Transfer data with AzCopy and file storage

• 12/08/2020
• 10 minutes to read
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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.

Before you begin, see the Get started with AzCopy article to download AzCopy and familiarize yourself with the tool.

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.

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.

This section contains the following examples:

Upload a file

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.

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

If you specify the name of a directory that does not 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 (*).

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 (;).

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 (;).

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).

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.

This section contains the following examples:

Download a file

Download a directory

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 (*).

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 (;).

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 (;).

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).

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.

Copy files between storage accounts

You can use AzCopy to copy files to other storage accounts. The copy operation is synchronous so when the command returns, that indicates that all files have been copied.

AzCopy uses server-to-server APIs, so data is copied directly between storage servers. These copy operations don't use the network bandwidth of your computer. You can increase the throughput of these operations by setting the value of the AZCOPY_CONCURRENCY_VALUE environment variable. To learn more, see Optimize throughput.

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

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

Synchronize files

You can 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.

The sync command compares file names and last modified timestamps. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Next steps

Find more examples in any of these articles:

• Get started with AzCopy

• Transfer data

• Configure, optimize, and troubleshoot AzCopy