Using robocopy for file servers migration

"Robocopy" is a robust and powerful command on Windows to copy files and directories. Why do we use "robocopy" for file server migration?

There are some reasons.

1. It can maintain NTFS permission of files and directories during copy to new file server within the same domain.

2. It provided verification function to check the difference of source and destination

3. "Robocopy" supports multi-threaded copies. It improves the efficiency.

4. The backup mode of "robocopy" can copy files or directories to destination which you aren't granted permission to access it.

In my case, I performed "robocopy" with the following parameters to copy files and directories from source to destination.

Assuming that I logged in to a new file server, Windows Server 2012 R2, and then mapped network to the old file server.

For the first time, I performed Robocopy <source directory or drive> <Destination directory or drive> /ZB /e /sec /copyall /TEE /MT:128 /r:0 /log:C:\copylog.txt

/ZB: use restart mode first. If the file or directory isn't granted permission for us to copy, use backup mode to copy it.

/e: copy subdirectories, including Empty ones.

/sec: copy files and directories with Security

/copyall: copy files and directories info like auditing info

/TEE: this is an optional parameter which is displayed the coping status on "Command Prompt"

/MT:128 use 128 threaded to copy files and directories. However, it use many CPU resource.

/r:0 I don't want to retry at this time.

/log: save a log file to location

The second time, I prefer to copy the delta of files and directories. I added 4 parameters to copy from source to destination again.

Robocopy <source directory or drive> <Destination directory or drive> /ZB /e /sec /copyall /TEE /MT:128 /r:1 /XD /XF /XO /purge /log:C:\copylog.txt

/XD: eXclude Directories matching given names/paths but it can still add new or extra directories

/XF: eXclude Files matching given names/paths/wildcards but it still can add new or extra files

/XO: exclude older files or directories

/purge: delete dest files/dirs that no longer exist in source. 

After that, we can migrate share permission of share folder. To migrate share permission, please read Migrating File Servers in the same domain. Then, we can stop sharing from the old server and change the network drive mapping to the new file server.

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!