I am having Powershell FTP script problems. I have pulled my hair out over this one.
I recently setup an "automated build server" for my software projects. All software projects get built and bundled into a zip file. In theory, this zip file will be downloaded via FTP to several different servers. I am trying to build a powershell script that will download my package and unzip it into the desired directories.
The part I am having problem with is downloading the file via FTP. I am able to access the source file by manually logging into FTP via DOS command window. I can download the file just fine, so I know this is not a firewall issue. Atleast I dont think it is.
Whenever powershell starts to download the source .zip file, it hangs. I can see the file appear on the harddrive, but then disappears when the script fails. It never gets any bytes from the FTP server. I then receive this error:
Powershell FTP Script Error: The remote server returned an error: 227 Entering Passive Mode (10,255,130,77,231,5) Blockquote
Here is my script:
#create destination directory (this is where the build files will be dropped)
[IO.Directory]::CreateDirectory("C:\tempftp")
"Creating staging folder..."
#create staging folder for deployment package bundle unzip
[IO.Directory]::CreateDirectory("C:\FINALDEPLOYMENTFOLDER")
#create destination and source paths for FTP copy command
$File = "C:\tempftp\MyPackageT.zip"
$ftp = "ftp://AdminiUser:adm1n1pwd@255.255.255.255/MyPackage.zip"
"ftp url: $ftp"
$webclient = New-Object System.Net.WebClient
$uri = New-Object System.Uri($ftp)
"Downloading $File..."
#perform the actual data transfer via FTP
$webclient.DownloadFile($ftp, $File)
"Unzip build package..."
#unzip the file that was transferred via FTP
$shell_app=new-object -com shell.application
$zip_file = $shell_app.namespace("C:\tempftp\MyPackage.zip") #source
$destination = $shell_app.namespace("C:\FINALDEPLOYMENTFOLDER") #final destination
#unzip to destination folder
foreach ($item in $zip_file.Items())
{
$destination.CopyHere($item, 16)
}
I am able to run this script, locally, on my build server and it runs fine. I know this script works. My trouble is, why does this script barf on my non-build servers? Why is Passive Mode such a problem for this scenario and how do I fix it? Ive tried FTP IPv4 Address rules, FTP Firewall support changes, etc. But no success.
Noteworthy, I do see a warning message on my FTP Firewall Support section of IIS7. It states:
To accept passive connections when you are using FTP over SSL (FTPS) or when your firewall does not filter packets, configure the external IPv4 address of your firewall.
^ I am unsure what that really means, but I will give it a shot. Any ideas why Passive Mode is such a pain in my neck? Should I not be using WebClient? I really want to avoid having to download another program/patch to make this work. Id rather this work in native Powershell...so no, I cant use FTP Client libraries!!
EDIT: I was able to fix this issue by opening "All Ports" on my firewall, but that seems a bit scary. Any suggestions on tracking down what ports are needed so that this Passive Mode error disappears? I already had a rule allowing a few specific ports I thought the FTP was using....but how can I see which ports I need to enable?
