DEV Community: Viggo Blum

Sync FTP Storage to AWS S3 with ftpGrid

Viggo Blum — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:30:58 +0000

Many systems still rely on FTP or SFTP uploads to move files around. Security cameras, IoT devices, backup tools, and legacy applications often generate data using these protocols. But modern infrastructure usually expects object storage - such as AWS S3.

This creates a common challenge: How do you connect FTP-based systems with S3 storage?

That's exactly what the new Cloud Integration feature in ftpGrid solves.

Bridging FTP and Modern Cloud Storage

With ftpGrid’s new Cloud Integration, you can automatically synchronize files between FTP storage and AWS S3.

No scripts.
No middleware.
No custom integrations.

Just connect ftpGrid to your S3 bucket and choose how you want files synchronized.

Supported modes include:

Copy files from ftpGrid → S3
Copy files from S3 → ftpGrid
Mirror ftpGrid → S3
Mirror S3 → ftpGrid

This makes ftpGrid act as a bridge between traditional file transfer protocols and modern cloud storage platforms.

A Simple Example

Imagine you have security cameras that upload recordings using FTP.

Your architecture could look like this:


Security Cameras  
     ↓  
Upload via FTP  
     ↓  
ftpGrid Storage  
     ↓  
Automatic Sync  
     ↓  
AWS S3 Bucket

Your cameras remain simple, while your files are automatically stored in S3.

No code required.

Why This Is Useful

Many systems cannot upload directly to S3, including:

surveillance cameras
IoT devices
legacy applications
backup scripts
embedded systems

Instead of rewriting those systems, you can simply let them upload to ftpGrid — and let ftpGrid handle the synchronization to S3.

Works with More Than Just AWS

The integration supports AWS S3 and S3-compatible providers, including:

Cloudflare R2
OVH Object Storage
MinIO
Wasabi
Backblaze B2 (S3 API)

Learn How to Set It Up

We published a full step-by-step tutorial explaining how to configure the integration.

https://ftpgrid.com/tutorials/ftp-to-s3-cloud-integration/

The guide covers:

connecting ftpGrid to AWS S3
configuring sync modes
setting bucket paths
testing the integration

If you're running systems that still rely on FTP uploads but want to store data in modern object storage, this integration makes the transition extremely simple.

Devanux Launched - Experts in DevOps, Linux and Software Dev

Viggo Blum — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 07:52:20 +0000

This month marks the official launch of Devanux, a new danish IT consulting company built by engineers who believe that technology should be powerful, but never complicated.
We specialize in Linux support, DevOps automation, and software development, helping businesses modernize their infrastructure and deliver better digital products.

Why we built Devanux

We’ve spent years working in and around large enterprises, from Bankdata and TV2 Denmark to Vitec Software Group, and we kept seeing the same pattern: IT systems were becoming increasingly complex, slow to change, and full of hidden dependencies.

So we decided to do something about it. Devanux was founded on a simple principle:

Technology should serve the business, not the other way around.

We believe that good infrastructure, smart automation, and well-designed software can make teams faster, safer, and more focused on what actually matters.

What we do

Devanux combines hands-on engineering with strategic insight.Our services include:

Linux & UNIX support, from Red Hat and SUSE to Debian and AIX.
DevOps & automation, CI/CD, monitoring, and Infrastructure as Code.
Software development & SaaS consulting, React, Go, PHP, Java.
AI forecasting and anomaly detection, turning raw data into decisions.
Fractional CTO & advisory, technical due diligence and IT governance.

Whether it’s optimizing uptime, reducing risk, or building your next SaaS product, we help you align technology with business goals.

Built on real experience

We’re not theorists.Our background includes everything from enterprise operations to startup launches.We’ve led technical due diligence for acquisitions, built full SaaS platforms like Nureti.com and ftpGrid.com, and implemented DevOps practices that actually last.

We use the same tools we recommend, Prometheus, Grafana, Docker, Terraform, and we approach every project with one goal:to make complex things simple and reliable.

Our philosophy

Simplicity first, complexity kills scalability.
Automation over repetition, if it can be automated, it should be.
Transparency builds trust, every change is documented and measurable.
Security by design, compliance isn’t an add-on; it’s the foundation.

We’re not interested in buzzwords or temporary fixes.We build systems you can depend on.

