ROBOCOPY: How to use HTTP for file replication with Robocopy.exe

[Abhishek Sharma]

Hi,

I saw the following link :
http://www.devhood.com/tools/tool_details.aspx?tool_id=321

which says :
"A tool created by developers at Microsoft ... <b> copy gigs of files
from web servers </b>that are geographically far"

Can anyone tell me how to configure Robocopy to use HTTP for file
replication.



Thanking you,
Abhishek Sharma.
www.netdecisions.com

 

[Bill Stewart]

Can anyone tell me how to configure Robocopy to use HTTP for file
replication.

Robocopy doesn't use http as a transport protocol. You could, however,
establish VPN connections to remote servers and then copy the data,
although this might be rather slow due to encryption.

What are your requirements?

 

[Abhishek Sharma]

Hi Bill,

I want to publish content using a CMS and then replicate the content
across 5-10 different IIS web servers.
These servers will be deployed in an ISP environment, the content
consists of an ecommerce site.


regards,
Abhishek Sharma.
www.netdecisions.com.

 

[Michael Bednarek]

I want to publish content using a CMS and then replicate the content
across 5-10 different IIS web servers.
These servers will be deployed in an ISP environment, the content
consists of an ecommerce site.

I suspect you need access to the file system on those servers; like Bill
suggested, a VPN might do it. Then you can use ROBOCOPY. I don't think
HTTP can be used for file transfers to a server, at least I hope it
can't.

(CMS = Content Management System?)

 

[Ritchie]

suggested, a VPN might do it. Then you can use ROBOCOPY. I don't think
HTTP can be used for file transfers to a server, at least I hope it
can't.

Where have you been hiding for the last ten years <G>

http://www.w3c.org/Protocols/rfc2068/rfc2068 [Page 50-51]

You must have used a bulletin board, or filled in a form before!

 

[Michael Bednarek]

suggested, a VPN might do it. Then you can use ROBOCOPY. I don't think
HTTP can be used for file transfers to a server, at least I hope it
can't.

Where have you been hiding for the last ten years <G>

http://www.w3c.org/Protocols/rfc2068/rfc2068 [Page 50-51]

You must have used a bulletin board, or filled in a form before!

But file transfers? Can you enlighten me (and the OP)?

 

[Ritchie]

But file transfers? Can you enlighten me (and the OP)?

We must be talking cross purposes. If I add an attachment to
a hotmail email, I've just transferred a file to the server
using the HTTP protocol.

 

[Michael Bednarek]

We must be talking cross purposes. If I add an attachment to
a hotmail email, I've just transferred a file to the server
using the HTTP protocol.

I don't know how that works. It seems a lot of JavaScripts and other CGI
scripts (.../cgi-bin/doattach) are involved. Anyway, these transfers are
initiated from the web server (through scripts), not from the "client's"
command line. So I doubt that any of these methods are of any use to the
OP who wanted to synchronise web content across several IIS servers with
ROBOCOPY.

Can you tell us how to do that without access to the servers' file
system?

 

[Ritchie]

I don't know how that works. It seems a lot of JavaScripts and other CGI
scripts (.../cgi-bin/doattach) are involved. Anyway, these transfers are

They're commonly handled at the server end by ASP or PHP scripts.

initiated from the web server (through scripts), not from the "client's"
command line. So I doubt that any of these methods are of any use to the
OP who wanted to synchronise web content across several IIS servers with
ROBOCOPY.

No-one said they were. My reply is a repsonse to your comment regarding
HTTP and that it can't be used for file transfers. Millions of files are
transferred every day using HTTP.

Can you tell us how to do that without access to the servers' file
system?

Yer, we're definitely talking cross purposes.

When you browse the web, you're using HTTP's GET method, and when you
upload, you're using PUT or POST. If the server hasn't implemented PUT
or POST you won't be able to upload using HTTP, just like you won't see
a webpage if the server ignores the HTTP GET method.

 

[Marty List]

Hi,

I saw the following link :
http://www.devhood.com/tools/tool_details.aspx?tool_id=321

which says :
"A tool created by developers at Microsoft ... <b> copy gigs of files
from web servers </b>that are geographically far"

Can anyone tell me how to configure Robocopy to use HTTP for file
replication.



Thanking you,
Abhishek Sharma.
www.netdecisions.com

I don't think they meant it the way you are understanding it, they used
ROBOCOPY to copy files over SMB protocol, typical \\server\share scenario.
The machines just happened to eb web servers, it does not mean they used
HTTP to do this.

Explain in detail what it is you are trying to accomplish, and what is
allowed by the firewalls etc. to travel between the servers. There may be
other solutions, like:

WebDAV:
Part of IIS 5 and 6, allows file transfers through Explorer.
http://www.webdav.org/

WebDrive:
http://www.southrivertech.com/products/webdrive/

TeamDrive Document Sharing:
http://www.teamstream.com/product.htm

 

[Abhishek Sharma]

Hi,

My requirement is as follows:

I have a box with CMS configured,first it will be publishing the
content to the local box, from here the content has to be distributed
across different IIS servers in an NLB setup. This content is the web
front end of an ecom portal.

If it can happen by using a protocol other then SMB then it would be
gr8.


Thanking you,
Abhishek Sharma.
www.netdecisions.com.

 

[Marty List]

Hi,

My requirement is as follows:

I have a box with CMS configured,first it will be publishing the
content to the local box, from here the content has to be distributed
across different IIS servers in an NLB setup. This content is the web
front end of an ecom portal.

If it can happen by using a protocol other then SMB then it would be
gr8.


Thanking you,
Abhishek Sharma.
www.netdecisions.com.

Which "CMS" are you using? I thought that was the purpose of a content
management system, to manage the web server content for you.

Check out the eval versions of WebDrive and TeamDrive, they will let you map
a drive letter to a URL, and I assume they use HTTP to communicate. You
could use something like RoboCopy with one of these tools. There are other
products out there that are designed to do what you want, but they're very
expensive.