Ascp Command Reference

• -k 0 – Always retransfer the entire file.
• -k 1 – Check file attributes and resume if the current and original attributes match.
• -k 2 – Check file attributes and do a sparse file checksum; resume if the current and original attributes/checksums match.
• -k 3 – Check file attributes and do a full file checksum; resume if the current and original attributes/checksums match.

When a complete file exists at the destination (no .aspx), the source file size is compared with the destination file size. When a partial file and a valid .aspx file exist at the destination, the source file size is compared with the file size recorded inside the .aspx file.

Note: As of version 3.3, datagram size can also be enforced by the server using <datagram_size> in aspera.conf. If size is set with both -Z (client side) and <datagram_size> (server side), the <datagram_size> setting is used. If the client-side is pre-3.3, datagram size is determined by the -Z setting, regardless of the server-side setting for <datagram_size>. In this case, if there is no -Z setting, datagram size is based on the discovered MTU and the server logs the message "LOG Peer client doesn't support alternative datagram size".

This is a performance-tuning parameter for an Aspera sender, which takes effect only if the sender is a server. It specifies the maximum number of bytes that can be stored within a block as the block is transferred from the source disk to the receiver. This option overrides the client's configuration file setting for this feature if set. The server uses its configuration file setting for this feature if it's set, otherwise it uses read_size if set; however, it does not use settings in the client configuration file.

This is a performance-tuning parameter for an Aspera receiver, which takes effect only if the receiver is a server. It specifies the maximum number of bytes within a block that an ascp receiver can write to disk. This option overrides the client's configuration file setting for this feature if set. The server uses its configuration file setting for this feature if it's set, otherwise it uses write_size if set; however, it does not use settings in the client configuration file.

-N pattern

• A "*" (asterisk) represents zero or more characters in a string. For example *.tmp matches .tmp and abcde.tmp.
• A "?" (question mark) represents a single character. For example t?p matches tmp but not temp.

Rules are applied in the order in which they are encountered, with the first rule taking precedence. For details on specifying rules, see Applying Filters to Include and Exclude Files.

--exclude-older-than=mtime

Important: If you do not specify a user name for the transfer, the local username will be authenticated (by default). In the case of a Windows machine and a domain user, the transfer server will strip the domain from the username (e.g. authenticating "Administrator," rather than "DOMAIN\Administrator"). Thus, you will need to explicitly specify a domain, if applicable to the user.

• fixed – Attempts to transfer at the specified target rate, regardless of the actual network capacity. This policy transfers at a constant rate and finishes in a guaranteed time. This policy typically occupies most of the network's bandwidth, and is not recommended in most file transfer scenarios. In fixed mode, a maximum (target) rate value is required.
• high – Monitors the network and adjusts the transfer rate to fully utilize the available bandwidth up to the maximum rate. When congestion occurs, a it transfers at a rate twice of a session with fair policy. In this mode, both the maximum (target) and the minimum transfer rates are required.
• fair – Monitors the network and adjusts the transfer rate to fully utilize the available bandwidth up to the maximum rate. When other types of traffic build up and congestion occurs, it shares bandwidth fairly by transferring at an even rate. In this mode, both the maximum (target) and the minimum transfer rates are required.
• low – Similar to fair mode, the low policy uses the available bandwidth up to the maximum rate, but is much less aggressive when sharing bandwidth with other network traffic. When congestion builds up, the transfer rate is reduced to the minimum rate until other traffic retreats.

Important: If --policy is not set, ascp uses the server-side policy setting (fair by default).

Example: The "clips" directory on the remote computer contains the following folders and files:

/clips/outgoing/file1
/clips/outgoing/folderA/file2
/clips/outgoing/folderB/file3 

To transfer all folders and files within the "outgoing" folder but not the "outgoing" folder itself, run the following command:

> ascp -d --src-base=/clips/outgoing/ root@10.0.0.1:/clips/outgoing/ /incoming  

Result: The following folders and files appear in the "incoming" directory at the destination. Files outside of the source base (for example, /temp/file4) are not transferred, and warnings are generated.

