A protocol commonly used to transfer large files from one server to another on the Internet is the

• A. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
• B. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
• C. File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
• D. Secure Copy Protocol (SCP)

Answer: (C)

Transferring large files between servers is best served by a protocol designed specifically for moving files over a network. FTP provides a dedicated mechanism to send files with a separate data channel from the control commands, which helps manage big payloads efficiently and makes features like resuming interrupted transfers possible. It’s well suited for moving whole directories and large datasets between servers, and it has long-standing, widespread support in server and client software.

While HTTP can transfer files, it’s optimized for retrieving web resources rather than maintaining a session for ongoing server-to-server file exchange. SMTP is for email, not file transfer. SCP focuses on secure copying but is typically used for quick, direct transfers in secure sessions rather than the standard bulk transfer workflow between servers. For these reasons, FTP is the commonly used choice for transferring large files between servers on the Internet, with secure variants like FTPS or SFTP used when encryption is needed.