windowserver

Pulkit Gulati

Use Robocopy to copy files on Windows Server

Robocopy is a robust file copy command for the Windows command line. It allows users to copy files, directories, and even drives from one location to another. It can be automated with Task Scheduler to run at specific times.

Robocopy example to copy a file from Source to Destination:

Format:

Robocopy [Src] [Dest] [filename] [options]

Src: Can be local or UNC path

Dest: Can be local or UNC path

Code Sample batch file:

SET DTVARYEAR=%Date:~10,4%
SET DTVARMONTH=%Date:~4,2%
SET DTVARDATE=%Date:~7,2%


echo Sync Started

Robocopy C:\Data\TestFolder C:\Data\Logs\TestFolder\%DTVARYEAR%-%DTVARMONTH%-%DTVARDATE%_TestFolder testlogfile.log /FFT /Z /XA:H /LOG+:C:\Data\SchedTasks\LogsTest\%DTVARYEAR%-%DTVARMONTH%_AppLogs.txt 

echo  Log synced

The above code will copy the testlogfile.log from Source to Destination.

Options:
/FFT Assumes FAT file times (two-second precision).
/Z Copies files in restartable mode.
/XA:H exclude hidden file
/LOG+ log output to file and append.

Additional useful options:
/MIR Mirrors a directory tree (equivalent to /e plus /purge).
/XF exclude specified file
/XD exclude specified directory

Pulkit Gulati

Enable disable Windows Service and Scheduled Tasks with PowerShell

Often we may need to enable/disable Windows Services and Scheduled tasks on a Windows Server.

Below is the snippet to Enable Windows Service and Scheduled task with PowerShell:

$tasknames = "Test Task1","Test task2" $servicename = "Test Service1","Test Service2" foreach($task in $tasknames) {  ##disabling tasks on server  $taskstatus = Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName $task  if($taskstatus.State -eq "Disabled")   {    Enable-ScheduledTask -TaskName $task -Verbose   }   elseif($taskstatus.State -eq "Ready")   {   Write-Host "Task: $task already running"   }      } ##### Service checks and execution  foreach($service in $servicename)  {  $servicestatus = Get-Service $service  if($servicestatus.Status -eq "Stopped")   {    Start-Service $service  -Verbose    }    elseif($servicestatus.Status -eq "Started")    {    Write-host "Service: $service already Started"    }   }

The below snippet shows how to disable the Scheduled tasks and Windows Service:

$tasknames = "Test Task1","Test task2" $servicename = "Test Service1","Test Service2" foreach($task in $tasknames) {  ##disabling tasks on server  $taskstatus = Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName $task  if($taskstatus.State -eq "Ready")   {    Disable-ScheduledTask -TaskName $task -Verbose   }   elseif($taskstatus.State -eq "Disabled")   {   Write-Host "Task: $task already disabled"   }      } ##### Service checks and execution  foreach($service in $servicename)  {  $servicestatus = Get-Service $service  if($servicestatus.Status -eq "Running")   {    Stop-Service $service -Force -Verbose    }    elseif($servicestatus.Status -eq "Stopped")    {    Write-host "Service: $service already stopped"    }   } 

You can save the above scripts in .ps1 format for PowerShell and call them e.g. using a .bat file.
Pulkit Gulati

Good old dir and copy commands

This is a true troubleshooting story!

Today, one of the users of my application wanted to know if we can find out the original title of a ticket created in the Application. Although, we do not store any such logs for modifications, while on the verge of giving up, I remembered we archive the e-mails received by the Windows Service application that processes the e-mails and archives them at a location on the Server on which it is installed. The e-mail Subject line is stored as the ticket title. These tickets which are created by the Windows Service can be viewed in the Web Application.

Since the folder with the archiving e-mails have a lot of ’em, simply doing a Windows Search is a time killer! So I remembered my way through the good old DOS commands.

Since the .eml file has the ticket number, I used the dir command to search for the e-mail name and copy command to copy it to another location quickly.

Firstly cd to the location where the archived e-mails are stored on the Server:

So e.g. if the ticket number is 123456

dir *123456* /s

The /s searches for the File name inside the two wildcard characters asterisk “*” with the dir command.

Then if the file name is e.g. TICKET123456 – abc.eml then use copy command as follows within the same directory:

copy "TICKET123456 - abc.eml" c:\Temp

So, with the e-mail having the original Subject Line preserved, I could share the original ticket title.