File transfer is a crucial operation in cloud migration, encompassing both file uploads and downloads. Alibaba Cloud provides efficient and secure file transfer processes, which are essential for business continuity and data security. Alibaba Cloud offers various remote connection methods to Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instances, including Workbench, Cloud Assistant, SCP, SFTP, and RDP. This topic outlines these common file transfer methods to help you choose the most appropriate one for uploading or downloading files.
When choosing a method for uploading or downloading files, consider file size, transfer speed, and usability. The following table provides a comparison of different methods, each with distinct advantages and suitable scenarios. Select the most fitting method based on your specific needs.
Method | Characteristics | Description and references |
Workbench | Use scenario: visualized transfer of a single file File size:
Transfer speed: Upload speed is approximately 50 KB/s. Is tool installation required: no | Workbench is a web-based remote connection tool provided by Alibaba Cloud, offering a visual interface in the browser for file uploads, downloads, and CRUD operations. For detailed instructions, see Manage files. |
Remote Desktop Services | Use scenario: visualized transfer of multiple files File size: no limits Transfer speed: no limits Is tool installation required: no | You can connect to ECS instances using Windows Remote Desktop Services and attach local disks to the instances to quickly upload, download, or copy files. For detailed instructions, see Upload files to or download files from a Windows instance. |
SCP | Use scenario: non-interactive, one-time transfer of one or more files or directories, commonly used for scripts or rapid transfer tasks File size: no limits Transfer speed: no limits Is tool installation required: no | SCP is ideal for fast, straightforward file transfers which do not require complex file management capabilities. It does not support resumable file transfers. You can only use command lines to perform operations. For detailed instructions, see Use SFTP or SCP to upload or download files. |
SFTP | Use scenario: supports persistent connections for multiple operations within a single connection, enables interactive operations, and suits file management tasks consisting of multiple steps File size: no limits Transfer speed: no limits Is tool installation required:
| SFTP offers rich file management features and great operational flexibility, supporting resumable file transfers. It supports both graphical interface and command-line operations. For detailed instructions, see Run SFTP commands to upload or download files. |
Cloud Assistant | Use scenario: transfer of configuration files and scripts File size: must not exceed 24 KB Transfer speed: no limits Is tool installation required: no | Cloud Assistant is pre-installed on ECS instances. For detailed instructions, see Use Cloud Assistant to upload a file to ECS instances. |
Object Storage Service (OSS) | Use scenario: transfer of large files to the cloud or between clouds, and automated file storage File size: no limits Transfer speed: no limits, with the option to enable the OSS accelerator Is tool installation required: Yes. You must install the ossutil tool. | Utilize Alibaba Cloud OSS for file uploads via the ossutil tool, then download them to your local environment. Before using ossutil commands, you must install ossutil and configure ossutil. For OSS command lines, see cp (upload, download, and copy objects). |
CloudOps Orchestration Service (OOS) | Use scenario: automated scheduled tasks File size:
Transfer speed: no limits Is tool installation required: no | OOS is an automated operations service provided by Alibaba Cloud, designed to automate the management and execution of tasks. For detailed instructions, see Upload a file to multiple ECS instances at a time. |