(docroot)/incoming/file1
(docroot)/incoming/folderA/file2
(docroot)/incoming/folderB/file3 

If the same transfer is run without --src-base=/clips/outgoing/, then the following folders and files appear at the destination:

(docroot)/incoming/outgoing/file1
(docroot)/incoming/outgoing/folderA/file2
(docroot)/incoming/outgoing/folderB/file3

For further examples, with and without --src-base, see Ascp File Manipulation Examples

Use with URIs

The --src-base option performs a character-to-character match with the source path specifying a file or directory. Hence for cloud storage, it is necessary that --src-base specify the URI in the same manner the source parameters are specified (for example, if the source includes and embedded passphrase, the source base must also include an embedded passphrase or it will not match the source files/directories).

• src
• src2
• ...
• srcN

Important: Multiple --file-list and --file-pair-list options are not supported in a single ascp command. If multiple file lists are specified, all but the last will be ignored. If --file-list or --file-pair-list is used, you cannot also include file names on the command line; only files from the file list will be transferred.

• src1
• dst1
• src2
• dst2
• ...
• srcN
• dstN

Important: Multiple --file-list and --file-pair-list options are not supported in a single ascp command. If multiple file lists are specified, all but the last will be ignored. If --file-list or --file-pair-list is used, you cannot also include file names on the command line; only files from the file list will be transferred.

• follow – Follow symbolic links and transfer the linked files.
• copy – Copy only the alias file. If a file with the same name exists on the destination, the symbolic link will not be copied.
• copy+force – Copy only the alias file. If a file with the same name exists on the destination, the symbolic link will replace the file. If the file of the same name on the destination is a symbolic link to a directory, it will not be replaced.
• skip – Skip the symbolic links.

Example upload:

> ascp --move-after-transfer=C:\Users\Pat\Archive C:\Users\Pat\srcdir\file0012 Pat@10.0.0.1:/

Results:

• file0012 is uploaded to Pat's docroot on 10.0.0.1, the server (destination).
• On the current machine (source), file0012 is moved (not copied) to C:\Users\Pat\Archive

Example download:

> ascp --move-after-transfer=Archive Pat@10.0.0.1:/srcdir C:\Users\Pat

Results:

• srcdir is downloaded to C:\Users\Pat on the current machine (destination).
• On the server (source), srcdir is moved (not copied) to the archive directory Pat@10.0.0.1:/Archive.

When the file or directory is moved to the archive, no portion of the path above the transferred file or directory is included, unless the --src-base option is specified.

The --src-base=prefix option preserves paths in the archive directory the same way it preserves them with transfers. That is, when --src-base=prefix is specified, files are moved to the archivedir and they include the portion of the path that remains when prefix is removed.

Example:

> ascp --src-base=C:\Users\Pat --move-after-transfer=C:\Users\Pat\Archive C:\Users\Pat\srcdir\file0012 Pat@10.0.0.1:/

Results:

• file0012 is uploaded to Pat's docroot on 10.0.0.1. The file includes the path minus the prefix C:\Users\Pat — that is, srcdir/file0012.
• On the current machine (source), file0012 is moved to C:\Users\Pat\Archive. The file includes the path minus the prefix C:\Users\Pat — that is, C:\Users\Pat\Archive\srcdir\file0012.

Once files have been moved to the archive, the original source directory tree remains intact. To remove empty source directories that remain after files have been moved, add the flag --remove-empty-directories to the ascp command. This removes empty source directories, except for those that are specified as the source to transfer.

Restrictions:

• archivedir must be on the same file system as the source. If the specified archive is on a separate file system, it will be created (if it does not exist), but an error will be generated and files will not be moved to it. For cloud storage, archivedir must be in the same cloud storage account.
• archivedir is subject to the same docroot restrictions as the source.
• --remove-after-transfer and --move-after-transfer are mutually exclusive. Including both in the same command generates an error.
• Empty directories are not saved to archivedir.

Important: File manifests can only be stored locally. Thus, if you are using S3, or other non-local storage, you must specify a local manifest path.

• never – Never overwrite the file. However, if the parent folder is not empty, its access, modify, and change times may still be updated.
• always – Always overwrite the file.
• diff – Overwrite the file if it is different from the source. If a complete file at the destination is the same as the source then it will not be overwritten. Partial files will be overwritten or resumed depending on the resume policy.
• diff+older – Overwrite the file if it is older and different than the source.
• older – Overwrite the file if its timestamp is older than the source timestamp.

