CrushFTP 3.9.3 review
DownloadCrushFTP 3 lets you serve files from your computer, or any other computer on the Internet that's running an FTP server
|
|
CrushFTP 3 lets you serve files from your computer, or any other computer on the Internet that's running an FTP server. It does this by treating your local machine as if its the same as any other machine. You drag and drop directories into CrushFTP 3's file system, and you also add servers into the file system.
They look just like a directory, but CrushFTP will connect and return directory listings to a user when they are browsing them. It will also translate listings from non standard formats. When a user requests a file, CrushFTP tells the remote server to start sending the file to the user.
The user never really knows the file didn't come from you. Of course they could check to see where the connection came from, but CrushFTP also allows you to tunnel the data through itself. While this doesn't distribute the load on the server, it does give a little more security. CrushFTP will also tunnel the data when its not possible to tell the server to transfer the data directly.
This type of serving can be used to create redundant servers. One main CrushFTP server that transfers each incoming connection to a server in its list. If for some reason that connection times out, it quickly goes on to the next server in the list and so on. So if a server did happen to go down, or a config was changed on that server, CrushFTP transparently starts serving form the next in the list.
The timeout value for the server can even be specified. This can also be used to create load balancing servers. The first connection goes to the first server in the list, and the next connection to the next. When its gets to the end, it wraps around to the beginning. As long as the data isn't being tunneled through CrushFTP, then the load is distributed. Its important to note that this isn't something that can only be done for just one directory, but can be done for multiple directories in one users virtual file system.
A good use for something like this would be somebody running a mirror site. They could distribute the load coming in on their server over to other servers as well.
CrushFTP also allows for switching servers once the Main server is reaching its max allowed bandwidth. So you can just have backup servers to take over the load when your main one starts to fill up.
Here are some key features of "CrushFTP":
Full scale FTP server.
Cross platform. If you can run JAVA 1.1.8 or better, then you can run CrushFTP. (Mac, MacOS X, Windows, Linux, OS/2, etc.)
Inexpensive commercial quality product for a shareware fee of only $25.
Fast, multithreaded design. Tests have achieved speeds over 11,120k/sec on a 100MB router.
Multihoming support. Virtual servers for multiple IP's, or multiple ports on an IP, or both.
Speech announcements for MacOS classic. Announce custom events with the built in speech manager in MacOS.
Mirror other FTP servers based on custom schedule events.
Broadcast servers stats to IRC channels, and respond to various custom commands via a built in IRC Bot.
Extensive reporting built into the server. Easily see the top downloaders, for the week, and what files are getting transferred the most.
Ability to auto delete partial transfers after specified intervals, or to just move them to another location.
.sfv support. CRC32 checksums are calculated as files are uplaoded/downloaded and reported to the user. Also, dirs with .sfv files can have all files verified as they are uploaded.
Resume download/upload support...even for MacBinary transfers.
Complete GUI remote administration from any machine that can run CrushFTP. (Your remote GUI controls the Server.) Allows customized privs for different users with remote admin privileges.
Server settings can be pushed out to a list of other CrushFTP servers.
Ticker window displaying server statistics in a mini window that is moveable and stretchable. Allows you to have a tiny ticker window on your desktop screen that scrolls the servers stats.
Intuitive, built-in user manager for administering user and group accounts.
Built in log viewer is updated in real time as the server is running. Can access up to the last 50 KB in your log file.
Directory permissions per directory. All directories can have different read/write/view/delete/resume/rename/make dir permissions.
File permissions per file. All files can have different read/write/view/delete/resume/rename/make dir permissions.
Directory quotas. Every directory can have a quota applied to it, or inherit from the parent directory.
Compatible with aliases on the Mac. They are treated just like a directory.
Long filenames on the Mac. HFS+ support for storing and retrieving files or directories with up to 255 characters!
Virtual Directory support on any platform. Design your own directory structure for a user when they log in. Read more about this in the special features.
Not based on Apple file sharing! That means it's fast, simple, and flexible to setup users, groups, and permissions.
MacBinary II encoding on the fly when a user has turned on MacBinary (MACB E) and is downloading a file with a resource fork. Also, uploads that are MacBinary files are stored as Mac files.
