diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/apps/Oai2ftp/utils/StorageClientFactory.java b/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/apps/Oai2ftp/utils/StorageClientFactory.java
index f213384..2475bb4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/apps/Oai2ftp/utils/StorageClientFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/apps/Oai2ftp/utils/StorageClientFactory.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package eu.dnetlib.apps.oai2ftp.utils;
 
-import java.net.URL;
+import java.net.URI;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
 public class StorageClientFactory {
 
 	@Value("${oai2ftp.conf.storage.url}")
-	private URL storageUrl;
+	private URI storageUrl;
 
 	@Value("${oai2ftp.conf.storage.user}")
 	private String storageUser;
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public class StorageClientFactory {
 
 	public StorageClient newClient() {
 
-		final String protocol = storageUrl.getProtocol();
+		final String protocol = storageUrl.getScheme();
 		final String host = storageUrl.getHost();
 		final int port = storageUrl.getPort();
 		final String path = storageUrl.getPath();
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ public class StorageClientFactory {
 		} else if (protocol.equalsIgnoreCase("file")) {
 			client = new LocalStorage();
 		} else {
-			throw new RuntimeException("Invalid storage protocol: " + protocol);
+			throw new RuntimeException("Invalid storage protocol: " + protocol + " (valid protocol are: file, ftp and ftps)");
 		}
 		client.login(storageUser, storagePassword);
 		client.changeDir(path);
diff --git a/src/main/resources/application.properties b/src/main/resources/application.properties
index c06e76b..17870a5 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/application.properties
+++ b/src/main/resources/application.properties
@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@ spring.jpa.hibernate.ddl-auto=update
 spring.jpa.properties.hibernate.format_sql=true
 spring.jpa.properties.hibernate.dialect=org.hibernate.dialect.H2Dialect
 
-oai2ftp.conf.storage.url      = file:///tmp/test_oai 
-oai2ftp.conf.storage.user     = 
-oai2ftp.conf.storage.password = 
+# supported protocols: file, ftp and ftps
+# oai2ftp.conf.storage.url      = file:///tmp/test_oai 
+oai2ftp.conf.storage.url      = ftp://localhost/oai_dumps
+oai2ftp.conf.storage.user     = test
+oai2ftp.conf.storage.password = testPwd
 
 oai2ftp.conf.execution.expirationTime = 12