File transfer, defined
The words for a file that has to move.
Two hundred terms for how a file actually gets from one place to another. Protocols, links, storage, and the controls that decide when the ride is over.
1
3 terms
1GB file transfer
A transfer of about one gigabyte, past email and usually still inside a single HTTPS request.
10GB file transfer
A transfer of about ten gigabytes, an evening on a home up link and a short job on a data-center path.
100GB file transfer
A transfer of about one hundred gigabytes, where region and incomplete-upload cleanup decide the bill.
A
8 terms
Access control
The set of rules that decide which identity may upload, download, delete, or share a file, and the enforcement of those rules on each request.
Ad hoc file transfer
A transfer a person starts once, outside a standing schedule.
AirDrop
Apple's nearby file transfer between Apple devices.
Android file transfer
A copy to or from an Android device, via the browser, a cable, or Nearby Share.
Archive transfer
The copy of a packaged archive, ZIP, tar, 7z, treated as one object with one integrity check.
AS2
A business protocol that sends a file over HTTP or HTTPS and returns a signed receipt, the MDN.
Attachment limit
The maximum a mail system will take as an attachment, often 10, 20, or 25 MB.
Audio file transfer
The copy of an audio file or session, where sample rate, bit depth, and stems matter as much as the container.
B
9 terms
B2B file transfer
A file exchange between two organizations, usually system to system, under a partner agreement.
Bandwidth
The capacity of a path: how many bits it can carry per second when it is the limit.
Bandwidth scheduling
Running heavy transfers in a named window so they do not collide with interactive work.
Bandwidth throttling
A configured cap on transfer rate, set below the path's capacity so one job cannot take the whole link.
Batch file transfer
A job that moves a named set of files as one unit of work, with one success rule for the set.
Blob storage
Object storage under Microsoft's name: a flat collection of binary large objects in a container, addressed by name, not mounted as a disk.
Bluetooth file transfer
A short-range copy over Bluetooth, practical for small files and painful for video.
Branded download page
A web page the recipient sees before a file download, with your name, the filename, and the expiry.
Browser-based file transfer
A file upload or download done in a web browser, with no separate transfer client installed.
C
18 terms
CAD file transfer
The copy of a CAD model and its referenced parts, where the assembly is wrong if any referenced file is missing.
Checksum
A short value computed from a file's bytes so the recipient can detect that the copy does not match the original.
Client file delivery
An outbound file transfer to a customer or client: your side has the finished bytes, their side needs a copy.
Client portal
A signed-in site where a named client uploads and downloads files across many jobs, instead of receiving a new link each time.
Client-to-server transfer
A transfer in which a client pushes or pulls a file on a server that stays up.
Cloud storage
File or object storage run as a pooled remote service: you rent capacity, reach it over the network, and someone else operates the disks.
Computer-to-computer transfer
A file copy between two computers, local or remote, with no phone in the path.
Computer-to-phone transfer
A copy from a computer to a phone, often a link the phone downloads or a tethered sync.
Concurrent transfer
Two or more file transfers in progress at the same time on one path or account.
Confidential file transfer
A transfer of a file whose contents require a named audience and a retention rule.
Connection limit
The maximum number of simultaneous sessions a server accepts from a user or an address.
Content delivery network
Content delivery network (CDN) is a set of caches at the edge of the network that answer a file download from a nearby copy instead of from the origin on every request.
Content-MD5
An HTTP header carrying an MD5 of the body so the server can reject a corrupt upload.
CORS
A browser rule for whether a page on one origin may upload or download from another.
CRC-32
A non-cryptographic checksum that catches accidental corruption in archives and links.
Cross-platform file transfer
A file copy between systems that do not share a file format, a path syntax, or a line-ending rule.
Customer file upload
An inbound file transfer: the customer has the bytes, and your server accepts them through a request link, a portal form, or an SFTP drop.
Customer-managed key
An encryption key the customer controls, used by a store to encrypt objects at rest.
D
12 terms
Data loss prevention
Controls that detect sensitive patterns in a file and block or log the transfer.
Data privacy
Data privacy in file transfer is the set of duties that apply when the file contains personal data: collect only what the transfer needs, restrict who can fetch it, keep it only as long as the purpose requires, and protect it in transit and at rest.
Data residency
The rule for which country or region a stored file is allowed to sit in, and the placement control that keeps it there.
Delta transfer
A copy that sends changed blocks of an existing file instead of the whole object.
Digital asset delivery
The handoff of a finished creative file, a master, a photo set, a cut, to the party who will use it, with a check that they received the bytes you intended.
