PropelZ moves data between the mainframe and virtually any system that speaks FTP — reading files in and writing files out across other mainframes, Linux systems, on-premises servers, and the cloud. Wherever an FTP endpoint exists, the mainframe can reach it, in both directions.
File transfer is one of the most universal ways systems exchange data. Nearly every platform — mainframe, Linux, Windows, cloud service — can act as an FTP endpoint. That ubiquity makes FTP a natural common ground between the mainframe and the rest of the enterprise, yet connecting z/OS to those endpoints has often meant separate tooling or custom processes.
The PropelZ FTP/SFTP connector makes that common ground directly accessible. It gives the mainframe a straightforward path to read from and write to any FTP-capable server, in both directions.
A Universal Transfer Standard
FTP — and its secure successor, SFTP — is the protocol that moves files between systems across networks. It is implemented almost everywhere, which is exactly what makes it valuable as an integration path: if a system can participate in file transfer at all, the mainframe can exchange data with it.
The PropelZ FTP/SFTP connector gives the mainframe the ability to read files from a remote server into PropelZ, or to write files out to one. You point PropelZ at the server and the file you want to reach, and PropelZ handles the transfer according to the access you have been granted.
Both Directions Through the Same Pipeline
The FTP/SFTP connector works as both an input and an output connector. Data can flow from a remote FTP server into PropelZ, through any transformation the pipeline supports, and on to any target — or it can flow the other way, with the mainframe writing files out to a remote server.
This symmetry is what makes the connector more than a one-way transfer tool. A remote file can become the source that feeds a cloud database or analytics platform, or the destination that receives processed mainframe data. The same integration patterns work from either end, connected by the transformation pipeline in between.
Reach Servers Anywhere
Because FTP is so widely implemented, this PropelZ connector’s reach is broad. The server on the other end can be another mainframe, a Linux system, an on-premises server, or a system running in the cloud. Wherever an FTP capability exists, the connector can read from it or write to it.
That flexibility means the mainframe is no longer limited to the systems that share its own protocols. It can participate in file-based workflows across the entire enterprise, regardless of where the other endpoint lives or what platform it runs on.
Secure by Default
Modern file transfer is overwhelmingly secure transfer. In practice, most connections use SFTP, the encrypted form of the protocol, so data moving between the mainframe and remote servers is protected in transit. The FTP/SFTP connector supports this secure path directly, aligning with how organizations expect file movement to work across networks today.
Files, Not Databases
The FTP/SFTP connector moves files. There is no SQL layer and no database structure involved — data flows as files in both directions. That makes it the right tool when the objective is moving file-based data between the mainframe and FTP-accessible systems, and it keeps the connector’s behavior predictable and easy to reason about.
Where It Fits
The FTP/SFTP connector is one of a family of PropelZ connectors that let the mainframe exchange data wherever it needs to. It is the right choice when:
- You need to move file-based data between the mainframe and a remote server
- The other endpoint is another mainframe, a Linux system, an on-premises server, or a cloud-based system
- Secure, encrypted file transfer over SFTP is a requirement
- You want a direct, protocol-native path in or out of the mainframe without custom transfer processes
With the FTP/SFTP connector, the mainframe takes its place in the file-transfer workflows the rest of the enterprise already relies on — reading data in and writing data out across virtually any system that speaks FTP.
Next Steps
- Schedule a PropelZ briefing.
- Watch a demo of PropelZ.
- Try PropelZ.
Learn More
- Visit our Customer Briefing Center.
- Review all VirtualZ Use Cases, Thought Leadership papers, and Solution Briefs.
- Explore our YouTube channel, podcasts, and blog.
- Still have questions? Contact us.
