Robocopy or equivalent in .net

[m3ckon]

Hi,

I currently use robocopy to backup my files to other servers on the network.

However, I'd like to be able to do this using vb.net and would like to write a program to incorporate files etc...

Could you please tell me how this can be done?

M3ckon

 

[mjb3030]

I recently wrote a program for that very purpose. It is a work in progress and still contains some bugs, so I will just post the primary method here. The most important thing to realize is that it needs to be a recursive function because you are going to have to drill down into your directories.

[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Private [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Sub[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] BackupFiles([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] str [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2])
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Dim[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] mainDirStr [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] = str
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Directory.Exists(mainDirStr) [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Then[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#008000]
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]For [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Each[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] mainDirStr [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]In[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Directory.GetDirectories(mainDirStr)
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]ChangedDir(mainDirStr)[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Then [COLOR=seagreen]'The ChangedDir function checks if the directory has been changed since last backup. That way you don't have to check each file every time.[/COLOR]
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]BackupFiles(mainDirStr) [COLOR=seagreen]'Recursive call[/COLOR]
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]For [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Each[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] f [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]In[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Directory.GetFiles(mainDirStr)
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] (File.GetCreationTime(f) > LastBackupDate [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]OrElse[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] File.GetLastWriteTime(f) > LastBackupDate) [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]OrElse[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] FullBackup [COLOR=blue]Then[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Not[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Directory.Exists("d:\STL Backup\" & CurrentHost & RemoveRootAndFile(f)) [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Then [COLOR=seagreen]'We want to create the needed directories at the target location[/COLOR]
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]Directory.CreateDirectory("d:\STL Backup\" & CurrentHost & RemoveRootAndFile(f)) [COLOR=seagreen]'RemoveRootAndFile is a function that gives me the middle portion of the full filename[/COLOR]
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Try
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]File.Copy(f, "d:\STL Backup\" & CurrentHost & RemoveRoot(f), [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]True[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2])
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Catch[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] ex [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Exception
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Try[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Next
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Next
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]For [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Each[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] f [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]In[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Directory.GetFiles(str)
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] (File.GetCreationTime(f) > LastBackupDate [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]OrElse[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] File.GetLastWriteTime(f) > LastBackupDate) [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]OrElse[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] FullBackup [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Then[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#008000]
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Not[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Directory.Exists("d:\STL Backup\" & CurrentHost & RemoveRootAndFile(f)) [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Then
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]Directory.CreateDirectory("d:\STL Backup\" & CurrentHost & RemoveRootAndFile(f))
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Try
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]File.Copy(f, "d:\STL Backup\" & CurrentHost & RemoveRoot(f), [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]True[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2])
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Catch[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] ex [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Exception
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Try[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Next
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Sub
[/COLOR][/SIZE]

There are a number of things you would probably want to change here. For example, I am using Exception instead of IOException. This was written pretty quickly, and I have not had time to go through and make it more bullet-proof. But, it might get you started.

 

[mjb3030]

Here is the ChangedDir function:

[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Private [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Function[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] ChangedDir([/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]ByVal[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] d [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]String[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]) [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]As [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Boolean
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2] Directory.GetLastWriteTime(d) > LastBackupDate [/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Then
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Return [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]True
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Else
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Return [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]False
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]If
[/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]End [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]Function[/COLOR][/SIZE]

 

[LittleFish]

Try using the VB Shell Function to run Robocopy

I've been using Robocopy VBScripts for network backups but would like to add additional functionality. The Shell function from the VisualBasic.Interaction Class seems promising.

Good luck