Mirror/Backup from SSH/SFTP to Windows

Question

What I am trying to do is mirror a directory (recursively) from a server I can SSH/SFTP to, to a Windows machine. I want to do this as part of a script, so it can be automated.

I only want to copy new or modified files. I don't want to have to download all the files every time the script runs.

In other words, I'm trying to get the equivalent of RoboCopy /MIR that will work using SFTP as a source.

What would you recommend?

Solution 1

WinSCP can synchronize directories using /synchronize or with a script.

Solution 2

Mount your SFTP server as a drive using SFTPNetDrive then robocopy as regular (probably with /Z).

Comments

[Andrew Russell]

My impression is that rsync also needs to be installed on the server I am connecting to? Is this correct?

[Andrew Russell]

Worked for me, thanks. The command I used: "C:\Program Files (x86)\WinSCP\WinSCP.com" My_Stored_WinSCP_Session /command "synchronize local X:\Local\Target\Directory /the/remote/directory" exit

[user3418803]

Yes, rsync would need to be installed on the server as well. When given a remote file path, it will connect via SSH and run and rsync daemon on the server.

[Polos]

hmm and I guess rsync is then running privileged and so I can access even root only files using rsync?

[user3418803]

@stefan.at.wpf No, the rsync daemon runs as the user who connected by SSH. It would only have root privileges if root started it as a service on the server (and then you would use the rsync protocol to connect instead of SSH). But even in this mode, the rsync daemon can be configured to run as a less-privileged user.

[russellpierce]

For rsync to work well it needs to be installed in both locations. In my experience, rsync on Windows doesn't work so well. DeltaSync hides some of the cygwin. Unison does an even better job, but is overkill for what you are doing.

[russellpierce]

... unless you have large files that you are transferring for which a smallish proportion of the file actually changes.