File Transfer and Access Management

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File Transfer, Access and Management ( FTAM ) is a standardized data communication protocol for file transfer, standardized by OSI and adopted by ISO and DIN . FTAM defines a considerably larger range of functions than rudimentary file transfer protocols such as FTP offer. FTAM specifies a virtual file system with a tree-like access structure, whereby the data units at the nodes can again be ordered trees. In this way, very complex file structures are made possible. The standard also provides a wide range of attributes and operations to describe these structures. FTAM is offered as a software product in certain functional profiles by many manufacturers and is particularly suitable software for file operations in heterogeneous IT environments.

As with all network protocols that are based on the OSI standards, the use of FTAM in the PC area is not very widespread and is essentially limited to the commercial area. Mainly authorities and other public clients use FTAM because of its manufacturer independence. The FTAM process still plays a major role today in payment transactions by German banks (via ISDN ) and in communication between service providers in the healthcare sector.

development

The FTAM standard was supported in payment transactions until December 31, 2010. The central associations of the banking industry , which form the Central Credit Committee (ZKA; today Die Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft ), have decided to change the technical systems of the data transmission agreement, which enable Internet-based communication between customers and credit institutions. The new transmission method is called EBICS (Electronic Banking Internet Communication Standard) and has been in use since January 1st, 2008.

Up to now, automated communication with customs authorities in connection with the import or export of goods has been done with X.400 or FTAM using the EMCS process. The changeover to version 2.2, which will be binding from June 30, 2016, means that the already older X.400 variant is no longer available, so that FTAM is once again gaining importance.

criticism

Today, FTAM is practically only found in data traffic with certain authorities and in the healthcare sector, where change processes have to overcome high hurdles because legal regulations have to be observed, numerous communication participants have to be taken into account and / or the priority of the participants is far more on security than on economic efficiency .

In the B2B environment, more and more messaging protocols such as AS2 for asynchronous processes, as well as service protocols such as SOAP , with which data can be exchanged and processed synchronously, are becoming established. They are based on popular Internet applications such as SMTP or http .

In contrast to government agencies, health insurance companies, etc., the degree of specialization of the IT staff and service providers in small and medium-sized companies is often not very high. Less common protocols such as FTAM are viewed as disadvantageous here, even if they are technically mature and powerful.

See also

Banking Communication Standard

Web links

supporting documents

  1. ↑ Customs online - requirements for participation. In: www.zoll.de. Retrieved March 8, 2016 .