Bandwidth limits on uploads per [user/group/server].
Bandwidth limits on downloads per [user/group/server].
Idle timeout for auto-disconnect per [user/group].
Maximum login time allowed per [user/group].
Maximum simultaneous logins allowed per [user/group].
Maximum logins per IP for a [user/group]. (e.g. 100 anonymous logins, but only 2 from the same IP)
Allow/Deny IP restrictions for logins per [user/group/server]. Supports IP ranges for deny and allow.
Max download amount per [user/group] for each login session. (e.g. after 10mb's the user cannot download till they logout and then login again)
Server queuing for downloads/uploads. No other FTP server has this feature.
Day of week restrictions per [user/group/server] (e.g. Sun, Mon, Tues, etc.)
Time of day restrictions per [user/group/server] (e.g. login between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. and between 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.)
Group inheriting for users, along with ability to override any part of a group setting for a particular user.
Spying on connected users. See all their log, current dir, bytes sent/received, transfers speeds, login time, login IP, visual progress bar for downloads, and estimated time left.
Download ratio per [user/group]. Both can be temporary per session login or permanent.
Incredible server statistics, such as last login date, time, IP, current total server bandwidth usage (bytes in/out), files downloaded/uploaded, graphs for bandwidth utilization, etc.
Hidden mode allows the server to run without any windows. (On a PC it can only be seen with ctrl-alt-delete.)
SITE commands for remote administering from an FTP client. Each [user/group] can be limited to what commands they can issue.
All server messages are customizable, along with nearly everything else in the server.
Server variables can be displayed to users just by putting the variable in "%"'s. (ex. You are login # %login_number%.)
Soft server stop won't kick users, but still stops the server from new connections.
Customizable logging options allow you to control what gets logged to both the server window and log file.
Custom time of day restrictions for things like bandwidth, and maximum users.
FXP protection just in case you don't want users doing FXP transfers.
Reserved ports can be blocked to prevent the FTP bounce attack.
Filtering of filenames for uploads, downloads, lists, and renames.
Temporary bans for users.
Hammering protection that will ban a user.
Temporary accounts that can be set to auto expire after so long, or be automatically deleted!
Users behind a router/firewall can have CrushFTP auto discover their real IP.
Log rolling allows logs to automatically be archived by day/hour, or even deleted.
Supports a range for what PASV ports to use so that users behind a router/firewall can map those ports through.
Redundant bandwidth switching will automatically forward users to the next server in the list once bandwidth utilization gets near 90 percent.
Can listen on multiple ports.
Static caches can be set for directories that get hit frequently and change seldom.
Event actions that are user customizable. They can generate emails with real-time data of what happened. You can also perform file I/O.
File verification. Can verify a file's content that's being uploaded matches its extension. Option to also only allow files of certain types to be uploaded.
What's New in This Release:
CrushFTP 3.9.3 changes since 3.9.2 : fixed upload event on HTTP uploads
CrushFTP 3.9.3 changes since 3.9.2 : fixed http upload bug with Safari 2.0 (OS X 10.4 - Tiger)
CrushFTP 3.9.3 changes since 3.9.2 : fixed bug with random disconnects when the server was loaded at 100% CPU.
CrushFTP 3.9.3 changes since 3.9.2 : sped up uploads...decreased CPU use for uploads
CrushFTP 3.9.3 changes since 3.9.2 : fixed bug where there was a delay on login after the server had been up for extended periods of time with heavy upload use
CrushFTP 3.9.3 changes since 3.9.2 : fixed email event category (removed blank item)
CrushFTP 3.9.3 changes since 3.9.2 : added import for Rumpus user database format
CrushFTP 3.9.3 changes since 3.9.2 : fixed bug with filenames being case sensitive for the reports tab
CrushFTP 3.9.3 changes since 3.9.2 : fixed bug with verify file content and HTTP uploads
CrushFTP 3.9.3 changes since 3.9.2 : fixed bug with PASV mode not returning the right IP to the FTP client on a multihomed server
CrushFTP 3.9.3 keywords