computer science

OFTP

OFTP is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand OFTP rather than just read about it. In short: The Odette File Transfer Protocol (OFTP) is a protocol created in 1986, used for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) between two communications business partners. Its name comes from the Odette Organisation (the Organization for data exchange by teletransmission in Europe).

Key takeaways

OFTP belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect OFTP to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of OFTP from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Odette File Transfer Protocol (OFTP) is a protocol created in 1986, used for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) between two communications business partners. Its name comes from the Odette Organisation (the Organization for data exchange by teletransmission in Europe). The ODETTE File Transfer Protocol (ODETTE-FTP) was defined in 1986 by working group four of the Organisation for Data Exchange by Tele-Transmission in Europe (ODETTE) to address the electronic data interchange (EDI) requirements of the European automotive industry. It was designed in the spirit of the Open System Interconnection (OSI) model utilising the Network Service provided by the CCITT X.25 recommendation. OFTP 2 was written in 2007 by Data Interchange, as a specification for the secure transfer of business documents over the Internet, ISDN and X.25 networks. A description of OFTP 1.3 can be found in RFC 2204, whilst OFTP 2 is defined in RFC 5024. OFTP 2 can work point-to-point or indirectly via a VAN (Value Added Network). A single OFTP 2 entity can make and receive calls, exchanging files in both directions. This means that OFTP 2 can work in a push or pull mode, as opposed to AS2, which can only work in a push mode. OFTP 2 can encrypt and digitally sign message data, request signed receipts and also offers high levels of data compression. All of these services are available when using OFTP 2 over TCP/IP, X.25/ISDN or native X.25. When used over a TCP/IP network such as the Internet, additional session-level security is available by using OFTP 2 over Transport Layer Security (TLS).

OFTP 2 feature summary Message encryption Message signatures Signed receipts Message compression Message integrity Session authentication File & session level encryption (TLS) CMS envelopes Sub-level addressing

Advantages File restart Push / pull operation Peer-to-peer or indirect communications File compression Operates over TCP/IP, X.25/ISDN, native X.25 Maximum file size of 9 PB (Petabytes) SHA-256 and PFS security

References

External links RFC5024 - OFTP 2, obsoletes RFC2204 RFC2204 - ODETTE File Transfer Protocol OFTP 2 Whitepaper OFTP2 Documentation Odette Website Open source software Accord Odette OFTP2 mendelson Open Source OFTP2 Commercial software Rocket Software • Eurex-c EDI and CAD data exchange solutions via OFTP2 TRUfusion Enterprise • CAD/PLM data exchange solutions using OFTP2 STCP OFTP Suite - Product Suite for process integration and EDI i-effect • Integrated Solutions for IBM i (AS2, OFTP2, OFTP, etc.) Bartsch Software !MC5 (OFTP, OFTP2, EDI converter, ...) rvs from T-Systems-International GmbH ArcESB MFT FT-Master from NUMLOG Darwin, Epic and Odex by Data Interchange Plc ET-Connector EDI Integration suite Encode Networks Svenska AB OS4X - The Odette System for Unix HUENGSBERG - engDAX with OFTP2 EDICOM OFTP2 SERVER xTrade Business Communications Suite TX2 CONCEPT Avenum EDI as a Service (AS2, OFTP, Mail, VAN etc.) ipOFTP • Appliance with OFTP protocol and EDI functionality built in

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with OFTP

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what OFTP claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to OFTP before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about OFTP ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of OFTP

In research: OFTP appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses OFTP in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: OFTP is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Application layer protocols, Clear text protocols, Internet Standards, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for OFTP outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study OFTP in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what OFTP means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain OFTP out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is OFTP in simple terms?

Why does OFTP matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study OFTP?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on OFTP.