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How to transfer & sync files between servers using rsync

Updated:
rysnc , server

rsync is a powerful command-line utility for efficiently transferring and synchronizing files and directories between two locations, whether it’s on the same machine or across a network. It’s a staple tool for system administrators, developers, and anyone who needs to manage files effectively.

Basic Syntax

Terminal window
rsync [options] source destination
  • source: The location of the files to be copied.
  • destination: The location where the files will be copied to.

Copy Files Locally

Terminal window
rsync -av source/ destination/
  • -a (archive) → Preserves file permissions, timestamps, symbolic links, etc.
  • -v (verbose) → Shows detailed output.

Copy Files Over SSH

Terminal window
rsync -av -e "ssh -p 22" /local/path user@remote_host:/remote/path
  • -e "ssh -p 22" → Uses SSH for secure transfer on port 22.

Sync Remote to Local

Terminal window
rsync -av user@remote_host:/remote/path /local/path

Delete Files in Destination Not in Source

Terminal window
rsync -av --delete /source/ /destination/

Exclude Specific Files or Directories

Terminal window
rsync -av --exclude='*.log' --exclude='tmp/' /source/ /destination/

Create an Exclusion List

Create a file, e.g., exclude.txt, and list the files or directories you want to exclude:

txt
# exclude.txt
*.log
temp/
cache/
backup.tar.gz

Run with --exclude-from:

Terminal window
rsync -av --exclude-from=exclude.txt /source/ /destination/

Show Progress While Copying

Terminal window
rsync -av --progress /source/ /destination/

Limit Bandwidth Usage

Terminal window
rsync -av --bwlimit=1000 /source/ /destination/
  • --bwlimit=1000 → Limits bandwidth usage to 1000 KB/s.

Sync with Deletion

Terminal window
rsync -av --delete --dry-run /source/ /destination/
  • Any extra files in /source/ not in /destination/ will be deleted.