VNX: What tools does Dell recommend migrating data between arrays? (User Correctable)

Summary: EMCOPY, Migrate data, Data Migration, How do I migrate data,

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Instructions

This article is intended to answer the question as to what are the Dell Technologies supported tools that can be used to migrate data between arrays.
  • Dell Technologies recommends using EMCOPY to migrate data to or from CIFS storage.
  • EMCOPY lets you copy a file or directory (and included subdirectories) from and to an NTF partition, keeping security the same on the copy as on the original.
  • EMCOPY allows you to backup the file and directory security ACLs, owner information, and audit information from a source directory to a destination directory without copying the file data.
  • EMCOPY however does not copy the local groups database from one computer to another. You must use LGDUP first to copy the local groups database. Therefore, when the /lg or /lu option is specified, EMCOPY initially verifies that all the source server's local groups exist on the target server. Even if one group is missing, EMCOPY stops and notifies you to use LGDUP first.
EMCOPY duplicates a directory tree from one server to another, keeping the security intact, including access control lists (ACLs) with local groups' access control entries (ACEs). EMCOPY first ensures that the local group database has been replicated on the target server when copying the local group security entries. If not, EMCOPY suggests using LGDUP first. For a list of available options to specify exactly which security properties to replicate during the copy process. See Table 6 on page 26 of the Using Dell Technologies Utilities for the CIFS Environment document.
  • A successful and complete EMCopy migration of all NT folders and files must have the Ownership and Permission attributes set accordingly:
    • Proper Group Membership and User Rights for the Windows account used for the migration
    • The migration User account should have Domain Admin membership and must be logged on to the system that is conducting the migration of data and attributes.
Note: It is advised to use the UNC path to the shares, and not the IP.
 
Note: While EMCOPY is the Dell Technologies recommended utility to migrate data, Microsoft offers a similar tool called Robocopy.

Additional Information

The requirements and limitations for EMCOPY are as follows:
  • User account should have the appropriate privileges, which bypass access checking to back up and restore files and directories. These are required to restore a directory that you do not own.
  • User account must be a member of the Backup Operators group.
  • User account must be a member of the Administrators or Account Operators group on both the source and destination computers.
  • User account must have the Change Audit privilege to copy ACLs.
  • Source and destination fields for the EMCOPY command must be directories.
  • Privileges can be set by using Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC) from a domain controller in Windows environments, and from the Data Mover Security Management Console for Windows 2000 environments. These privileges must be set on both the source and the target server. If they are not, access can be denied, especially on files that include denied ACEs in their ACL.
  • Decrypt any encrypted directories or files before using EMCOPY. Otherwise the computer running Windows 2000 used as the EMCOPY console should be a Microsoft recovery agent or file owner to copy the encrypted files and directories to VNX. Windows 2000 help provides more information about recovery agents.
Note: VNX does not support Encryption (EFS).

To download EMCopy:

Affected Products

VNX/VNXe

Products

Dell EMC Unity Family, VNX/VNXe
Article Properties
Article Number: 000022335
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 29 Jul 2025
Version:  6
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