The current Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) does not transfer any information about the files to be transferred, only the file contents as a byte stream. This is sufficient for Unix-type files if the sender and receiver use the same CCS. However, it is possible to set specific file permissions for transferred files by using the chmod command.

With MVS data sets, Tectia needs more information: which transfer format to use, what coded character sets are involved, and what the file characteristics are. Tectia introduces some extensions to SFTP and the information can be relayed by using the site commands of scpg3 and sftpg3. Alternatively file transfer profiles can be used.