What Is Managed File Transfer?
What is managed file transfer? How does it work? What resources do I need? Read our Managed File Transfer 101 for everything you need to know about MFT.
What is managed file transfer?
Managed File Transfer (MFT) is a secure, efficient way of moving data between systems, applications and people. As organizations continue to produce and exchange large amounts of data, they require a secure, automated file transfer Solution to ensure that their data is protected and meets compliance requirements. The SEEBURGER BIS MFT Capabilities provide end-to-end encryption, access controls and audit trails that ensure fast, reliable and secure data exchanges within and between organizations and IT environments to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access, data breaches and cyber attacks.
How does managed file transfer work?
Managed file transfer sends data directly from endpoint to endpoint. This is different from email, in which data passes through several points of presence and can be accessed by a third party. BIS MFT supports endpoints for a system, an application, an IIoT device, a data lake, blob storage and more. It can move data to or from cloud-based software, between data centers, and – thanks to the BIS Platform – it can integrate with legacy systems. BIS MFT transfers structured data, e.g. neatly categorized data, as well as unstructured data such as video and audio.
With BIS MFT, data transfers can be scheduled and triggered as part of an automated process or by a person. Before the transfer takes place, both parties are authenticated to ensure they have the permissions to handle the data.
The transport medium and often the data itself is encrypted to stop any unauthorized people or systems from gaining access in transit or intercepting the data. BIS MFT offers tracking at the technical, process and business level in near real time and keeps audit logs. These features are important for compliance with GDPR and other data protection regulations.
What is required for the use of MFT in a company?
Managed file transfer needs to be highly available around the clock. If you choose an on-premises installation, you will need to have significant staff resources and IT skills in house. There will be new and ongoing tasks for managed file transfer as your organization changes and grows. You will need to connect new suppliers and other trading partners. You might also need to connect other systems to enable real-time processes, increase security as regulatory compliance becomes more demanding and expand data capacity as digitalization intensifies. You might even need to migrate connections if a core system like your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system changes.
However, did you know that SEEBURGER also offers hosted managed file transfer services? Deployed from the SEEBURGER Cloud, we take care of everything, letting you concentrate on your core business.
Do you like the idea of hosted managed file transfer, but company policy dictates keeping sensitive data or certain IT tasks in house? SEEBURGER offers an integration platform as a service (iPaaS), which lets you choose what tasks to keep in house and what tasks to delegate to a partner like SEEBURGER. You can use your BIS MFT as iPaaS in any public cloud but it is also available on-premises, in a hybrid setup or in the cloud.
Our MFT capabilities, powered by BIS, allow you to securely transfer files. They connect and convert to and from anything. As your business needs and systems change through expansion, merger or acquisition, BIS and our SEEBURGER experts ensure that your MFT capabilities move data when and where it needs to go.
What are the benefits of managed file transfer
What are alternatives to managed file transfer?
Common alternatives to MFT include FTP, SCP SFTP and cloud-based file sharing services.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
FTP is a standard protocol used for transferring files between servers and clients. It's a simple and widely supported method for file transfers but lacks the security and automation features provided by BIS MFT. Furthermore, FTP sends messages on a first-come, first-served basis, while BIS MFT lets you prioritize the messages that need to get through in near real time.
SCP (Secure Copy Protocol)
SCP is a secure file transfer protocol that uses SSH for encryption and authentication. It provides secure file transfer capabilities but lacks advanced features such as automation. It also lacks the auditing and reporting necessary to comply with GDPR and SOX.
SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol)
SFTP is another secure file transfer protocol that uses SSH for encryption and authentication. It provides similar security features to SCP but with added functionality, including automation and auditing capabilities. It is sometimes used within MFT; however, compared to MFT, SFTP as a stand-alone data transfer method contains fewer automation and auditing capabilities. MFT, on the other hand, offers built-in security features.
Cloud-based file sharing services
Numerous big-name cloud-based file sharing services can be used for human-to-human (H2H) file transfers. These services provide a convenient way to share files, but they may not be suitable for larger files. Compared to MFT, cloud-based file sharing services are less secure. This makes them extremely risky for compliance-sensitive data. They are also owned by third parties, which significantly diminishes your control over how your data is handled, and they cannot be automated and cannot be used for system-to-system data exchanges.
What happens if managed file transfer fails?
BIS MFT places checkpoints at regular intervals in the data transfer process. If a data transfer should be faulty, BIS MFT uses checkpoint restart to resend the entire data set from the checkpoint before the error occurred.
If a receiving endpoint fails, the smart retry function parks the affected messages and regularly probes the defective connection until the endpoint starts responding. Then, it starts sending data to that endpoint again, including resending the originally affected data.
The high availability offered by the BIS MFT supports active-active clustering, deployment from the fully-managed SEEBURGER Cloud or deployment as an integration platform as a service (iPaaS).
WhitepaperWhy SEEBURGER Managed File Transfer?
With BIS MFT, any organization can transfer any type of files and data securely and efficiently between systems, applications, devices and data centers. The built-in encryption, non-repudiation, confidentiality and security helps you send data in compliance with regulations and standards. Automate, prioritize and track all of your file transfers at the technical, transport and message level.
Learn how to expand your business with BIS MFT.
Further MFT resources
Watch our webcast with real examples of how SEEBURGER customers are using BIS MFT to automate processes and drive efficiency while ensuring security and compliance.
Read our blog post on Five Things to Consider When Looking for a New MFT Solution
