Transfer data with AzCopy and file storage

  • Article

AzCopy is a command-line utility that you can use to copy files to or from a storage account. This article contains example commands that work with Azure Files.

Get started

See the Get started with AzCopy article to download AzCopy and learn about the ways that you can provide authorization credentials to the storage service.

Note

The examples in this article show the use of a SAS token to authorize access. However, for commands that target files and directories, you can now provide authorization credentials by using Microsoft Entra ID and omit the SAS token from those commands. You'll still have to use a SAS token in any command that targets only the file share or the account (For example: 'azcopy make https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare' or 'azcopy copy 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net'.

To learn more, see Authorize AzCopy.

Create file shares

You can use the azcopy make command to create a file share. The example in this section creates a file share named myfileshare.

Tip

This example encloses path arguments with single quotes (''). Use single quotes in all command shells except for the Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe). If you're using a Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe), enclose path arguments with double quotes ("") instead of single quotes ('').

Syntax

azcopy make 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name><SAS-token>'

Example

azcopy make 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bjqt&srs=sco&sp=rjklhjup&se=2019-05-10T04:37:48Z&st=2019-05-09T20:37:48Z&spr=https&sig=/SOVEFfsKDqRry4bk3qz1vAQFwY5DDzp2%2B/3Eykf/JLs%3D'

For detailed reference docs, see azcopy make.

Upload files

You can use the azcopy copy command to upload files and directories from your local computer.

Tip

The examples in this section enclose path arguments with single quotes (''). Use single quotes in all command shells except for the Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe). If you're using a Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe), enclose path arguments with double quotes ("") instead of single quotes ('').

This section contains the following examples:

  • Upload a file
  • Upload a directory
  • Upload the contents of a directory
  • Upload a specific file

Tip

You can tweak your upload operation by using optional flags. Here's a few examples.

Scenario Flag
Copy access control lists (ACLs) along with the files. --preserve-smb-permissions=[true|false]
Copy SMB property information along with the files. --preserve-smb-info=[true|false]

For a complete list, see options.

Note

AzCopy doesn't automatically calculate and store the file's md5 hash code for a file greater than 256 MB.If you want AzCopy to do that, then append the --put-md5 flag to each copy command. That way, when the file is downloaded, AzCopy calculates an MD5 hash for downloaded data and verifies that the MD5 hash stored in the file's Content-md5 property matches the calculated hash.

Upload a file

Syntax

azcopy copy '<local-file-path>' 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name>/<file-name>'

Example

azcopy copy 'C:\myDirectory\myTextFile.txt' 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare/myTextFile.txt?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bjqt&srs=sco&sp=rjklhjup&se=2019-05-10T04:37:48Z&st=2019-05-09T20:37:48Z&spr=https&sig=/SOVEFfsKDqRry4bk3qz1vAQFwY5DDzp2%2B/3Eykf/JLs%3D' --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

You can also upload a file by using a wildcard symbol (*) anywhere in the file path or file name. For example: 'C:\myDirectory\*.txt', or C:\my*\*.txt.

Upload a directory

This example copies a directory (and all of the files in that directory) to a file share. The result is a directory in the file share by the same name.

Syntax

azcopy copy '<local-directory-path>' 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name><SAS-token>' --recursive

Example

azcopy copy 'C:\myDirectory' 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bjqt&srs=sco&sp=rjklhjup&se=2019-05-10T04:37:48Z&st=2019-05-09T20:37:48Z&spr=https&sig=/SOVEFfsKDqRry4bk3qz1vAQFwY5DDzp2%2B/3Eykf/JLs%3D' --recursive --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

To copy to a directory within the file share, just specify the name of that directory in your command string.

Example

azcopy copy 'C:\myDirectory' 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare/myFileShareDirectory?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bjqt&srs=sco&sp=rjklhjup&se=2019-05-10T04:37:48Z&st=2019-05-09T20:37:48Z&spr=https&sig=/SOVEFfsKDqRry4bk3qz1vAQFwY5DDzp2%2B/3Eykf/JLs%3D' --recursive --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

If you specify the name of a directory that doesn't exist in the file share, AzCopy creates a new directory by that name.

Upload the contents of a directory

You can upload the contents of a directory without copying the containing directory itself by using the wildcard symbol (*).