What’s next

Devanux is now live at devanux.com/en/. Our website will expand over the coming weeks with pillar pages on Linux, DevOps, SaaS development, and AI, plus a growing knowledge base and blog.
If your organization is struggling with Linux infrastructure, DevOps pipelines, or simply wants to simplify its technical landscape, we’d love to talk.

Get in touch

https://devanux.com/contact or email us directly: contact@devanux.com. We read every message, and we respond personally.

Devanux, bridging the gap between technology and business.

Camera Cloud Storage Without the Lock-In

Viggo Blum — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 08:24:58 +0000

If you own a Reolink or Axis camera, you already know how limiting their built-in “cloud” services can be — expensive subscriptions, short retention times, and data stored outside the EU.

At ftpGrid, we’ve built something different:

Secure, GDPR-compliant cloud storage with full FTP and SFTP access, optimized for camera uploads.

No vendor lock-in.
No hidden costs.
Just open standards that work with everything.
Oh and we don't do mining, tracking, or selling of your data!

Optimized for Reolink and Axis Cameras

Most cameras already support FTP upload — all you need is a reliable, always-on endpoint.

ftpGrid provides exactly that:

FTP, FTPS, SFTP, and SCP endpoints hosted in Germany
Automatic SSL/TLS via Let’s Encrypt
Encryption at rest and in transit
24/7 uptime with instant scaling
Free tier (256 MB) to get started in minutes

It works out of the box with:

Why It Matters

When AWS went down yesterday, countless “smart” camera services stopped working — leaving users with no access to their own footage.

ftpGrid isn’t built on Big Tech clouds.

Your data stays inside the EU, encrypted and private, running on co-located servers in Germany (Hetzner).

This isn’t just storage — it’s data independence.

Learn More

We just published the full tutorial on how to use ftpGrid as your optimized camera cloud storage:

Camera Cloud Storage – Optimized FTP/SFTP for Reolink and Axis

Or explore our main pages:

Built in Denmark 🇩🇰, hosted in Germany 🇩🇪,

trusted by users worldwide 🌍.

Try the free tier today:

https://ftpgrid.com

ftpGrid Now Has a Free Tier

Viggo Blum — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 08:10:40 +0000

For a long time, ftpGrid has been built for developers, teams, and businesses who need secure, GDPR-compliant FTP & SFTP cloud hosting — but until now, you had to pay to try it.

That changes today.

We’ve just launched the ftpGrid Free Tier, giving everyone 100 MB of free storage, full access to FTP, FTPS, SFTP, and no credit card required.

You can now test, integrate, and automate with ftpGrid — completely free.

Read the full announcement here:
https://ftpgrid.com/tutorials/ftpgrid-free-tier-launch/

Why It Matters

If you’ve ever wanted to:

Test a backup to SFTP without setting up a server
Connect an IoT device or camera to secure cloud storage
Try FTP automation scripts or integrations

…you can now do all that instantly — no setup, no hidden limits, and no billing surprises.

Your account is hosted in Germany (Hetzner), fully GDPR-compliant, and your files are encrypted in transit and at rest.

Even on the free plan, privacy and reliability come first.

Try It Today

Go to ftpgrid.com and click Sign up — your account will start on the Free Tier automatically.

You’ll have your own secure FTP & SFTP endpoint in under a minute.

Perfect for testing scripts, backups, or integrations — and upgrading is just one click away when you need more storage.

Learn more about what’s included:

ftpGrid Free Tier Launch Guide

Simple Cloud Storage API with SFTP

Viggo Blum — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 04:55:55 +0000

When you think about building a quick Storage API, chances are you imagine setting up buckets, SDKs, and custom APIs. But there’s an easier way: use a protocol you already know — SFTP (or FTP/FTPS).

With ftpGrid cloud FTP storage, you get all the benefits of a managed cloud service (GDPR compliance, automatic SSL, encryption at rest and in transit) — while still working with simple, familiar tools. No need to manage servers, patches, or firewalls. Just connect, upload, and you’re done.

Tutorials: Quick Storage API in Your Favorite Language

We’ve published a full Quick Storage API series, where each tutorial shows how to create a file and upload it to ftpGrid with SFTP:

Why choose SFTP as your storage API?

It’s language-agnostic: every language has a library or command-line tool.
It’s secure: encrypted by default, easy to integrate with keys.
It’s familiar: no steep learning curve, just upload and download.
It’s scalable: start with one file, expand to terabytes of data.

