Editor: The Automatic File Distributor provides a framework for very flexible, non-stop, log and debug-able delivery of an arbitrary amount of files to multiple recipients as expressed in URLs (mailto://user@domain, ftp://user:password@host, etc). AFD stands for Automatic File Distributor.
The most common technique used to distribute data is for each individual to fetch the data from one common place. This place can be a database, FTP-server or even the WWW (World Wide Web). However, this is not always the most user or customer friendly way for a Company or organization to distribute its products. For this reason AFD (Automatic File Distributor) was developed, to provide a better service to users or customers in transporting the required data directly to the location where it is required.
When distributing files to a remote host it does so via the FTP, FTPS, SFTP or SMTP protocol. Local distribution is done by simply copying files from one directory to another. To distribute files, the AFD has one (or more) central configuration file (DIR_CONFIG), where the system administrator can specify which files are to be distributed and where they are to be sent.
Here follows a list of features of the AFD:
* The AFD can send/retrieve any type of file, regardless of contents and the name of the file.
* It supports the following protocols: FTP, SMTP, HTTP, SFTP, SCP and WMO socket protocol. TLS/SSL connections for FTP and HTTP are also possible.
* Only the files are being distributed, no other additional information is send with the file.
* The AFD has a very sophisticated and Compact X11 interface to monitor and control the distribution of files (afd_ctrl). It has the ability to do extensive logging of all activities, even down to tracing each individual FTP/FTPS/SMTP/SFTP/SCP/HTTP command.
* It is possible to run AFD without the X11 interface, commandline tools allow you to do everything without the GUI.