Syntax

azcopy copy '<local-directory-path>/*' 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name>/<directory-path><SAS-token>'

Example

azcopy copy 'C:\myDirectory\*' 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare/myFileShareDirectory?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bjqt&srs=sco&sp=rjklhjup&se=2019-05-10T04:37:48Z&st=2019-05-09T20:37:48Z&spr=https&sig=/SOVEFfsKDqRry4bk3qz1vAQFwY5DDzp2%2B/3Eykf/JLs%3D' --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Note

Append the --recursive flag to upload files in all sub-directories.

Upload specific files

You can upload specific files by using complete file names, partial names with wildcard characters (*), or by using dates and times.

Specify multiple complete file names

Use the azcopy copy command with the --include-path option. Separate individual file names by using a semicolon (;).

Syntax

azcopy copy '<local-directory-path>' 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-or-directory-name><SAS-token>' --include-path <semicolon-separated-file-list>

Example

azcopy copy 'C:\myDirectory' 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --include-path 'photos;documents\myFile.txt' --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

In this example, AzCopy transfers the C:\myDirectory\photos directory and the C:\myDirectory\documents\myFile.txt file. You need to include the --recursive option to transfer all files in the C:\myDirectory\photos directory.

You can also exclude files by using the --exclude-path option. To learn more, see azcopy copy reference docs.

Use wildcard characters

Use the azcopy copy command with the --include-pattern option. Specify partial names that include the wildcard characters. Separate names by using a semicolon (;).

Syntax

azcopy copy '<local-directory-path>' 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-or-directory-name><SAS-token>' --include-pattern <semicolon-separated-file-list-with-wildcard-characters>

Example

azcopy copy 'C:\myDirectory' 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --include-pattern 'myFile*.txt;*.pdf*' --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

You can also exclude files by using the --exclude-pattern option. To learn more, see azcopy copy reference docs.

The --include-pattern and --exclude-pattern options apply only to filenames and not to the path. If you want to copy all of the text files that exist in a directory tree, use the --recursive option to get the entire directory tree, and then use the --include-pattern and specify *.txt to get all of the text files.

Upload files that were modified after a date and time

Use the azcopy copy command with the --include-after option. Specify a date and time in ISO 8601 format (For example: 2020-08-19T15:04:00Z).

Syntax

azcopy copy '<local-directory-path>\*' 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-or-directory-name><SAS-token>' --include-after <Date-Time-in-ISO-8601-format>

Example

azcopy copy 'C:\myDirectory\*' 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --include-after '2020-08-19T15:04:00Z' --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

For detailed reference, see the azcopy copy reference docs.

Download files

You can use the azcopy copy command to download files, directories, and file shares to your local computer.

Tip

The examples in this section enclose path arguments with single quotes (''). Use single quotes in all command shells except for the Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe). If you're using a Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe), enclose path arguments with double quotes ("") instead of single quotes ('').

This section contains the following examples:

  • Download a file
  • Download a directory
  • Download the contents of a directory
  • Download specific files

Tip

You can tweak your download operation by using optional flags. Here are a few examples:

Scenario Flag
Copy access control lists (ACLs) along with the files. --preserve-smb-permissions=[true|false]
Copy SMB property information along with the files. --preserve-smb-info=[true|false]
Automatically decompress files. --decompress

For a complete list, see options.

Note

If the Content-md5 property value of a file contains a hash, AzCopy calculates an MD5 hash for downloaded data and verifies that the MD5 hash stored in the file's Content-md5 property matches the calculated hash. If these values don't match, the download fails unless you override this behavior by appending --check-md5=NoCheck or --check-md5=LogOnly to the copy command.

Download a file

Syntax

azcopy copy 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name>/<file-path><SAS-token>' '<local-file-path>'

Example

azcopy copy 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare/myTextFile.txt?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bjqt&srs=sco&sp=rjklhjup&se=2019-05-10T04:37:48Z&st=2019-05-09T20:37:48Z&spr=https&sig=/SOVEFfsKDqRry4bk3qz1vAQFwY5DDzp2%2B/3Eykf/JLs%3D' 'C:\myDirectory\myTextFile.txt' --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Download a directory

Syntax

azcopy copy 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name>/<directory-path><SAS-token>' '<local-directory-path>' --recursive

Example

azcopy copy 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare/myFileShareDirectory?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bjqt&srs=sco&sp=rjklhjup&se=2019-05-10T04:37:48Z&st=2019-05-09T20:37:48Z&spr=https&sig=/SOVEFfsKDqRry4bk3qz1vAQFwY5DDzp2%2B/3Eykf/JLs%3D' 'C:\myDirectory'  --recursive --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

This example results in a directory named C:\myDirectory\myFileShareDirectory that contains all of the downloaded files.

