Server to server file copy fails

[Michael Lawson]

I have a very strange problem. I have two W2K domain controllers; one on the
private side of the firewall (Checkpoint NG) and the other on the DMZ. I
have drive mappings of each server on the other server. I can copy files
from one server to the other only in small chunks. For example; one of the
folders on Server1 has 16GB of files that I want to copy to another folder
on Server2. If I use Explorer to perform the copy it starts and copys fine
for a couple of minutes then the copy progress window disappears and the
copying stops. If I use a program like SecondCopy 2000 the copy profile runs
for a couple of minutes and ceases. The log shows and error - access denied.
Tried xcopy - ran for a couple of minutes and then posted an error - access
denied. Both servers are logged in as administrator and the share mappings
provide administrator with full rights. I am completely baffeled. I'm
pulling what remaining hair I have out of my head over this. Any suggestions
would be greatly appreciated.

Mike Lawson
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Greg Stigers]

Oh, not so strange. I've seen non-trivial copy and ftp operations expose the
proverbial weakest link. I could tell you some stories. The first thing I
would suspect is the firewall itself, as I have seen ill-tempered firewalls
just not be able to keep up, either due to underperforming hardware, or
known bugs that had been patched, but whose patches never got applied.

I am not familiar SecondCopy 2000, but I do recommend network-aware tools
like robocopy or even ftp (ftp being open to debate), over xcopy or
Explorer-based operations.

 

[Michael Lawson]

I tried a test case of about 8GB of data with robocopy and the copy/mirror
proceeded without error. I have three rather large shared folders that I
have a robocopy setup for: one on monday another on tuesday and the third on
wednesday and then I repeat the process on thursday through saturday. The
first real copy runs tonight. I sure would like to know (but probably never
will) excatly why robocopy works and the others fail. Thanks Greg for all
your help.

Mike Lawson