Although a lot of file transfer is now handled using HTTP, FTP is still commonly used to transfer files behind the scenes for other applications -- e.g., hidden behind the user interfaces of banking, a service that helps build a website, such as Wix or SquareSpace, or other services.
Yes, there is a utility to read log files named LogRead. LogRead is a GUI utility to read, query, sort, merge and translate log files from all Progress components (e.g. AdminServer, AppServer, Messenger). It is provided as a diagnostic utility to assist in the analysis of log files. LogRead 1.1 is now available as source and can be downloaded from:
Accessing server logs. Use ArcGIS Server Manager to view, query, configure, and delete server logs. Manager reads the various logs kept by each GIS server machine and aggregates the messages into a table that's easy to read and manipulate. To access the logs, follow these steps: Open Manager and log in.