Documentation forServ-U MFT & Serv-U FTP Server

Serv-U 15.4.2 system requirements

Release date: April 17, 2024

SolarWinds strongly recommends that you install Serv-U File Server on a server that is protected from unauthorized access by the public. If your use of Serv-U File Server does not need to be public or internet-facing, install it on a server that is neither public, nor internet-facing. To learn about best practices for configuring your Serv-U File Server installation securely, see Best practices to secure SolarWinds Products.

This topic contains:

Review your product Administrator Guides and release notes for the exact product requirements beyond these minimums.

Software requirements

The following table lists software requirements and recommendations for a Serv-U installation.

Software requirements
OS

Windows:

  • 2022
  • 2019
  • 2016
  • 2012, 2012 R2

Linux:

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) v.8
  • CentOS 7, 8
  • OpenSUSE 15.5
  • Rocky Linux 8
  • Ubuntu 20.04 and 22.04
  • Debian 12

See limitations to using these operating systems, along with workarounds SolarWinds recommends using to make your experience seamless.

IP Address versions
  • IPv4
  • IPv6
Web console browser

The following major browsers are supported with the basic web client, for file management and for web administration purposes:

  • Mozilla Firefox: latest version
  • Safari 6+
  • Google Chrome: latest version
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Internet Explorer is not supported by Serv-U 15.4.2.

To be able to use Web Client Pro and FTP Voyager JV, Java must be installed and enabled in the browser. Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 7 and 8 are supported for Web Client Pro and FTP Voyager JV.

Web Client Pro does not work on Linux in Google Chrome version later than 35 due to an incompatibility between Chrome and the Java browser plug-in.

Apple users must have at least Mac OS X 10.6 installed.

Database server (optional)

ODBC-compliant databases such as MS SQL and MySQL

LDAP server (optional)
  • Active Directory - same as Windows Server support
  • Open Directory 4
  • OpenLDAP 2.4

Hardware requirements

Use the minimum hardware configuration if you are evaluating the product or do not anticipate heavy usage.

SolarWinds strongly suggests using the recommended hardware configuration to avoid potential performance issues caused by a heavy load or custom configurations.

  Minimum requirements

Modest traffic
(up to 500 configured users and 25 simultaneous transfers)

High traffic
(up to 10,000 configured users and 250 simultaneous transfers)
CPU 1 GHz 2 GHz+ multi-core Multiple 3.2 GHz+ multi-core
Memory 256 Mb 2 GB+ 4 GB+
Network 10/100 Mbps NIC 10/100 Mbps NIC 10/100 Mbps NIC
Hard drive space 30 MB 120MB 120 MB
Video 128 MB Video RAM 128 MB Video RAM 128 MB Video RAM

Port requirements

Port Protocol Service/Process Direction Description
21 TCP FTP and explicit SSL/TLS Bidirectional FTP is the traditional protocol for transferring files over the Internet. Traditionally, FTP is handled in plain text. However, SSL connections are explicitly supported using the AUTH command.
22 TCP SFTP Using SSH2 Bidirectional SFTP is a secure method of transferring files through a secure shell session. It performs all protocol communications and data transfers over the same port eliminating the need to open multiple ports in firewalls (as is commonly required when using FTP). SFTP sessions are always encrypted.
80 TCP HTTP Bidirectional HTTP is the protocol used to browse websites. It is also a simple method for downloading and transferring files. One benefit to adding an HTTP listener to a domain is the availability of the Web Client, which allows users to transfer files to and from your file server without the need for a standalone client.
443 TCP HTTPS (SSL encrypted HTTP) Bidirectional HTTPS is identical to HTTP except all communications are secured using SSL. Like FTPS, a secure connection is implied when connecting to a listener running the HTTPS protocol.
990 TCP Implicit FTPS (SSL/TLS) Bidirectional FTPS is identical to FTP, although connecting to a listener configured for FTPS means an SSL connection is required before any protocol communication is performed. This is commonly referred to as Implicit FTPS.

These are defaults. You can use any port between 1 and 65535. However, when using a non-standard port, clients must know the proper port in advance when they attempt to connect to the domain. If using a non-standard port, it is recommended you use a value above 1024 to prevent potential conflicts.