Download the contents of a directory

You can download the contents of a directory without copying the containing directory itself by using the wildcard symbol (*).

Syntax

azcopy copy 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name>/*<SAS-token>' '<local-directory-path>/'

Example

azcopy copy 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare/myFileShareDirectory/*?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bjqt&srs=sco&sp=rjklhjup&se=2019-05-10T04:37:48Z&st=2019-05-09T20:37:48Z&spr=https&sig=/SOVEFfsKDqRry4bk3qz1vAQFwY5DDzp2%2B/3Eykf/JLs%3D' 'C:\myDirectory' --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Note

Append the --recursive flag to download files in all sub-directories.

Download specific files

You can download specific files by using complete file names, partial names with wildcard characters (*), or by using dates and times.

Specify multiple complete file names

Use the azcopy copy command with the --include-path option. Separate individual file names by using a semicolon (;).

Syntax

azcopy copy 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-or-directory-name><SAS-token>' '<local-directory-path>' --include-path <semicolon-separated-file-list>

Example

azcopy copy 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myFileShare/myDirectory?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' 'C:\myDirectory'  --include-path 'photos;documents\myFile.txt' --recursive --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

In this example, AzCopy transfers the https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myFileShare/myDirectory/photos directory and the https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myFileShare/myDirectory/documents/myFile.txt file. Include the --recursive option to transfer all files in the https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myFileShare/myDirectory/photos directory.

You can also exclude files by using the --exclude-path option. To learn more, see azcopy copy reference docs.

Use wildcard characters

Use the azcopy copy command with the --include-pattern option. Specify partial names that include the wildcard characters. Separate names by using a semicolon (;).

Syntax

azcopy copy 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-or-directory-name><SAS-token>' '<local-directory-path>' --include-pattern <semicolon-separated-file-list-with-wildcard-characters>

Example

azcopy copy 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare/myDirectory?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' 'C:\myDirectory'  --include-pattern 'myFile*.txt;*.pdf*' --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

You can also exclude files by using the --exclude-pattern option. To learn more, see azcopy copy reference docs.

The --include-pattern and --exclude-pattern options apply only to filenames and not to the path. If you want to copy all of the text files that exist in a directory tree, use the --recursive option to get the entire directory tree, and then use the --include-pattern and specify *.txt to get all of the text files.

Download files that were modified after a date and time

Use the azcopy copy command with the --include-after option. Specify a date and time in ISO-8601 format (For example: 2020-08-19T15:04:00Z).

Syntax

azcopy copy 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-or-directory-name>/*<SAS-token>' '<local-directory-path>' --include-after <Date-Time-in-ISO-8601-format>

Example

azcopy copy 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare/*?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' 'C:\myDirectory' --include-after '2020-08-19T15:04:00Z' --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

For detailed reference, see the azcopy copy reference docs.

Download from a share snapshot

You can download a specific version of a file or directory by referencing the DateTime value of a share snapshot. To learn more about share snapshots, see Overview of share snapshots for Azure Files.

Syntax

azcopy copy 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name>/<file-path-or-directory-name><SAS-token>&sharesnapshot=<DateTime-of-snapshot>' '<local-file-or-directory-path>'

Example (Download a file)

azcopy copy 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare/myTextFile.txt?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bjqt&srs=sco&sp=rjklhjup&se=2019-05-10T04:37:48Z&st=2019-05-09T20:37:48Z&spr=https&sig=/SOVEFfsKDqRry4bk3qz1vAQFwY5DDzp2%2B/3Eykf/JLs%3D&sharesnapshot=2020-09-23T08:21:07.0000000Z' 'C:\myDirectory\myTextFile.txt' --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Example (Download a directory)

azcopy copy 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare/myFileShareDirectory?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bjqt&srs=sco&sp=rjklhjup&se=2019-05-10T04:37:48Z&st=2019-05-09T20:37:48Z&spr=https&sig=/SOVEFfsKDqRry4bk3qz1vAQFwY5DDzp2%2B/3Eykf/JLs%3D&sharesnapshot=2020-09-23T08:21:07.0000000Z' 'C:\myDirectory'  --recursive --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Copy files between storage accounts

You can use AzCopy to copy files to other storage accounts. The copy operation is synchronous so all files are copied when the command returns.

AzCopy uses server-to-server APIs, so data is copied directly between storage servers. You can increase the throughput of these operations by setting the value of the AZCOPY_CONCURRENCY_VALUE environment variable. To learn more, see Increase Concurrency.

