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Accepted
yegor256
Asked: 2012-06-09 00:52:55 +0800 CST

How to copy directory from one Linux server to another with a minimum in-between period?

  • 772

I have a rather big directory on one server (over 4000 files), which I'd like to copy to another server (which contains a previous version of this directory). rsync is the first option, but it will put the destination folder into waiting status for a rather long period of time (more than a minute).

I'd like to do it a bit differently:

  1. gzip the source folder
  2. scp the archive to the destination server
  3. gunzip the file there
  4. delete the archive at the source and the destination

What is the best way to accomplish all this?

linux rsync scp

5 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    rsync has --delay-updates which seems to be what you need:

    «…

    This option puts the temporary file from each updated file into a holding directory until the end of the transfer, at which time all the files are renamed into place in rapid succession. This attempts to make the updating of the files a little more atomic. By default the files are placed into a directory named ".~tmp~" in each

    …»

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  2. The fastest way, if you have the space, is to rsync twice. Keep two copies of the files on the destination machine. First do a remote rsync to update the inactive copy. Then do a local rsync to update the active copy from the inactive copy.

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  3. rsync to a cold copy, then just change a symlink and delete the former active copy

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  4. Stop the web service on the target server for 10 minutes, do the update in any way you feel is sensible (rsync is fine), then start the web service again.

    • 0

  5. 1-2-3: tar -c -O <source folder> | gzip -c | ssh <destination server> "gzip -d | tar -x "

    4: rm <source folder>

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