (HTTP/S): Browser transfers with WFTP Server	-	-	Unlimited
Ad Hoc Transfer Module: Person-to-person transfers	-	25	Unlimited
Outlook plug-in for Ad Hoc Transfer	-	25	Unlimited
Failover configuration for high availability	-	Optional	Optional
Hosts/Domains: unlimited
User Accounts: unlimited

WS_FTP Server Integrated Modules

• Ad Hoc Transfer module lets users send files securely to one or more individuals by sending an email via a Microsoft® Outlook® plugin (2013 and 2016) or their web browser. With this module, organizations can improve the way they manage file transfer interactions and apply encryption, access control and authentication, digital loss prevention, and content  management.
• Web Transfer module enables employees and external business partners to transfer files, data and other critical business information securely between their computers and the WS_FTP Server over HTTPS using a web browser.

WS_FTP Server Optional Feature

• Failover option ensures high availability by deploying a second WS_FTP Server in a failover configuration. This is especially important in meeting service-level agreements or ensuring that other mission-critical processes are always up and running. With failover, organizations can ensure uninterrupted file transfer service for increased uptime, reliability, and performance.

See for yourself why tens of thousands of customers and millions of users around the globe trust WS_FTP for its security, quality and reliability.

System Requirements:

Supported Operating Systems

Supported Operating Systems

For a standalone WS_FTP Server 2017 installation:
Operating System	Edition	Supported Versions
Windows Server 2016	Standard Datacenter	64-bit: English
Windows Server 2012 R2	Standard Datacenter	64-bit: English
Windows Server 2012	Standard Datacenter	64-bit: English
Windows Server 2008 R2	Standard Enterprise	64-bit: English
For a WS_FTP Server 2017 failover cluster using Microsoft Clustering Services:
Operating System	Edition	Supported Versions
Windows Server 2012 R2	Standard Datacenter	64-bit: English
Windows Server 2012	Standard Datacenter	64-bit: English
Windows Server 2008 R2	Enterprise	64-bit: English
For a WS_FTP Server 2017 failover cluster using Microsoft Network Load Balancing:
Operating System	Edition	Supported Versions
Windows Server 2012 R2	Standard Datacenter	64-bit: English
Windows Server 2012	Standard Datacenter	64-bit: English
Windows Server 2008 R2	Standard Enterprise	64-bit: English

Windows Server Components Activated Automatically

The WS_FTP Server 2017 installer automatically activates certain components in your Windows Server installation. This is necessary because after installation, Windows Server does not turn on non-core operating system components. However, before installing WS_FTP Server, you should be sure that these changes conform to your organization’s security policies.

When you install WS_FTP Server 2017, the install activates the following 2008 R2 Server roles:

• ISAPI Extensions
• Windows Authentication
• ASP

Database Requirements

• The default database for configuration data is PostgreSQL 9.3.11 (local only).
• During installation, you can select Microsoft SQL Server as your database for configuration data. If you choose this option, you must use one of the following versions:
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Express, Standard, or Enterprise versions (local or remote) (WS_FTP Server 2017 8.0.1 only)
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Express, Standard, or Enterprise versions (local or remote)
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2012 or 2012 R2 Express, Standard, or Enterprise versions (local or remote)
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Express, Standard, or Enterprise versions (local or remote)

Web Server Requirements

During installation, you can select Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) as your web server (instead of WS_FTP's Web Server). If you choose this option, you need to have Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 or later installed on your computer. If you opt to use IIS, WS_FTP Server requires the ASP .NET Web Server Role Service.

• Prior to installing, the Microsoft Internet Information Services Web site on which you intend to install WS_FTP Server 2017 Manager must be configured to use a port that is not already in use. If another application, such as the Web server included with Progress WhatsUp Gold, is operating on the same port as the Web site, you must take one of the following actions:
  • change the port used by the existing application.
  • configure the Web site to use a port that is not already in use.
• The setup program makes the following changes to your IIS configuration:
  • On the Web site, Web Services Extensions will be set to Allow ASP Pages.
  • On the WSFTPSVR Virtual Directory, Enable Parent Paths will be enabled.
  • On the WSFTPSVR Virtual Directory, Application Pooling will be set to the Medium/Pool level.
• On 64-bit versions of Windows, if 32-bit applications are not allowed to run under IIS, a "Service Unavailable" error is displayed in the browser. To correct this, you must run the following command from the command line to enable 32-bit applications to access IIS:

  cscript %SystemDrive%\inetpub\AdminScripts\adsutil.vbs set w3svc/AppPools/Enable32bitAppOnWin64 1

  After running the command, you must restart IIS.