Digital signature
A cryptographic signature over the file that proves who signed and that the bytes did not change after.
Direct file transfer
A copy between two endpoints with no third-party store holding the file.
DMZ transfer
A transfer that lands in a demilitarized segment so a partner never connects to the internal network.
Document transfer
The copy of an office document, a contract, a memo, a sheet, usually under the email cap until scans and embedded images push it over.
Download limit
A cap on fetches: a use count, a byte quota, or a send rate.
Download tracking
The record of who or what fetched a file, when, and whether the fetch finished.
Duplicate delivery
The same logical file arriving more than once, usually because a retry raced a success.
E
9 terms
EDI
Structured business documents, orders, invoices, exchanged as files between partners.
Email attachment
A file wrapped in a mail message as a MIME part, practical only under the server size cap.
Empty file
A file of zero bytes, which can be a valid signal or a failed write.
Encryption at rest
Protection of a file while it is stored, so a copy of the disk, bucket, or backup is unreadable without the key.
Encryption in transit
Protection of a file's bytes while they move between two endpoints, so a party on the path sees ciphertext rather than the file.
End-to-end encryption
A design in which only the endpoints can read the file, not the servers in between.
ETag
An HTTP identifier for a version of an object, used for cache checks and sometimes mistaken for a file hash.
Expiring link
A URL that grants upload or download only until a set time, or until a set number of uses, and then stops working.
External drive
A removable disk used to move or hold files outside the network.
F
17 terms
Fair use policy
A provider rule that slows or reviews transfers that exceed a customary volume, even on an unlimited plan.
File access log
The retained record of operations on a file: upload, download, delete, link create, link revoke, permission change.
File download
A file transfer in which the client retrieves bytes a server already holds.
File encryption
Encryption of the file itself, so the bytes are ciphertext before or after any transfer.
File manifest
A list of filenames, sizes, and hashes that defines a multi-file delivery.
File request
A link or form the recipient uses to upload a file to the requester, instead of the requester sending a file out.
File sharing
Ongoing access to a file that still lives in the owner's store, granted to other people or systems.
File transfer
The copy of a file's bytes from one system to another, so the recipient can open a complete object without the sender staying on the line.
File transfer automation
A file move started by a clock, a file landing, or another event, with no person uploading.
File Transfer Protocol
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is the Internet standard, RFC 959, for copying files between a client and a server.
File upload
A file transfer in which the client sends the bytes to a server that will store them.
File watermark
A visible or hidden mark added to a file so a leak can be traced to a recipient.
Folder transfer
The copy of a directory tree, including names, nesting, and every member file, not a single blob.
Forward proxy
A proxy the client must use to reach a transfer host, often inspecting TLS.
FTP active mode
An FTP data-connection mode where the client listens and the server connects back.
FTP passive mode
An FTP data-connection mode where the server opens a port and the client connects to it.
FTPS
FTP with TLS on the session, specified in RFC 4217.
H
6 terms
Hidden file
A file a tool hides by name, such as a dotfile or a desktop metadata file, which then silently drops out of a transfer.
Host key
The server's SSH identity key, which the client checks so it does not send a file to an impostor.
Hot folder
A directory a job watches, treating a new file as a trigger to transfer or process.
HTTP
The application protocol browsers use to fetch and store a representation, before TLS is added.
HTTP range request
A GET that asks for a byte span so a download can resume or a player can seek.
HTTPS
HTTP over TLS.
I
4 terms
Idempotent upload
An upload that can be repeated without creating a second copy of the same file.
Image transfer
The copy of a still image, from a small web JPEG to a print TIFF, with color profile and filename as part of the handoff.
IP allow list
A rule that accepts transfer connections only from named addresses.
iPhone file transfer
A copy to or from an iPhone, via AirDrop, the Files app, or a browser upload.
L
8 terms
Large document transfer
A document handoff that no longer fits email, usually a scanned bundle, a drawing set, or a workbook with embedded images.
Large file transfer
A file transfer big enough that the default path, email, a chat attachment, a single short HTTP request, will reject it, time out, or fail midway.
Large photo transfer
A stills handoff large enough to need a packager or a folder job, typically a full shoot rather than a few selects.
Large video transfer
A video transfer big enough to need resume, a long link window, and a hash, typically masters rather than review proxies.
Latency
The delay for data to cross a path, usually stated as round-trip time: out and back.
Link revocation
An action that makes an already issued URL stop working before its scheduled expiry.
Linux file transfer
A file copy to or from a Linux host, usually SFTP, SCP, or rsync over SSH.
