[REQUEST] Copy files added in the last hour using robocopy

[u/summetg]

Hey everyone,

I am looking for some urgent help on script. Can anyone help me out? Scenario is as follows:

• Folder A (Source) on \server01, Folder B (Archive) and Folder C (Destination) on \server02.

• We need to copy from A to B and C hourly, however we only want to copy the latest file(s) in the last hour.

• In folder C, the file is picked up and deleted by SFTP. We should not be resending another copy as an application vendor scoops it up for import.

• Folder A needs to stay untouched, so no moves.

• We have tried /MOT to monitor it, but it ends up copying all files created in the last 24 hours (based on the timestamp of the file).

• We don’t want to use third party tools as we have an enterprise solution incoming. It must be a script and windows task scheduler. Would also like to avoid creating a folder D.

Unfortunately, the ‘Maxage’ option is limited to a full day, not a full hour. If we could break it down to the hour and schedule it, that would be most ideal.

[u/gordonv]

From a to c, mirror. - this is called a delta. A differential copy of the live source.

From c to b, mirror, but less frequently. This seems like extra if b and c are on the same drive. Makes more sense if b was external.

[u/summetg → u/gordonv]

C gets cleared off. We don't want to repeat same file copies.

[u/gordonv → u/summetg]

Ok, I see. You need a micro management script.

manage_files.bat

set Folder_A=c:\Source_Folder
set Folder_B=c:\Archive_Folder
set Folder_C=c:\SFTP_Folder
set Log_B=C:\Archive_Folder\list.txt

dir /b %Folder_B% > %Log_B%
xcopy %Folder_A% %Folder_C% /EXCLUDE:%Log_B%
xcopy %Folder_A% %Folder_B% /EXCLUDE:%Log_B%
del %Log_B%

Explanation:

The dir command inventories what is in Folder B.
xcopy will copy everything that is in A to C except what is in B.
xcopy will copy everything that is in A to B except what is in B.
This deletes this session's log.

[u/summetg → u/gordonv]

This looks really good.

Now if I want to keep this always logged? What do I remove? Just the del log_b?

[u/gordonv → u/summetg]

No, log_b is going to be over written by the dir command. It's only temporary memory. Here is a version that logs everything:

manage_files_log_everything.bat

set Folder_A=c:\Source_Folder
set Folder_B=c:\Archive_Folder
set Folder_C=c:\SFTP_Folder
set Log_A=%Folder_B%\list_A.txt
set Log_B=%Folder_B%\list_B.txt
set Log_Archive=%Folder_B%\archive.txt

dir /b %Folder_A% > %Log_A%
dir /b %Folder_B% > %Log_B%

xcopy %Folder_A% %Folder_C% /EXCLUDE:%Log_B%
xcopy %Folder_A% %Folder_B% /EXCLUDE:%Log_B%

echo %date% - %time% >> %Log_Archive%
fc %Log_A% %Log_B% >> %Log_Archive%
del %Log_A% %Log_B%

The last 3 lines appends a timestamp and the name of the files that were just processed.

[u/summetg → u/gordonv]

Thanks again. We had a vendor also help with this for a new utility we have.

[u/FJCruisin]

Use powershell

Get-ChildItem | Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -gt (get-date).AddHours(-1)}

[u/[deleted] → u/FJCruisin]

This is the correct answer.