If you want to try it out, check our FTP Cloud Storage page or follow the Quick Start guide to get set up in minutes.

No buckets. No vendor lock-in. Just plain and simple cloud FTP storage.

We're building Pictoguide: Visual planning made simple

Viggo Blum — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 11:26:10 +0000

We’re building Pictoguide — a modern visual planning tool designed to bring clarity, structure, and peace of mind to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD, and other cognitive or developmental challenges.

The goal is to make daily routines easier to follow through visual guides, pictograms, and customizable schedules – all wrapped in an intuitive and flexible web app.

Whether you're a parent, educator, or therapist, Pictoguide aims to help the people you care for gain independence and reduce stress in everyday life.

Key features (planned):

Visual schedules & routines
Create step-by-step visual plans using pictograms and colors to support clarity and predictability.
Multi-user support for institutions
Ideal for schools, group homes, and day programs: create and manage structured plans for multiple individuals.
Reminders & checklists
Timed notifications and visual checkmarks help users stay on track and complete their tasks.
Progress tracking
See at a glance whether plans are followed – including delays, skipped steps, and completion rates.
User feedback system
Let users give quick feedback on how a task went (e.g. 👍 / 😐 / 👎 or smiley faces) – great for spotting patterns.
Reports & analytics
Generate usage statistics and export insights that help improve structure, support, and communication.
Privacy-first
Designed with data sensitivity in mind – especially important when working with vulnerable individuals.
Custom pictogram library
Use built-in pictograms or upload your own visuals to match each user's needs and preferences.
Accessible from any device
Web-based and responsive: works on tablets, phones, and desktops with no installation needed.

The project is in its early phase. If this sounds useful to you, check out pictoguide.com – we’re just getting started!

/Viggo Blum

Quick Start with Nureti: Time Tracking Made Simple

Viggo Blum — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 07:18:12 +0000

Getting started with time tracking shouldn’t be a hassle. Whether you're a freelancer, consultant, or small team, you probably don’t want to waste time setting up complex tools just to track your time.

That’s why we built Nureti – a lightweight and intuitive time tracking platform that works out of the box, without friction.

We just launched our new Time Tracking Quick Start Guide to help new users hit the ground running in under 5 minutes.

Read it here: https://nureti.com/time-tracking-quick-start-quide/

What you’ll learn in the guide:

How to log your first time entry in seconds
Using calendar view, one-click timers, or manual input – your choice
Managing projects, tasks and reports with zero bloat
Staying compliant with work-time regulations (if you're in the EU, for example)

No more spreadsheets. No more clunky interfaces. Just fast, clean time tracking.

Try Nureti for free → https://nureti.com

Let us know what you think — feedback is always welcome!

Building a Cloud FTP Storage API in Different Programming Languages

Viggo Blum — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 06:18:59 +0000

When developers talk about file storage, FTP is still one of the simplest and most widely supported protocols. But instead of running your own server, you can now use a cloud FTP server with managed hosting, GDPR compliance, and automatic TLS certificates.

At ftpGrid, we’ve started a blog series showing how to use cloud FTP storage as a simple storage API across different programming languages. Each tutorial demonstrates how to create a small text file and upload it securely via SFTP — giving you a quick way to integrate FTP cloud storage into your own projects.

Tutorials in the Series

Why Cloud FTP?

Using a cloud FTP server has clear advantages compared to running your own:

No server maintenance, patches, or firewalls
Automatic SSL/TLS certificates with Let’s Encrypt
Encryption in transit and at rest
Hosted in Germany with GDPR compliance
Works with FTP, SFTP, FTPS, and SCP

Read more on our pillar page about FTP cloud storage.

Next Steps

If you’re a developer looking for a simple, language-agnostic way to add FTP storage to your projects, try out these tutorials. They show just how quick it is to set up SFTP uploads with only a few lines of code.

We’ll continue expanding the series with more languages and real-world use cases. Stay tuned!

Self-hosted FTP vs managed cloud FTP/SFTP hosting

Viggo Blum — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 04:57:14 +0000

Running your own FTP server can be time-consuming and risky — managing certificates, configuring firewalls, handling user permissions, and keeping security patches up-to-date. ftpGrid’s Managed FTP Hosting takes care of all of that for you, so you can focus on your work instead of server admin. Whether you need FTP, FTPS, or SFTP, ftpGrid delivers enterprise-grade security and zero-maintenance hosting, all in the cloud.

