Robocopy ignoring files sporadically

Question

I've got a robocopy script running that has been only working sporadically in the past few weeks.

The Problem

• In the source directory, I'm receiving files twice a day. This script has worked for years flawlessly, but since ~December, two out of three times the script runs it ignores the files.

The Script

The goal: Copying files within a naming scheme *Identifier1* to a UNC path, then process them with another application which moves them.

set sourcefile=D:\some\local\path\here\
set destination=\\someip\some\path\
mkdir %destination%
robocopy %sourcefile% %destination% *Identifier1* /V /R:5 /W:10 >> %Logfile%

wait 60  
anotherapplication.exe

The Environment

• Fully patched Windows Server 2012R2
• Legacy batch script, not a powershell script
• I trigger the script via task scheduler with elevated rights
• User executing is a domain user with local administrative rights
• I have to use the *Identifier*in the script. I receive two files, one being named $Timestamp_Identifier1.csv and the other $Timestamp_Identifier2.csv. I only need to copy one of them.

What I've tried

• checked both file and directories permissions - the user that is running the script definitely has r/w rights. Copying manually works perfectly fine when remoting in with his credentials.
• Enabled the /V switch to get more output. Unfortunately, robocopy doesn't even mention the files it is ignoring in the log.
• Enabled the /R:5 and /W:10 switches to make sure it's not a load issue
• Tried to let robocopy copy to a local directory first, which results in the same behaviour of "working sometimes". It's the same files that get ignored if I copy both to a local and a UNC path in the same batch.

Things worth noting

• Besides the timestamp, the files always have the same naming scheme
• There is no visible difference between files that get copied and files that don't. This includes their name and file permissions.
• The files are created in the source directory by WinSCP after downloading from a webdav-service. Log says nothing unusual.
• the anotherapplication.exe that I run within the same script picks the files up just fine and is indeed capable of moving them.

Any ideas or hints? As always, thanks a lot.

Answer 1

Robocopy ignoring files sporadically. Copying files within a naming scheme Identifier1 to a UNC path

You could try to add the /FFT switch with Robocopy:

robocopy /FFT %sourcefile% %destination% *Identifier1* /V /R:5 /W:10 >> %Logfile%

Robocopy Switch

/FFT : Assume FAT File Times (2-second date/time granularity).

_{Better Description}

/FFT uses fat file timing instead of NTFS. This means the granularity is a > bit less precise. For across-network share operations this seems to be much more reliable - just don't rely on the file timings to be completely precise to the second.

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Another Example

I've used a similar syntax as listed below in the past for a file server migration of many hundreds of gigs of data using UNC paths without any issue or errors I couldn't resolve.

Consider using the IF NOT EXIST "%destination%" mkdir "%destination%" to only make the directory is it does not exist. Also consider doing a recursive DIR /S "%sourcefile%\*Identifier1*" >> %LogFile% to put the detail to the log to show the full path and file name of those that match the naming convention. This way you can see if the file shows in that command in the expected location before the Robocopy even begins as another level of confirming a file exists.

_{/ZB :: use restartable mode; if access denied use Backup mode.}

IF NOT EXIST "%destination%" mkdir "%destination%"
DIR /S "%sourcefile%\*Identifier1*" >> %LogFile%
robocopy /FFT %sourcefile% %destination% *Identifier1* /ZB /SEC /COPYALL /SECFIX /R:5 /W:5 /LOG+:%LogFile% /V

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Additional

1. You might also consider testing the /IS, /M, and /A switches with Robocopy.

2. You could potentially use XCOPY with the /Y and /F switch to get full logging with that method in a simple FOR loop which seems it'd do exactly what you need as well

   FOR %%A IN ("%sourcefile%\*Identifier1*") DO XCOPY /Y /F "%%~F" "%destination%\">> %Logfile%