Local file transfer
A copy that stays on the local network or on a cable, and does not cross the public Internet.
M
10 terms
Mac file transfer
A file copy to or from macOS, including resource forks and AppleDouble sidecars other systems do not want.
Managed file transfer
Managed file transfer (MFT) is software that runs file movement as an operated service: scheduled or event-driven jobs, encryption in transit and at rest, retries, and an audit of what moved.
Maximum file size
The largest single object a given door will accept, set by the product or proxy.
MD5
A fast hash still seen in transfer tools, fine for accidental corruption and broken for adversarial collision.
Media file transfer
The copy of time-based media, picture, sound, or both, under a delivery spec that names codec, size, and hash.
Megabyte file
A file measured in megabytes, which may or may not fit in email.
MIME type
A label that says what a transferred file is, so the recipient's software opens it correctly.
Mobile file transfer
A file upload or download that starts on a phone or tablet.
Multipart upload
An object-store operation that sends a large object as numbered parts, then assembles them into one key when every part has arrived.
Mutual TLS
A TLS handshake in which the client also presents a certificate, so both ends prove identity.
N
4 terms
NAS
A storage appliance that serves files over SMB, NFS, or both on the local network.
Nearby share
A vendor feature that sends a file to a nearby device after a local discovery step.
NFS
A POSIX file-share protocol, common between Unix hosts, that mounts a remote directory.
Non-repudiation
Evidence that a named party sent or received a file, strong enough that they cannot credibly deny it.
O
6 terms
Object lock
A retention control that stops an object from being deleted or overwritten until a date.
Object storage
A store that keeps each file as an object: opaque bytes, a key, and metadata, addressed as a unit rather than as blocks in a filesystem.
Object versioning
A store feature that keeps prior copies when an object key is overwritten.
OFTP
A file-transfer protocol from the European automotive EDI world, built for partner networks.
One-time download link
A URL that the server invalidates after a single successful download.
Overwrite
Replacing an existing object with new bytes under the same name.
P
20 terms
Packet loss
The fraction of packets that never arrive, which stalls reliable transports and stretches file transfers.
Parallel transfer
A transfer that uses several streams or parts at once to fill a path one stream cannot.
Partial file
A file that arrived short of the expected byte count or hash.
Password-protected file
A file that asks for a password in the recipient's software before it opens, regardless of how it traveled.
Password-protected link
A URL that will not serve the file until the recipient also presents a password the URL does not contain.
PDF transfer
The copy of a Portable Document Format file, usually small enough for email until a scanned bundle crosses the attachment cap.
Peer-to-peer file transfer
A copy in which recipients also send pieces to other recipients, instead of every byte coming from one server.
Permanent link
A URL that keeps working until someone deletes the object or the permission, with no built-in clock.
Phone-to-computer transfer
A copy from a phone to a computer, over a cable, a share sheet, or an upload.
Phone-to-phone transfer
A copy between two phones, usually nearby share or a link each phone can open.
Photo transfer
The copy of camera or phone photographs, often many files, with the camera roll's permission model in the way.
Physical media transfer
A file handoff made by shipping a drive, used when the network window loses to a courier.
Preflight check
A check of a file against the delivery spec before the long transfer starts.
Presentation transfer
The copy of a slide deck, which swells when video and fonts are embedded and shrinks when they are linked and then missing.
Presigned URL
A URL that carries a signature and an expiry so a holder can GET or PUT without an account.
Private file sharing
Ongoing access to a file granted only to named identities, with the owner able to revoke.
Private link
A URL that serves the file only after the server checks a credential tied to a person or a service, and refuses everyone else.
Proxy file
A smaller derivative sent for review so notes can start before the master finishes transferring.
Public key authentication
A login that proves the client holds a private key, without sending a password.
Public link
A URL that serves the file to anyone who has it, with no account and no password.
R
11 terms
RAW file transfer
The copy of camera RAW files, large sensor dumps that compress poorly and usually travel as a folder or a disk, not as mail.
Recipient verification
A check that the person downloading is the person you addressed, before the file moves.
Remote file transfer
A copy between sites that are not on the same local network.
Rename into place
Writing a file under a temporary name and renaming it when the bytes are complete, so watchers never see a partial.
Replication
An automatic copy of objects to another bucket, often in another region.
REST API transfer
A file upload or download through an HTTP API a developer calls, not through a shared folder.
Resumable upload
An upload that can continue from the last byte the server accepted after a dropped connection, instead of starting the file over.
Retention period
The time a transferred file must be kept, or must not be kept past.
Retry policy
The rule for how many times a failed transfer is attempted again, and on what delay.