Use cases for managed FTP/SFTP hosting:
Agencies exchanging files with clients
Enterprises with strict compliance requirements
Software vendors needing a secure delivery channel
Teams that want FTP/SFTP without the complexity of self-hosting
Private and professional surveillance camera storage
FTP/SFTP based API for cloud storage without privacy or GDPR concerns

Get started in 6 easy steps
Follow our onboarding guide and be up and running in seconds

Setup Axis Camera with Cloud Storage via ftpGrid

Viggo Blum — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 05:44:45 +0000

Need an easy way to store surveillance footage in the cloud? If you’re using an Axis network camera, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide showing how to connect it to ftpGrid for reliable FTP-based backup. The tutorial walks you through setting up motion detection, creating upload paths, and verifying that files are being securely stored — all without the need for local infrastructure.

WeTransfer now claims rights to your content – here’s an alternative

Viggo Blum — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 06:48:20 +0000

WeTransfer’s new Terms of Service give them the right to use your files for machine learning, derivative works, etc. We built ftpGrid as a privacy-first alternative.

Read the full blogpost about it here:
https://ftpgrid.com/tutorials/better-alternative-to-wetransfer/

FTP 101 – A Mini Series for Modern Devs Using Classic Protocols

Viggo Blum — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 18:26:55 +0000

Despite the age of FTP, it's still deeply embedded in many workflows – from backups and batch transfers to legacy integrations and automation. At ftpGrid.com, we’ve launched a practical tutorial series to help developers and sysadmins get confident with FTP, FTPS, and SFTP usage – one small topic at a time.

Whether you're managing cronjobs, writing backup scripts, or just want to brush up on those dusty command-line skills, this series is made for you.

The Tutorials

FTP 101 – Active vs. Passive Connections

Why does FTP even have two connection modes? We break down the difference between active and passive FTP, complete with ports, NAT issues, and a simple diagram.

FTP 101 – ASCII vs. Binary Transfer Types

What happens if you upload a .txt file in binary mode – or worse, an image in ASCII mode? This tutorial explains transfer modes and when they matter.

FTP 101 – Authentication Is (Still) Insecure

Plain FTP transmits passwords in cleartext. We explain the risks, and why protocols like SFTP are now the standard. ftpGrid enforces strong user/password combos, but you should really go SFTP.

FTP 101 – Basic FTP Usage Commands

Learn the classic commands: upload (put), download (get), list (ls), and move around. No fluff, just the essentials.

FTP 101 – Why Many Are Moving Away from Plain FTP

FTP is great for compatibility, but it has real limitations. This piece explains why many devs are choosing SFTP or SCP instead.

FTP 101 – Difference Between `get` and `mget`

Single file or multiple? get vs mget can be confusing at first. Here’s how to fetch files the smart way.

FTP 101 – Difference Between `put` and `mput`

Want to upload just one file, or dozens? Learn how put and mput handle uploads – including common mistakes to avoid.

FTP 101 – Navigating with `mkdir` and `cd`

Move around your FTP server and create folders like a pro. This tutorial covers cd, mkdir, and how to prep the structure before you upload.

FTP 101 – Rename and Remove in FTP

Clean up your remote files with rename, delete, and rmdir. We explain the syntax and caveats when deleting folders.

Why this series?

FTP is not dead – it’s just underappreciated. Whether you’re managing SFTP storage from a Python script, deploying backups from a cronjob, or debugging legacy automation, knowing the tools matters.

At ftpGrid.com, we’re building cloud-hosted FTP/SFTP with modern features, including:

Simple dashboards
Automatic strong credential enforcement
Secure SFTP with SSH key support
FTPS and plain FTP for legacy systems

…and yes, plenty more tutorials coming soon (including how to use FTP in Python, Go, Bash, and even Cobol ... no no really Cobol!).

Follow the Series

To keep things digestible, each article is tiny and focused. We’ll continue exploring FTP use cases, backups, SFTP integration in code, and more.

Got a use case or language you want covered? Hit me up.

Let’s make FTP usable again.

—

ftpGrid.com – SFTP, FTPS, and FTP hosting for developers