How to merge (not replace) NTFS permissions using Robocopy

September 24, 2008 1:27 PM

I am currently attempting to migrate files from an NT 4.0 file server to a NetApp filer appliance. Our current copy process (using Robocopy) will replace the target permissions with the source permissions. We would prefer to merge source permissions with target permissions, leaving any differing target permissions intact.

Currently, Robocopy will replace the target permissions with the permissions present on the source, erasing any additions to the file ACLs on the target. We would prefer to merge the source permission ACEs onto the target file ACLs, preserving the additions made on the target files.

I can't seem to find if Robocopy supports this behavior, does anyone have any suggestions on how to accomplish this?

posted by MrHappyGoLucky to Technology (2 answers total)

I may be dim, but I don't understand why you need to do this. If you've migrated some files to the target and then made ACL changes, why not just treat those changes the same way you'd treat any other change: declare the target file to be the newer one, and have Robocopy simply not update it at all?
posted by flabdablet at 8:02 PM on September 24, 2008

Response by poster: The problem is that the target file is, in fact, not the newer file. The file data has been changed in the source and possibly the permissions have been altered as well.

However, the file permissions in the target environment have been changed as well and we would like to keep those changes while merging in any changes in the source file ACLs as well.
posted by MrHappyGoLucky at 10:25 AM on September 25, 2008