Overview of the TFTP protocol.
TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) is, as its name implies, a very simple mechanism for transferring files between 2 hosts.
TFTP is typically used for downloading software and configuration files to Internet and LAN appliances like routers, switches and gateways.
Due to its simplicity, TFTP is often contained in bootloader programs that need to have a very small memory footprint in order to fit into EEPROM style chips.
TFTP is not a reduced version or predecessor of FTP. TFTP and FTP do not have anything in common and serve different purposes. While FTP comes with some minimal access and session control and other features, TFTP is barely a file transport mechanism.