• In some cases the install will display the error message Could not enable ASP. This typically occurs when Active Server Pages in the IIS Server Extension section have been enabled. To verify this:
  1. Right-click My Computer, then click Manage. The Computer Management console opens.
  2. Click Services and Applications > Internet Information Services > Web Service Extensions. The Web Service Extensions are displayed in the right-hand console window.
  3. Make sure that the Active Server Pages status is set to Allowed. If it is not, right-click Active Server Pages and select Allow.
  4. Close the Computer Management console.

If you specify a user other than the default user to serve as the run as user on the IIS virtual folder (if you are using Microsoft IIS as your web server), you may get a HTTP 401 error when you attempt to open the WS_FTP Server 2017 Manager. If this occurs, you must open the WSFTPSVR virtual folder in IIS and change the anonymous access user password to match the specified user's password.

Framework and Accessibility Requirements

WS_FTP Server requires the Microsoft .NET Framework and other Microsoft packages for scripting and software accessibility. Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 is included in the installation program.

Other Notes

• If net.exe has been removed from the computer on which you want to install WS_FTP Server 2017, you must create a user account to serve as the WS_FTP Server 2017 account in Windows before installing. The account name must begin with IPS_, and it is recommended that it be configured so that the password never expires.

  During the install, when you reach the Create User Accounts dialog, specify this username without the IPS_ at the beginning.

  For example, if you created a Windows user account called IPS_wsftpadmin, enter wsftpadmin for the username on the Create User Accounts dialog.

• If you select to install to a web site that uses a custom host header or port, the desktop shortcut created does not use the host header or port. To correct this, you must create a new shortcut using the correct host header and port.
• When creating a rule for Failed Login, Folder Action, Quota Limits, or Bandwidth Limits, the Group Search function does not work.
• When upgrading a host using an external (ODBC) user database, you must manually set permissions to the external database file after the upgrade completes.

  When multiple hosts with firewall settings configured share a single listener, the firewall settings for the first of those hosts that a user logs into are applied to all of the hosts that share the listener and have firewall settings configured. Hosts that do not have firewall settings configured are not effected by this issue. We recommend that all hosts that are assigned to a common listener share the same firewall settings.

• If you create a virtual folder with the same name as a physical folder, the physical folder takes precedence for permissions purposes. A work around is simply to change the name of one of the 2 folders.

Hardware Requirements

The minimum recommended hardware is the same as recommended for Windows Server 2008 R2. (For more information, see the Windows Server information on Microsoft's web site.) If you are using a later version operating system, you should meet the hardware requirements for that system.

Component	Requirement
Processor	Minimum: 1 GHz (x86 processor) or 1.4 GHz (x64 processor) Recommended: 2 GHz or faster
RAM	Minimum: 512 MB RAM Recommended: 2 GB RAM or greater Maximum (32-bit systems): 4 GB (Standard) or 64 GB (Enterprise and Datacenter) Maximum (64-bit systems): 32 GB (Standard) or 1 TB (Enterprise and Datacenter) or 2 TB (Itanium-Based Systems)
Hard Drive	Minimum: 10 GB Recommended: 40 GB or greater Hard drive capacity depends on how much data you plan to store.

Virtualization Requirements

• VMware ESXi 4.0 (32-bit and 64-bit guest operating systems), ESXi 5.0, ESXi 6.0
• Microsoft Hyper-V 1.0 on Windows 2012; Windows 2008 64-bit (32-bit and 64-bit guest operating systems)

WS_FTP Server 2017 Manager

The WS_FTP Server Manager provides web-based administration from the local machine and also allows remote management of the server. WS_FTP Server 2017 Server Manager is a part of WS_FTP Server and is installed on the same machine.

Web Interface Requirements

See the Ad Hoc Transfer Plug-in for Outlook Requirements.

Documentation:

Download the Progress WS_FTP Server Datasheet (PDF)