FTPWebDAV

FTPWebDAV is a class of integration solutions that lets clients using the WebDAV protocol access files stored on FTP servers. By means of a gateway or middleware, WebDAV requests are translated into FTP commands, and FTP responses are converted back to WebDAV representations. It is not an official protocol, but a design pattern implemented by various software components to bridge the two technologies.

In operation, a WebDAV client issues standard requests such as PROPFIND, GET, PUT, and MKCOL. The bridge translates these into FTP operations like LIST, RETR, STOR, and MKD, handling file data transfer and directory creation. Metadata, properties, and locking semantics may be approximated, and the system must reconcile the different security models of WebDAV over HTTP(S) and FTP or FTPS.

Use cases include presenting legacy FTP storage to WebDAV-aware tools, enabling remote collaboration through WebDAV clients, or easing migration from FTP to WebDAV. Limitations include incomplete property support, potential latency, and the need for careful configuration of access control and encryption. When security is a concern, deployments should use encrypted variants (WebDAV over HTTPS and FTPS/SFTP) and restrict cross-protocol permission mappings.