A4 Command Reference

Important: On Windows, mtime and atime can 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.

Note: As of version 3.3, datagram size can be enforced by setting <datagram_size> in aspera.conf on the server. If size is set with both -Z (client side) and <datagram_size> (server side), the server 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>. If pre-3.3 client does not specify -Z, then datagram size is based on the discovered MTU and the server logs the message "LOG Peer client doesn't support alternative datagram size".

-N pattern

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

Rules are applied in order, and each rule is applied to the files that were filtered by the preceeding rules.

• 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 can occupy most of the network's bandwidth, and is not recommended in most file transfer scenarios. Requires a maximum (target) rate value.
• high – Monitors the network and adjusts the transfer rate to fully utilize the available bandwidth up to the maximum rate. When congestion occurs, the transfer rate is twice as fast as fair. Requires both the maximum (target) and the minimum transfer rates.
• fair – Monitors the network and adjusts the transfer rate to fully utilize the available bandwidth up to the maximum rate. When congestion occurs, bandwidth is shared fairly by transferring at an even rate. Requires both the maximum (target) and the minimum transfer rates.
• low – Similar to fair mode, the low policy uses the available bandwidth up to the maximum rate, but is less aggressive. When congestion occurs, the transfer rate is reduced to the minimum rate until other traffic retreats.

If --policy is used, it is reflected in the GUI. If --policy is not used, ascp4 uses the server-side setting (fair by default).

• 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 is not copied.
• skip – Skip symbolic links.

Example: Using --src-base

The directory /clips on the server contains the following folders and files:

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

To transfer all the folders and files in /clips/outgoing (but not /outgoing itself) to the /incoming directory at the destination, run the following command:

# ascp4 -d --src-base=/clips/outgoing/ root@10.0.0.1:/clips/outgoing/ /incoming  

At the destination, the following folders and files appear in /incoming:

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

Files outside of the source base (for example, /temp/file4) are not transferred, and warnings are generated.

Example: Without --src-base

If the source item is a folder and --src-base is not used, then the contents of the folder and the folder itself are transferred. For example, run the same command as in the previous example but without --src-base:

# ascp4 -d root@10.0.0.1:/clips/outgoing/ /incoming  

At the destination, the following folders and files appear in /incoming:

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

# ascp4 -d root@10.0.0.1:/clips/outgoing/file1 root@10.0.0.1:/clips/outgoing/folderA/file2 /incoming

At the destination, the following files appear in /incoming:

(docroot)/incoming/file1
(docroot)/incoming/file2

• src
• src2
• ...
• srcN

Important:

• Multiple --file-list options are not supported in one ascp4 command. If multiple file lists are specified, all but the last are ignored. In addition, you cannot include file names in a command with --file-list. Only files from the file list are transferred.
• Paths in file lists cannot use user@host:filepath syntax. You must use --user with --file-list.

Using --delete-before can be faster than --delete-after because the destination data set used to compare objects may be smaller before the transfer occurs.

Can also be specified as --delete-before-transfer.

Using --delete-after can be slower than --delete-before because the destination data set used to compare objects may be larger after the transfer occurs.

Can also be specified as --delete-after-transfer.

Note: Requires that the transfer user be authenticated as a superuser.

Note: Requires that the transfer user be authenticated as a superuser.

• always – Always overwrite the file.
• never – Never overwrite the file. If the destination contains partial files that are older or the same as the source files and resume is enabled, the partial files resume transfer. Partial files with checksums or sizes that differ from the source files are not overwritten.
• diff – Overwrite if the file is different from the source, depending on the compare method (default is size). If resume is not enabled, partial files are overwritten if they are different from the source, otherwise they are skipped. If resume is enabled, only partial files with different sizes or checksums from the source are overwritten; otherwise, files resume.
• diff+older – Overwrite if the destination is older and different from the source, depending on the compare method (default is size). If resume is not enabled, partial files are overwritten if they are older and different from the source, otherwise they are skipped. If resume is enabled, only partial files that are different and older than the source are overwritten, otherwise they are resumed.
• older – Overwrite if the destination timestamp is older than the source timestamp.

• -k 0: Always retransfer the entire file (same as --overwrite=always).
• -k 1: Check file modification time and size and resume if they match (same as --overwrite=diff --compare=size --resume).
• -k 2: Check sparse checksum and resume if they match (same as --overwrite=diff --compare=md5-sparse --resume).
• -k 3: Check full checksum and resume if they match (same as --overwrite=diff --compare=md5 --resume).

--exclude-older-than=mtime