UFTP

{{Infobox software

|name = UFTP

|logo =

|caption =

|developer = Dennis Bush

|released = {{release date and age|2001|7|6}}

|latest release version = 5.0.3

|latest release date = {{release date|2023|12|17}}

|genre = File transfer (multicast)

|license = GPLv3

|website = {{URL|uftp-multicast.sourceforge.net}}

}}

The UDP-based File Transfer Protocol (UFTP) is a communication protocol designed to transfer files to multiple recipients.{{cite thesis |last=Mattmann |first=Christian Alan |date=December 2007 |title=Software Connectors for Highly Distributed and Voluminous Data-intensive Systems |type=Ph.D. dissertation |chapter=Connector Descriptions |publisher=University of Southern California |page=276 |oclc=857683455 |url=http://sunset.usc.edu/~mattmann/Dissertation.pdf |access-date=2018-03-05}} To accomplish this, UFTP multicasts the files to recipients via the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). The reference implementation of UFTP is open-source software distributed under the GNU General Public License Version 3.{{cite web |url=http://uftp-multicast.sourceforge.net/ |title=UFTP - Encrypted UDP based FTP with multicast |last=Bush |first=Dennis |website=uftp-multicast.sourceforge.net |access-date=2018-03-05 |publisher=Dennis Bush |via=SourceForge}} The author of UFTP and its reference protocol is Dennis Bush.{{cite web |url=https://wiki.wireshark.org/Protocols/uftp |title=Encrypted UDP based FTP with multicast (UFTP) |website=Wireshark Wiki |access-date=2018-03-05}}

UFTP can perform effectively in a wide area network with high network delay, as well as in communication satellite transmissions.

Bush published a pre-release version of UFTP on July 6, 2001. After two more intermediate releases, version 1.0 was published on December 17, 2002.{{cite web |url=http://uftp-multicast.sourceforge.net/Changes.txt |title=Changes |website=uftp-multicast.sourceforge.net |last=Bush |first=Dennis |publisher=Dennis Bush |via=SourceForge |access-date=2018-03-09}} He based UFTP on the Multicast File Transfer Protocol (MFTP), which was designed and developed at Starburst Communications.{{cite web |url=http://www.tcnj.edu/~bush/uftp.html |title=UFTP - UDP based FTP with multicast |website=UFTP homepage |last=Bush |first=Dennis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011008024023/http://www.tcnj.edu/~bush/uftp.html |archive-date=2001-10-08 |access-date=2018-03-09}}{{cite patent |country=US |number=7710961 |status=patent |title=System and method for sending packets over a computer network |pubdate= |gdate=20 December 2011 |fdate=12 August 2010 |pridate=19 January 1995 |inventor=C. Kenneth Miller, Thomas Andresen, Thomas Gardner, Craig Michelson, Kenneth Cates, Marc White, Kary Robertson |assign1=Darby and Mohaine LLC |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US8081629B2/en}} In 1997 and 1998, Starburst had submitted drafts of the MFTP specification to the Internet Engineering Task Force, with a view to promoting adoption of the protocol.{{cite IETF |title=StarBurst Multicast File Transfer Protocol (MFTP) Specification |draft=draft-miller-mftp-spec-00 |page=1 |last=Miller |first=Kenneth |last2=Robertson |first2=Kary |last3=Tweedly |first3=Alex |last4=White |first4=Marc |date=January 1997 |publisher=IETF |accessdate=2018-03-09}}{{cite IETF |title=StarBurst Multicast File Transfer Protocol (MFTP) Specification |draft=draft-miller-mftp-spec-03 |page=1 |last=Miller |first=Kenneth |last2=Robertson |first2=Kary |last3=Tweedly |first3=Alex |last4=White |first4=Marc |date=April 1998 |publisher=IETF |accessdate=2018-03-09}} Starburst later sold MFTP, along with their Omnicast file distribution software, to the Fantastic Corporation.{{cn|date=October 2022}} Stratacache, a digital signage company in the United States, announced in February 2004 that they had purchased the property from Fantastic.{{cite press release |url=http://www.stratacache.com:80/news_omnicast_acquisition.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041212041324/http://www.stratacache.com/news_omnicast_acquisition.html |archive-date=2004-12-12 |title=Stratacache acquires OmniCast Dispatcher Product Lineand Business Unit from The Fantastic Corporation |date=February 4, 2004 |author= |location=Dayton |access-date=2018-03-09 |url-status=dead }}