John's Blog: The Importance Of Upgrades
July 31, 2019
Question: My existing Rumpus server has been stable for years. Do I really need to upgrade?
As the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Your Rumpus server has been a solid workhorse for years and does exactly what you need, so I understand the desire to leave well enough alone.
But the Internet is evolving, and Rumpus along with it. In version 9.0, we put a lot of work into making sure that Rumpus supports modern Web browsers and FTP clients, and added features and capabilities that simply weren't possible just a few years ago.
- Security Considerations
Even if security isn't your primary concern, recent updates in Rumpus make keeping your client data secure, in many cases automatically.
It is increasingly common for Web browsers to display errors or warnings when connecting with HTTP servers that don't support modern security protocols. Older versions of Rumpus, released years ago, predate many of those security protections. In fact, we recommend that virtually all Rumpus servers enable HTTPS, support for which is easier and more robust in Rumpus than ever. Features like a simple menu selection for "SSL Security Level" and single-click features to enable "Forwarded IP Address Detection" and "Clickjack Prevention" ensure that your server is resistant to cyber-attack with virtually no administration overhead.
- Standards and Compatibility
FTP, arguably the backbone of the Internet, goes back to 1971, and its basic mechanics haven't changed much. But there have been incremental improvements, and not just in FTP. Rumpus implements HTTP, HTTPS, SFTP, FTPS, WebDAV and SMTP (sending mail), all of which have seen evolutionary changes in recent years. In addition, security and feature improvements in the server-side operating system are also important to take advantage of, so it's critical to keep Rumpus up to date with current versions of Mac OS X and Windows.
Rumpus 8.1 saw a whopping 16 maintenance updates, Rumpus 8.2 had 18 and Rumpus 9.0 has already seen several more. What this means is that we here at Maxum are constantly maintaining, correcting and improving every aspect of the software. If you encounter a problem in any previous version of Rumpus, there's a good chance that you are dealing with something we have already fixed. So, should you ever have a problem or question, or need technical support for any reason, the first thing we will often suggest is an upgrade.
In fact, while we always do our best to provide top-notch support no matter what version of Rumpus you are running, at some point it becomes impossible to guarantee support for obsolete software. This is why we recently changed our support policy to cover a full year, the same as is covered by our "free software upgrades" policy. Maintaining a trouble free server means both having access to knowledgable technical support and keeping your server current.
Of course, Maxum is also always trying to improve the Rumpus experience, both for administrators and end-users. Tether, a stand-alone, Rumpus-optimized client application, is a perfect example of how we've taken traditional FTP services and made a dramatic improvement in your organization's workflow. A simple "Administrator Advisory" box on the main Rumpus window now automatically detects and reports potential issues, saving administrators time and highlighting certain problems before you might even have noticed them. And on the client side, we've upgraded the recently introduced SFTP service, added folder uploads to the Web interface, and much more.
I hope that your Rumpus server is humming along flawlessly, handling your file transfers so gracefully that you have forgotten it's even there. Assuming that's the case, you may be reluctant to make a change, but I think you'll find that the current version of Rumpus is every bit as stable as it has ever been, and will help you maintain that worry-free transfer service for years to come.
