Comparing IBM Cloud Object Storage to FTP

The File Transfer Protocol, (FTP) is a popular way to transfer files, but how does it compare to IBM Cloud® Object Storage?

IBM Cloud Object Storage stores encrypted and dispersed data across multiple geographic locations. The information is accessible over popular protocols like HTTPS using a modern RESTful API. FTP, by contrast, requires both a client and a server application and uses an insecure protocol by default. Object Storage does all the work of the server FTP daemon (ftpd) and offers more options for security and validation than can be obtained from ftpd or similar services.

How IBM Cloud Object Storage is similar to FTP

If you've used FTP in the past, you have either worked from the command line or from a client application that uses a GUI. Cyberduck is a popular, open source, and easy-to-use graphical interface for either IBM Cloud Object Storage or FTP.

Cyberduck provides full operational visibility in connecting to IBM Cloud Object Storage. Cyberduck is downloaded from cyberduck.io/. Once you have it installed, you can configure it to connect to your instance of Object Storage.

Use Cyberduck to create a connection to IBM Cloud Object Storage. Then, synchronize a folder of local files to a bucket. After you complete getting started Object Storage and obtained your credentials, follow these steps:

Download, install, and start Cyberduck.
When the application opens, you can create a connection to Object Storage. Click Open Connection to configure the connection.
A pop-up window opens. From the menu, select the option, Amazon S3. Enter your information into the following fields:
- Server: enter the appropriate endpoint for your data at IBM Cloud Object Storage
Ensure that the endpoint region matches the intended bucket. For more information about endpoints, see Endpoints and storage locations.
- Access Key ID generated by selecting the appropriate HMAC option when creating a Service Credential;
- Secret Access Key also from the HMAC option.
- Add to Keychain: Save the configuration to the your personal keychain (optional).
- Ignore the other options like the Anonymous Login checkbox, and SSH Private Key.
Cyberduck takes you to the root of the account where buckets can be created.
- Right-click within the main pane and select New Folder.
Cyberduck supports many transfer protocols where Folder is the more common name for a container construct.
- Enter the bucket name and then click Create.
After the bucket is created, double-click the bucket to view it. Within the bucket you can perform various functions such as:
- Upload files to the bucket
- List bucket contents
- Download objects from the bucket
- Synchronize local files to a bucket
- Synchronize objects to another bucket
- Create an archive of a bucket
Right-click within the bucket and select Synchronize. A pop-up window opens where you can browse to the folder that you want to synchronize to the bucket. Select the folder and click Choose.
After you select the folder, a new pop-up window opens. Here, a drop-down menu is available where you select the synchronization operation with the bucket. Three possible synchronize options are available from the menu:
- Download: This downloads changed and missing objects from the bucket.
- Upload: This uploads changed and missing files to the bucket.
- Mirror: This performs both download and upload operations, ensuring that all new and updated files and objects are synchronized between the local folder and the bucket.

How Object Storage is different from FTP

Technically speaking, there are more differences than similarities between FTP and Object Storage. Starting from the convenience of not having to run a server application like ftpd and continuing through the security of using a secure protocol like HTTPS, the list of differences is lengthy and significant.

Next Steps

Can FTP provide an API or libraries? We think not! Learn more about what is available for developers of IBM Cloud Object Storage.