Data transfer policies between source and target servers in a wide area network

A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: sending a request to a target server to initiate a unidirectional connection, receiving a reply indicating whether the target server is capable of hosting the unidirectional connection or indicating identification of a unidirectional port, initiating a unidirectional connection to the identified unidirectional port of the target server in response to the reply providing the identification of the unidirectional port, sending a request to begin sending data to the target server over the unidirectional connection, receiving a response from the target server indicating that the target server is ready to receive data over the unidirectional connection, sending data to the target server over the unidirectional connection, sending a termination message over the unidirectional connection in response to sending the data to the target server, terminating the unidirectional connection, and performing a next communication with the target server over the TCP/IP connection.