Reverse proxy
A proxy in front of the transfer origin that terminates client connections.
Rsync
A file-copy tool that sends differences, so a repeat copy moves only changed blocks.
S
20 terms
S3 API
The HTTP API popularized by Amazon S3 for putting and getting objects, copied by other stores.
SCP
The secure-copy command, and historically a simple copy protocol, that moves a file over an SSH channel.
Secure download
A download over an encrypted channel, with a check on who may fetch.
Secure file transfer
A file transfer with named controls: encryption on the path, authentication, and usually encryption at rest.
Secure upload
An upload over an encrypted, authenticated channel, usually HTTPS or SFTP.
Server-to-server transfer
A file copy between two hosts with no person in the path for that run.
SFTP
The SSH File Transfer Protocol: file access, transfer, and management over a channel that is already encrypted and authenticated.
SHA-256
A cryptographic hash used to fingerprint a file after a transfer.
Shared access signature
Azure's signed URL for a blob, with permissions and an expiry in the query string.
Short transfer
A transfer that finishes so quickly that setup and slow start dominate the clock.
Slow start
TCP's ramp from a small initial send, which dominates short file transfers.
Small file transfer
A transfer where the bytes are cheap and the round trip per file is the cost.
SMB
A network file-share protocol for reading and writing a remote folder as if it were a disk.
Soft delete
A delete that hides a file from normal listing but keeps the bytes until a later purge.
Spreadsheet transfer
The copy of a workbook, where hidden sheets, external links, and row counts decide whether the file the recipient opens is the file you meant.
SSH
The Secure Shell protocol suite that gives you an encrypted, authenticated channel between two hosts.
Stalled transfer
A transfer that has stopped making byte progress and has not failed yet.
Storage class
A tier that trades retrieval delay and price for the same object.
Storage lifecycle
A rule that moves or deletes a stored object after a condition, usually age, without a person acting on that object.
Storage limit
The maximum bytes an account may keep, including versions and incomplete parts.
T
12 terms
TCP
The transport that gives a file transfer a reliable byte stream, retransmitting lost packets.
TCP window
The amount of data TCP may send before an acknowledgement, which caps throughput on a long path.
Terabyte file
A file or package around a terabyte, where shipping a disk competes with the network.
TFTP
The Trivial File Transfer Protocol, RFC 1350: a small UDP protocol that reads or writes one file with stop-and-wait blocks and no login.
TLS
The protocol that encrypts a session and checks the server you reached, so the bytes of a file transfer are not readable on the path.
Trading partner
An external organization you exchange files with under an agreed protocol, path, and key.
Transfer compression
Shrinking bytes before or during a transfer so fewer bits cross the path.
Transfer limit
A cap on bytes moved in a billing period, often egress only.
Transfer queue
A line of file jobs that run in order or by priority when a worker is free.
Transfer SLA
A stated target for how fast or how reliably a file transfer finishes, with a clock and a measurement.
Transfer throughput
The rate at which file bytes actually arrive at the destination during a transfer, usually measured in megabits per second.
Transfer timeout
A clock that aborts a transfer when a request or a stall lasts too long.
U
4 terms
UDP
A transport that sends datagrams without a built-in retransmission stream.
Unicode filename
A file name with non-ASCII characters, which breaks when two systems normalize Unicode differently.
Upload limit
A cap on bytes a sender may push, per file, per request, or per day.
USB transfer
A file copy over a USB cable or a USB drive between two machines in reach.
V
3 terms
Value-added network
An intermediary network that moves EDI files between partners who are not directly connected.
Video transfer
The copy of a video file, where codec, container, and size decide the door more than the word video does.
Virus scan
A check of a received file against malware signatures or a sandbox before anyone opens it.
W
5 terms
WebDAV
A set of HTTP extensions, RFC 4918, for authoring files on a server: properties, collections (folders), namespace moves, and locks.
Webhook
An HTTP callback the transfer system sends when a file lands, finishes, or fails.
Wi-Fi file transfer
A file copy whose path crosses a wireless LAN, IEEE 802.11, either to stay on the local network or to reach a router and then the internet.
Windows file transfer
A file copy to or from Windows, often SMB locally and SFTP or a browser remotely.
Word document transfer
The copy of a Word or similar word-processor file, including its revision metadata unless you strip it.
Z
2 terms
Zero-knowledge encryption
A vendor name for client-side encryption in which the storage provider never receives the key, so it cannot read the file it holds.
ZIP file transfer
The copy of a ZIP archive that packages many files into one object so the transfer has one size, one hash, and one resume point.