You can also copy specific versions of a file by referencing the DateTime value of a share snapshot. To learn more about share snapshots, see Overview of share snapshots for Azure Files.

Tip

The examples in this section enclose path arguments with single quotes (''). Use single quotes in all command shells except for the Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe). If you're using a Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe), enclose path arguments with double quotes ("") instead of single quotes ('').

This section contains the following examples:

  • Copy a file to another storage account
  • Copy a directory to another storage account
  • Copy a file share to another storage account
  • Copy all file shares, directories, and files to another storage account

Tip

You can tweak your copy operation by using optional flags. Here's a few examples.

Scenario Flag
Copy access control lists (ACLs) along with the files. --preserve-smb-permissions=[true|false]
Copy SMB property information along with the files. --preserve-smb-info=[true|false]

For a complete list, see options.

Copy a file to another storage account

Syntax

azcopy copy 'https://<source-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name>/<file-path><SAS-token>' 'https://<destination-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name>/<file-path><SAS-token>'

Example

azcopy copy 'https://mysourceaccount.file.core.windows.net/mycontainer/myTextFile.txt?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' 'https://mydestinationaccount.file.core.windows.net/mycontainer/myTextFile.txt?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Example (share snapshot)

azcopy copy 'https://mysourceaccount.file.core.windows.net/mycontainer/myTextFile.txt?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D&sharesnapshot=2020-09-23T08:21:07.0000000Z' 'https://mydestinationaccount.file.core.windows.net/mycontainer/myTextFile.txt?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Copy a directory to another storage account

Syntax

azcopy copy 'https://<source-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name>/<directory-path><SAS-token>' 'https://<destination-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name><SAS-token>' --recursive

Example

azcopy copy 'https://mysourceaccount.file.core.windows.net/myFileShare/myFileDirectory?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' 'https://mydestinationaccount.file.core.windows.net/mycontainer?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --recursive --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Example (share snapshot)

azcopy copy 'https://mysourceaccount.file.core.windows.net/myFileShare/myFileDirectory?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D&sharesnapshot=2020-09-23T08:21:07.0000000Z' 'https://mydestinationaccount.file.core.windows.net/mycontainer?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --recursive --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Copy a file share to another storage account

Syntax

azcopy copy 'https://<source-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name><SAS-token>' 'https://<destination-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name><SAS-token>' --recursive

Example

azcopy copy 'https://mysourceaccount.file.core.windows.net/mycontainer?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' 'https://mydestinationaccount.file.core.windows.net/mycontainer?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Example (share snapshot)

azcopy copy 'https://mysourceaccount.file.core.windows.net/mycontainer?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D&sharesnapshot=2020-09-23T08:21:07.0000000Z' 'https://mydestinationaccount.file.core.windows.net/mycontainer?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --recursive --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Copy all file shares, directories, and files to another storage account

Syntax

azcopy copy 'https://<source-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<SAS-token>' 'https://<destination-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<SAS-token>' --recursive'

Example

azcopy copy 'https://mysourceaccount.file.core.windows.net?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' 'https://mydestinationaccount.file.core.windows.net?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --recursive --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Example (share snapshot)

azcopy copy 'https://mysourceaccount.file.core.windows.net?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D&sharesnapshot=2020-09-23T08:21:07.0000000Z' 'https://mydestinationaccount.file.core.windows.net?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --recursive --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Synchronize files

You can synchronize the contents of a local file system with a file share or synchronize the contents of a file share with another file share. You can also synchronize the contents of a directory in a file share with the contents of a directory that is located in another file share. Synchronization is one way. In other words, you choose which of these two endpoints is the source and which one is the destination. Synchronization also uses server to server APIs.

Note

Currently, this scenario is supported for accounts that have enabled hierarchical namespace via the blob endpoint.

Warning

AzCopy sync is supported but not fully recommended for Azure Files. AzCopy sync doesn't support differential copies at scale, and some file fidelity might be lost. To learn more, see Migrate to Azure file shares.

Guidelines

By default, the sync command compares file names and last modified timestamps. You can override that behavior to use MD5 hashes instead of last modified timestamps by using the --compare-hash flag. Set the --delete-destination optional flag to a value of true or prompt to delete files in the destination directory if those files no longer exist in the source directory.

  • If you set the --delete-destination flag to true, AzCopy deletes files without providing a prompt. If you want a prompt to appear before AzCopy deletes a file, set the --delete-destination flag to prompt.

