Robocopy job template and log parser

Good For

• file share migration
• large copy jobs
• backup staging
• scheduled transfer review
• copy failure evidence

How to Use It

1. Start with a preview command that includes `/L` so Robocopy lists intended work without copying or deleting files.
2. Review source, destination, exclusions, retry behavior, and whether permissions, timestamps, or owner data should be copied.
3. Avoid `/MIR` unless delete behavior has explicit approval and a restore path.
4. Run the real copy with `/TEE` and a log file so console output and durable evidence are both captured.
5. Parse the run log and exit code before deciding whether the job succeeded, partially succeeded, or needs rerun.
6. Store preview and run logs with the migration or backup ticket.

Execution Modes

• local
• remote-single-host
• remote-host-list

Inputs and Outputs

Inputs

• source path
• destination path
• CSV or TXT job list
• exclusion list
• log path

Outputs

• verbose-console
• log-file
• operator-notes

Command Starter

Example pattern only. Adjust for your environment before running.

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
# Operator inputs
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
$Source = 'C:\Source'
$Destination = '\\server\share'
$LogRoot = 'C:\Temp'
$PreviewLog = Join-Path $LogRoot 'robocopy-preview.log'
$RunLog = Join-Path $LogRoot 'robocopy-run.log'

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
# Phase A — dry-run preview. /L lists work without copying or deleting.
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
& robocopy $Source $Destination /E /L /R:2 /W:5 /TEE /LOG:$PreviewLog

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
# Phase B — approved copy execution. This changes the destination path.
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
& robocopy $Source $Destination /E /R:2 /W:5 /COPY:DAT /DCOPY:DAT /TEE /LOG:$RunLog
$RobocopyExitCode = $LASTEXITCODE

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
# Lightweight log summary. A fuller pack can parse totals more deeply.
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
$SummaryLines = Select-String -Path $RunLog -Pattern 'Dirs :','Files :','Bytes :','Times :','Ended :'

[pscustomobject]@{
    Source           = $Source
    Destination      = $Destination
    PreviewLog       = $PreviewLog
    RunLog           = $RunLog
    RobocopyExitCode = $RobocopyExitCode
    SummaryLineCount = $SummaryLines.Count
}

$SummaryLines

Validation

• Preview log matches the intended source, destination, and exclusion scope.
• Run log shows acceptable copied, skipped, failed, and mismatch counts for the job goal.
• Sample files open from the destination and permissions behave as expected.

Reporting

• Attach preview and run logs to migration tickets.
• Record the Robocopy exit code separately from human pass/fail interpretation.
• Promote repeated use into a migration evidence pack with normalized return-code and copy-count parsing.

Safety Notes

• Preview with `/L` before copying.
• Treat `/MIR`, `/PURGE`, and overwrite-heavy jobs as change-window work with backup or restore evidence.
• Keep the previous source available until destination validation and owner signoff are complete.