Introduction to EFT Server™ and EFT Server Enterprise™

More than just a managed file transfer (MFT) server, EFT Server™ extends beyond standard MFT servers to allow you to connect with any industry-standard file-transfer client with a robust security architecture for meeting business and regulatory requirements, ensuring that encrypted transactions occur only with the appropriate entities, and that data confidentiality and integrity are preserved during transport and storage. EFT Server's modular form makes it affordable by allowing you to purchase just the functionality you need. You can add more advanced features as your business needs change.

EFT Server is offered in a small-to-medium business (SMB) edition or basic edition, and an enterprise edition, EFT Server Enterprise™. EFT Server SMB is built on the same code as EFT Server Enterprise, with Enterprise-specific features disabled, but visible so that you can see features that you might want to add later. All module features are available during the trial period for both SMB and Enterprise editions. Module features that require licensing and activation separate from the SMB edition are identified in the user interface and in this user guide.

The illustration below shows the various EFT Server components. Click on the EFT Server component in the image to go to that information in the help file or scroll down to read more.

EFT Server™ and EFT Server Enterprise™ provide the following features:  

EFT Server Enterprise™ provides each of the features of EFT Server™, plus:

The available modules include:

HTTPS (Included in the Enterprise edition) - The HTTPS add-on module allows you to set up a secure connection to anyone in minutes using any Web browser. The HTTPS module adds the HTTPS protocol to EFT Server, enabling you to support secure browser-based transfers without having to install a Web server. HTTPS encrypts the session data using the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protocol, which provides protection from eavesdroppers and man-in-the-middle attacks.

SFTP (Included in the Enterprise edition) - SFTP is a subset of the popular SSH protocol and is a platform independent, secure transfer protocol. SFTP provides a single connection port for easy firewall navigation, password and public key authentication, and strong data encryption, to prevent login, data, and session information from being intercepted and/or modified in transit. The SFTP module enables EFT Server to authenticate and transfer data securely with SFTP-ready FTP clients, such as CuteFTP Professional.

AS2 (Available in EFT Server Enterprise only) - The AS2 (Applicability Statement 2) specification supports the exchange of structured business data securely on top of the HTTP or HTTP/S protocol.

OpenPGP - EFT Server employs industry-standard OpenPGP (based on the open source implementation of Pretty Good Privacy) technology to safeguard data at rest. The OpenPGP data encryption or decryption process is directed by Event Rules that specify how data files are treated in a particular context. EFT Server uses OpenPGP to encrypt uploaded data and the off-load capabilities of EFT Server to move the file to another location.

High Security Module (HSM) - The High Security  module (HSM) achieves or exceeds security practices mandated by PCI DSS, HIPAA, and Sarbanes-Oxley for data transfer, access, and storage. The HSM protects data in transit by enforcing the use of secure protocols, strong ciphers and encryption keys, and maintaining strict password policies. For a list of features in the HSM, refer to Features of the High Security Module.

Auditing and Reporting Module (ARM) - The Auditing and Reporting module captures all of the transactions passing through EFT Server. You can query the data and create/view reports from within EFT Server's administration interface. A new database is created when upgrading to version 6. (The "SMB" version does not offer support for Oracle databases.)

Web Transfer Client (WTC) - The Web Transfer Client (WTC) deploys automatically upon client connection to EFT Server and can be used by any trading partner using virtually any Web browser that supports Java and DHTML. (Limited to 5 concurrent users in the "SMB" edition.)

Secure Ad Hoc Transfer (SAT) - The Secure Ad Hoc Transfer (SAT) module allows you to exchange files without the problems associated with having to manually create temporary FTP accounts, the size limitations and security issues of regular e-mail, or the time delays and high costs of overnight and physical shipments. (Neither edition is compatible with prior versions of the Secure Ad Hoc Transfer module.)

DMZ Gateway - Used in combination with EFT Server to create a multi-tier security solution for data storage and retrieval. The DMZ Gateway resides at the edge of the network, brokering data between EFT Server residing behind your corporate firewall and your clients in the outside world. (Multiple-Site configuration is only available in Enterprise edition.)

Advanced Workflow Engine (Available in EFT Server Enterprise only) - Similar to EFT Server's Commands, EFT Server's Advanced Workflows add additional automation capabilities, allowing you to add scripting and variables to Workflow Tasks, then add these reusable Workflows to Event Rules. A Workflow is a series of steps that can perform file transfers, batch data processing, application testing, and so on, set to run automatically when started by some event.

For a detailed matrix of the features and functions available in EFT Server and EFT Server Enterprise, refer to EFT Server Feature Comparison .