Post reply

Problem copying .bak with "$" in file path/name (PS running in SQL job step)

  • April 24, 2013 at 3:34 pm

    #292438

    I'm using OLA's SQL JOBs to do my database maintenance. So far, I really like them; they're very handy, especially when apps create new databases each month (WILDCARD dbnames!).

    I have to copy files across server instances on occasion; since we're deploying SQL2008r2 I've started using Powershell to do this.

    I've got a powershell job step that works fine to get bak files from my old servers to new servers.

    But now I have to copy a backup created by the Ola backup process... it includes $ in the path (as servername$instancename) and at the start of the backup file name.

    It LOOKS like the $ is confusing Powershell...

    Is there a control character I can use to allow the "$" into the path/filename, or is there another way to do this?

    #Example: (this is a powershell step in a sql job)

    # get yesterdays date as YYYYMMDD

    $dd = (get-date).AddDays(-1).ToString("yyyyMMdd")

    # here's the original source/target location for the backup file

    #$from = "\\srvrname\r$\SQL\MSSQL10_50.instname\MSSQL\Backup\srvrname$instname\DBNAME\FULL\srvrname$instname_DBNAME_FULL_" + $dd + "*.BAK"

    #$to = "\\SA01SQL002\u$\SQL\MSSQL10_50.TEST\MSSQL\Backup\from$instname\"

    #and here's the error on the copy-item line:

    # 'An object at the specified path \\srvrname\r$\SQL\MSSQL10_50.instname\MSSQL\Backup\srvrname\DBNAME\FULL does not exist.'

    # ********

    # whoops... that should say \srvrname$instname\

    #

    # that blows up so tried wrapping $from and $to within a double quote... this didn't fly either.

    $from = """" + ...TheOriginalString... + """"

    $to = """" + ...TheOriginalString... + """"

    # the error references this line

    copy-item $from $to -Force -Recurse

    Cursors are useful if you don't know SQL

  • April 24, 2013 at 6:10 pm

    #1609757

    Well... this fixed it. But now I'd like to know if anybody knows WHY it fixed it...

    #this fails

    $from = "\\srvrname\r$\SQL\MSSQL10_50.instname\MSSQL\Backup\srvrname$instname\DBNAME\FULL\srvrname$instname_DBNAME_FULL_" + $dd + "*.BAK"

    #but this works

    $from = "\\srvrname\r$\SQL\MSSQL10_50.instname\MSSQL\Backup\srvrname" + "$" + "instname\DBNAME\FULL\srvrname" + "$" + "instname_DBNAME_FULL_" + $dd + "*.BAK"

    Cursors are useful if you don't know SQL

  • April 25, 2013 at 3:48 am

    #1609840

    When using double quotes (") PowerShell looks to replace variables with their values whereas if you use single quotes (') it does not. So as you used double quotes it interpreted $instname as a variable, for example.

    If you have no embedded variables then you can use the following:

    $from = '\\srvrname\r$\SQL\MSSQL10_50.instname\MSSQL\Backup\srvrname$instname\DBNAME\FULL\srvrname$instname_DBNAME_FULL_' + $dd + "*.BAK"

    Or you can escape the dollar signs ($) with a grave accent (`) like this:

    $from = "\\srvrname\r`$\SQL\MSSQL10_50.instname\MSSQL\Backup\srvrname`$instname\DBNAME\FULL\srvrname`$instname_DBNAME_FULL_" + $dd + "*.BAK"

    The following should work too:

    $from = "\\srvrname\r`$\SQL\MSSQL10_50.instname\MSSQL\Backup\srvrname`$instname\DBNAME\FULL\srvrname`$instname_DBNAME_FULL_$dd*.BAK"

    Hope this helps.

    Gaz

    -- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!

  • April 25, 2013 at 12:57 pm

    #1610101

    THANKS for the info!!! It's very much appreciated.

    (like your sig... so in the same spirit, "Game over, man... GAME OVER!!!")

    ...edit after reading ALL the examples... WHOA, that last one is slick as ... well, it's slick!

    Cursors are useful if you don't know SQL

  • April 26, 2013 at 3:13 am

    #1610256

    You are most welcome - makes a change for me being the helper as opposed to the helped!!!

    Gaz

    -- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply