RE: Deleting old archive logs in NT (long with scripts)

From: Reardon, Bruce (CALBBAY) <Bruce.Reardon_at_comalco.riotinto.com.au>
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2000 21:55:55 -0000
Message-Id: <10688.122771@fatcity.com>

Hi,

Later versions of forfiles (eg version 1.4) allow either the DDMMYYYY format (note the 4 digit year) or using a DD format for an interval.

Note that it is possible to get a DDMMYY value into an environment variable using the for command, eg:

        for /f "tokens=2-4 delims=/ " %i in ('date/t') do set filedate=%i%j%k

        To use this in a batch file use double percent signs

Below is a reply I have sent before outlining some other ways to do this:

---

The following applies to NT4 - there may be other ways to achieve this under Windows 2000.
It is also possible to do it with a totally batch file based solution but the batch file becomes Very long and complicated.

The forfiles.exe program that comes with the NT Resource kit will allow you to do this, and can be made more user friendly by writing a "wrapper" bat file that just accepts (say) filespec and number of days. This is what I use.

The forfiles bat file can be obtained from http://www.ipass.net/~davesisk/oont_download.htm

There are also shareware / freeware programs that do delete on a time basis - eg delold from http://www.savilltech.com/delold/

Other users have previously suggested a cascading dir tree eg each day move files in dir day1 to day2, day2 to day3, .... and finally delete the files from the bottom most directory.

Or you can use a 3d-party shell, such as "Take Command/32" (http://www.jpsoft.com/) which WILL accept commands doing what you want (i.e. del c:\archivedest\*.* [d09-15-98, +3] which would delete all files from Sept15-Sept18). This has been reported by Oracle on Metalink to work well with the NT scheduler but I haven't used it. It is stated to coexist with the native CMD.EXE shell.

You can also use SQL Plus to spool out the required commands by querying the appropriate data dictionary tables.

---

An example wrapper script for forfiles would be

@echo off

rem PURPOSE
rem    delete_oldfiles.bat
rem    deletes files greater than or equal to x days old
rem	Note - directories are not deleted.

rem	does not delete read only, hidden or system files

rem  18-Apr-2000 , Bruce Reardon : Creation.

rem USEAGE
rem Parameters - %1 = path , %2 = file mask , 
rem		%3 = how many days old , %4 (optional) - recurse



rem ASSUMPTIONS
rem	none.


rem REQUIRES
rem	forfiles.exe - distributed with NT Resource kit
rem	that forfiles.exe be located at c:\nt4reskit

rem SIDE EFFECTS
rem	envdelold env variable will be overwritten and deleted if it exists.

rem MODIFICATIONS



::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


	rem Parameter validation.

IF "%3"=="" goto param_problem   :: not enough params

IF NOT "%5"=="" goto param_problem  :: too many params

	rem check parameter 3 is a valid number
set envdelold=
IF "%3"=="0" goto param3_ok 

   set /a envdelold = 1*%3  2> nul:
   IF "%envdelold%"=="0" goto param3_problem 
   IF "%envdelold%"=="" goto param3_problem 



:param3_ok



IF NOT "%4"=="" IF NOT "%4"=="-s" goto param4_problem  :: invalid param 4

IF NOT EXIST %1. goto param1_problem



	rem we now have 3 (possibly 4) parameters and they have been
validated.

echo %1 %2 %3 %4


	rem the actual command - put quotes around to allow for names with
spaces.

c:\nt4reskit\forfiles -p%1 -m%2 %4 -d-%3 -c"cmd /c if @ISDIR==FALSE  del
0x22_at_FILE0x22"


goto end





:param_problem

   echo %0
   echo ERROR - Must pass in 3 parameters (4 max)
   echo     Param 1 is the path
   echo     Param 2 is file mask
   echo     Param 3 is number of days
   echo     Param 4 (optional) : if "-s" then recurse subdir's.
   echo.
   echo eg "%0 c:\temp *.* 5" would delete ALL files in c:\temp directory 5
or more days old
   goto end




:param1_problem

   echo "%0 [-->[%1]<--] %2 %3 %4"
   echo ERROR - 1st parameter invalid
   echo     Param 1 is the path and it must exist.
   echo.
   echo   eg "%0 c:\temp *.* 5" would delete ALL files 
   echo         in c:\temp directory 5 or more days old
   goto end



:param3_problem

   echo "%0 %1 %2 [-->[%3]<--] %4"
   echo ERROR - 3rd parameter invalid
   echo     Param 3 is the number of days and it must be a valid number
   echo.
   echo   eg "%0 c:\temp *.* 5" would delete ALL files 
   echo         in c:\temp directory 5 or more days old
   goto end




:param4_problem

   echo "%0 %1 %2 %3 [-->[%4]<--]"
   echo ERROR - 4th parameter invalid
   echo     Param 4 (optional) : must be "-s" (to recurse subdir's) or be
blank.
   echo.
   echo   eg "%0 c:\temp *.* 5 -s" would delete ALL files 
   echo         in c:\temp directory (incl subdirs) 5 or more days old
   goto end




:end

   rem - batch file finished
   set envdelold=


Regards,
Bruce Reardon
mailto:bruce.reardon_at_comalco.riotinto.com.au


-----Original Message-----
From: Guidry, Chris [mailto:chris.guidry_at_atcoelectric.com]
Sent: Thursday, 23 November 2000 4:16

Hello,
In the NT resource kit there is a utility called FORFILES.EXE which may be
of some help.
I have also seen it as freeware on the web. If you can get a DDMMYY format
using DATE /T
you've got it made. Please share it with the group if you succeed.
HTH

C:\>forfiles /?
Batch processing of files in a directory or tree.
emmanubo_at_microsoft.com

FORFILES [-pPath] [-mSearch Mask] [-ccommand] [-dDDMMYY] [-s] [-?]

  -pPath            Path where to start searching
  -mSearch Mask     Search files according to <Search Mask>
  -cCommand         Command to execute on each file(s)
  -dDDMMYY          Select file with date>=DDMMYY
  -v                Verbose mode
  -s                Recurse into sub-directories
  -?                Display this usage screen

The following variables can be used in Command : @FILE, @PATH, @RELPATH

Received on Wed Nov 22 2000 - 15:55:55 CST