Best DOS command to move lots of data?

[NightWalker]

I have 16GB to move at work. Tried xcopy but it seems to miss bits, the data move ended up 1GB short
Thought I would try robocopy this weekend and try and sync the two copies of the data, not enough time to move it all again. Anyone have any experience with robocopy, there are a lot of switches to use....

[zebulebu]

Yeps

Give me a few minutes and I'll dig out the syntax of my usual robocopy batch file for mirroring a directory tree to another share on a different server

[NightWalker]

Originally Posted by zebulebu

Yeps

Give me a few minutes and I'll dig out the syntax of my usual robocopy batch file for mirroring a directory tree to another share on a different server

Cool, thanks zeb.

[zebulebu]

Here ya go

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL

SET _source=\\server1\share1
SET _dest=\\server2\share2
SET _what=/COPYALL /B /SEC /MIR
:: /COPYALL :: COPY ALL file info
:: /B :: copy files in Backup mode.
:: /SEC :: copy files with SECurity
:: /MIR :: MIRror a directory tree

SET _options=/R:0 /W:0 /LOG+:c:\BackupLog.txt
:: /R:n :: number of Retries
:: /W:n :: Wait time between retries
:: /LOG :: Output log file

ROBOCOPY %_source% %_dest% %_what% %_options%

[NightWalker]

Thanks, I will run a few tests tomorrow on some data.

[zebulebu]

So how did it work out for ya?
If you need it, there is some excellent documentation and examples for Robocopy here

[NightWalker]

I ran some tests today and tweaked the switches to get it to do what I needed. The data I needed to move was mostly in the new location on the FAP server at Head Office. I told the team leader who’s data it is that I would need to verify the transfer was successful before his staff started using it and not the original copy at the data centre. So he sent a big blanket email the Friday before telling everyone to use the new copy from Monday (this was last Friday). So xcopy failed to deliver the goods, and I was left with this mess!

Users have been updating files all week on the new copy of the data, the old copy has been static. It made the whole business of re-syncing the data infinitely more complicated (if only they listened...). So I added the /XO switch to your batch file and took out the /MIR (had to add /S and /E too). Tested it moving some files around my C: drive and was happy with the results. So now its all ready to start in a scheduled task at 6am on Sunday. I will let you know the results Monday.

[NightWalker]

Robocopy, he gets the job done.

Worked a treat, sorted out the mess! xcopy seems to fall down when there is a lot of data to move. It missed bits, not good. Robocopy filled the gaps, and has enough switches to do exactly what you need it to. So for smaller data moves, less than a few GBs, xcopy will do fine, for everything else there is Robocopy.