File/Folder sync using PuTTY

0

I looked around and couldn't find anything for this.

There are many programs that allow syncing over FTP or SFTP. But here's the rub. I am behind a proxy which causes 2 main issues. First, the proxy prevents normal SSH connections; but I have been able to get a PuTTY connection established with no problem. Second, the FTP proxy server does not handle "standard" FTP commands to change remote file timestamps (such as MDTM). So this causes syncs to not work because every time a file is uploaded, it gets a new time, which then makes it not match the file again, and so on. I'm trying to sync/backup files that have changed only when they change.

My needs are several:

  1. It would be nice to use established software... SyncBackSE, GoodSync (which supposedly uses PuTTY but I can't get it to work), rsync, etc. In short, I don't want to write my own code, if I can avoid it. Many canned programs are flat-out blocked by the proxy (DropBox, for instance).

  2. I'd like not to have to get too deep into this... editing .conf files, running daemons, etc. is beyond what I would prefer.

  3. 2-way sync is preferred, including folders, deletions, etc.

What I've looked at:

  • Endless searches on SFTP, ssh through a proxy server, rsync through PuTTY, port forwarding for FTP (passive mode kills me every time on this), and dozens of others.

  • GoodSync. Supposedly lets me use PuTTY creds, but I can't figure out how.

  • Writing my own software to do this. Usually ends up having issues with opening new connections for each file transfer (slow), or issues in figuring out what files are new, deleted, etc., time (I don't have that much time to devote to this).

Has anyone tried this and succeeded? If so, how?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

mswanberg

Posted 2012-11-21T17:56:29.300

Reputation: 113

Just did a little more research... apparently this works: "rsync -avk --rsh="plink -pw password puttylocation" /cygdrive/e/Folder :/Volumes/Drobo/backup/" – None – 2012-11-21T20:05:48.910

Answers

2

Since you can connect through Putty using the proxy then probably the easiest would be to add a socks proxy in Putty, i.e. a dynamic port forward, and then out of all of the backup tools you tried pick one which can work through socks proxy, i.e. WinSCP.

ccpizza

Posted 2012-11-21T17:56:29.300

Reputation: 5 372

WinSCP appears to be an FTP/SFTP client. A cursory look at it shows that there is a sync option, but I can't easily tell if it's "scriptable." By which I mean, can it be scheduled to sync on command, or periodically, or when files change, etc.? – mswanberg – 2012-11-23T13:33:37.353

Never mind... found some good stuff on WinSCP... thanks for the tip. I'd seen/heard of WinSCP before but never paid it much mind. Now that I "linked" my local port 22 to the server's port 22, SFTP is a piece of cake. Thanks! – mswanberg – 2012-11-23T13:54:34.820

Asked: 2012-11-21T17:56:29.300

Viewed: 2 595 times

Active: 2012-11-21T21:48:54.307