Important: If the overwrite method is diff or diff+older, difference is determined by the resume policy (-k{0|1|2|3}). If -k 0 or no -k is specified, the source and destination files are always considered different and the destination file is always overwritten. If -k 1, the source and destination files are compared based on file attributes (currently file size). If -k 2, the source and destination files are compared based on sparse checksum. If -k 3, the source and destination files are compared based on full checksum.

Note: This option only takes effect when it is set on the receiver side.

dnat[s]://[username]@server:port

The default ports for DNAT and DNATS protocols are 9091 and 9092.

Note: This option requires the transfer user be authenticated as a superuser.

Note: This option requires the transfer user be authenticated as a superuser.

--preserve-creation-time
--preserve-modification-time
--preserve-access-time
--preserve-source-access-time
-p

Preserve modification time: Set the file/directory modification time at the destination to that of the source.

Preserve access time: Set the file/directory access time (the last time the file was read or written) at the destination to that of the source. This results in the destination file having the access time that the source file had prior to the copy operation. The act of copying the source file to the destination results in an update to the source file's access time.

Preserve source access time: Restore the access time of the file at the source once the copy operation is complete (because the file system at the source regards the transfer operation as an access).

-p is equivalent to setting --preserve-modification-time and --preserve-access-time (and --preserve-creation-time, on Windows).

On Windows, modification time may be affected when the system automatically adjusts for Daylight Savings Time (DST). For details, see the Microsoft KB article, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/129574.

Cloud storage support for timestamp settings depends on the cloud storage implementation. See the documentation for your cloud storage option to determine which of these settings are supported.

For Limelight, only the preservation of modification time (mtime) is supported.

Note: When the HTTP fallback feature is enabled and the client "falls back" to HTTP, this option enforces server SSL certificate validation (HTTPS). Validation fails if the server has a self-signed certificate; a properly signed certificate is required.

Multi-session uploads to cloud storage:Currently only supported for S3. Unlike non-cloud file splitting, files for transfer to cloud storage are sent in chunks, with the chunk size is specified by <chunk_size> in aspera.conf:

<central_server>
    . . .
    <transfer>
        <protocol_options>
            <transfer>
                <chunk_size>0</chunk_size>
            </transfer>
        </protocol_options>
    </transfer>
</central_server>

File-splitting needs to respect a minimum split size, which for cloud storage is a part, such that each ascp call must deliver full parts. Thus, the chunk size must be equal to the cloud-storage part size. If the file size is greater than the multi-session threshold but smaller than the chunk size, then the file is not split. Set chunk size and part size as follows:

1. In aspera.conf set the chunk size to some value greater than 5 MB (the minimum part size), for example:

   <chunk_size>67108864</chunk_size>   <!-- 64 MB -->

2. In /opt/aspera/etc/trapd/s3.properties set the upload part size (default 64 MB) to the same value as the chunk size and set a ONE_TO_ONE gathering policy:

   aspera.transfer.upload.part-size=64MB
   aspera.transfer.gathering-policy=ONE_TO_ONE

--preserve-xattrs=mode
--remote-preserve-xattrs=mode
--preserve-acls=mode
--remote-preserve-acls=mode

native

xattrs and ACLs are preserved using native capabilities of the file system. However, this storage mode is not supported on all file systems.

metafile

xattrs and ACLs for a file (say, readme.txt) are preserved in a second file, whose name is composed of the name of the primary file with .aspera-meta appended to it; for example, readme.txt.aspera-meta. The Aspera metafiles are platform independent and can be copied between hosts without loss of information. This storage mode is supported on all file systems.

none

xattrs and ACLs are not preserved. This storage mode is supported on all file systems.

The modes of preserving xattrs and ACLs on each side of the transfer will end up being the same, even if specified differently. In this case, the metafile mode takes precedence, silently.

The options with the remote- prefix specify the storage mode used on the remote file system. If not specified, the default behavior is to use the same storage mode specified for the local file system. A remote option with mode set to native may be overridden by the remote ascp if that mode is not supported there.

Older versions of ascp do not support this feature. Thus, these options may be overridden by the peer, to none, and ascp will abort and indicate the problem is incompatible FASP protocol versions.

The amount of xattr/ACL data per file that can be transferred successfully is subject to ascp's internal PDPU size limitation.