  • If you plan to set the --delete-destination flag to prompt or false, consider using the copy command instead of the sync command and set the --overwrite parameter to ifSourceNewer. The copy command consumes less memory and incurs less billing costs because a copy operation doesn't have to index the source or destination prior to moving files.

  • If you don't plan to use the --compare-hash flag, then the machine on which you run the sync command should have an accurate system clock because the last modified times are critical in determining whether a file should be transferred. If your system has significant clock skew, avoid modifying files at the destination too close to the time that you plan to run a sync command.

  • AzCopy uses server-to-server APIs to synchronize data between storage accounts. That means that data is copied directly between storage servers. However, AzCopy does set up and monitor each transfer, and for larger storage accounts (For example, accounts that contain millions of blobs), AzCopy might require a substantial amount of compute resources to accomplish these tasks. Therefore, if you are running AzCopy from Virtual Machine (VM), make sure that the VM has enough cores/memory to handle the load.

Tip

You can tweak your sync operation by using optional flags. Here's a few examples.

Scenario Flag
Copy access control lists (ACLs) along with the files. --preserve-smb-permissions=[true|false]
Copy SMB property information along with the files. --preserve-smb-info=[true|false]
Exclude files based on a pattern. --exclude-path
Specify how detailed you want your sync-related log entries to be. --log-level=[WARNING|ERROR|INFO|NONE]

For a complete list, see options.

The examples in this section enclose path arguments with single quotes (''). Use single quotes in all command shells except for the Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe). If you're using a Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe), enclose path arguments with double quotes ("") instead of single quotes ('').

Update a file share with changes to a local file system

In this case, the file share is the destination, and the local file system is the source.

Tip

This example encloses path arguments with single quotes (''). Use single quotes in all command shells except for the Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe). If you're using a Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe), enclose path arguments with double quotes ("") instead of single quotes ('').

Syntax

azcopy sync '<local-directory-path>' 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name><SAS-token>' --recursive

Example

azcopy sync 'C:\myDirectory' 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileShare?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --recursive

Update a local file system with changes to a file share

In this case, the local file system is the destination, and the file share is the source.

Tip

This example encloses path arguments with single quotes (''). Use single quotes in all command shells except for the Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe). If you're using a Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe), enclose path arguments with double quotes ("") instead of single quotes ('').

Syntax

azcopy sync 'https://<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name><SAS-token>' 'C:\myDirectory' --recursive

Example

azcopy sync 'https://mystorageaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileShare?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' 'C:\myDirectory' --recursive

Update a file share with changes to another file share

The first file share that appears in this command is the source. The second one is the destination.

Syntax

azcopy sync 'https://<source-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name><SAS-token>' 'https://<destination-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name><SAS-token>' --recursive

Example

azcopy sync 'https://mysourceaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileShare?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' 'https://mydestinationaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --recursive --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Update a directory with changes to a directory in another file share

The first directory that appears in this command is the source. The second one is the destination.

Syntax

azcopy sync 'https://<source-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name>/<directory-name><SAS-token>' 'https://<destination-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name>/<directory-name><SAS-token>' --recursive

Example

azcopy sync 'https://mysourceaccount.file.core.windows.net/myFileShare/myDirectory?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' 'https://mydestinationaccount.file.core.windows.net/myFileShare/myDirectory?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --recursive --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

Update a file share to match the contents of a share snapshot

The first file share that appears in this command is the source. At the end of the URI, append the string &sharesnapshot= followed by the DateTime value of the snapshot.

Syntax

azcopy sync 'https://<source-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name><SAS-token>&sharesnapsot<snapshot-ID>' 'https://<destination-storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net/<file-share-name><SAS-token>' --recursive

Example

azcopy sync 'https://mysourceaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileShare?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D&sharesnapshot=2020-03-03T20%3A24%3A13.0000000Z' 'https://mydestinationaccount.file.core.windows.net/myfileshare?sv=2018-03-28&ss=bfqt&srt=sco&sp=rwdlacup&se=2019-07-04T05:30:08Z&st=2019-07-03T21:30:08Z&spr=https&sig=CAfhgnc9gdGktvB=ska7bAiqIddM845yiyFwdMH481QA8%3D' --recursive --preserve-smb-permissions=true --preserve-smb-info=true

To learn more about share snapshots, see Overview of share snapshots for Azure Files.

Next steps

Find more examples in any of these articles:

See these articles to configure settings, optimize performance, and troubleshoot issues: