Auto-Retry Download not available

Hi Support,

We are currently using WinSCP to daily download data from an FTP site. The FTP site's connection is not very reliable and sometimes times out on file downloads.

We execute the download via a batch file:

"C:\Program Files\WinSCP\WinSCP.exe" -ini="C:\Program Files\WinSCP\WinSCP.ini" /script=%FTPFile% /log=%Logfile%

The FTPFile Parameter is a .FTP file with the username and password information for the connection.
The LogFile Parameter sets the location where to dump the logfile

The problem we are having is that when WinSCP is called upon in the script, sometimes the download does not get all the files and fails. I open WinSCP, connect manually to the FTP site and download the files manually. At times, during transfers, I get a popup saying the connection timed out on the file and it gives me an option to retry, abort, cancel, close etc... I select retry and the file downloads fine.

I cannot find any option for auto-retries on file transfers in the preferences. Is this a feature that is not available in WinSCP? The ability to retry is (Manually) But auto-retries do not seem to be available. This would help us greatly, having an auto-retry - with an editable value for the number of auto-retries before failing.

We are running WinSCP 4.1.8 Build 415 on a Windows 2003 Server.

Most of the time the downloads are fine, but in the mornings (Possibly heavy traffic to the FTP site) we have been getting more and more failures, due to timeouts.

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Please post a full log file showing the problem. Ideally using the latest 4.2.3 beta version.

Hi Martin,

Copy of the logs where it failed, as requested:

> 2009-10-14 07:45:09.827 TYPE I
< 2009-10-14 07:45:09.873 200 Type okay.
> 2009-10-14 07:45:09.873 PASV
< 2009-10-14 07:45:09.936 227 Entering Passive Mode (202,21,130,170,200,92)
> 2009-10-14 07:45:09.936 RETR <REQUESTED FILE>
< 2009-10-14 07:45:10.327 150 Data connection accepted from <REMOTE SERVER IP>; transfer starting for <REQUESTED FILE> (1713 bytes).
< 2009-10-14 07:45:10.577 226 Transfer completed.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 Transfer channel can't be opened. Reason: A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 Copying files from remote side failed.
* 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 (ExtException) Transfer channel can't be opened. Reason: A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond.
* 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 Copying files from remote side failed.
* 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 Transfer completed.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 Asking user:
. 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 Error transferring file '/<REQUESTED FILE>'. ("Transfer channel can't be opened. Reason: A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond.","Copying files from remote side failed.","Transfer completed.")
* 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 (EScpSkipFile) Error transferring file '/<REQUESTED FILE>'.
* 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 Transfer channel can't be opened. Reason: A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond.
* 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 Copying files from remote side failed.
* 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 Transfer completed.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 File: "/<REQUESTED FILE>"
. 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 Copying "/<REQUESTED FILE>" to local directory started.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 Binary transfer mode selected.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 Starting download of /<REQUESTED FILE>
> 2009-10-14 07:45:30.874 TYPE I
< 2009-10-14 07:45:30.936 200 Type okay.
> 2009-10-14 07:45:30.936 PASV
< 2009-10-14 07:45:30.983 227 Entering Passive Mode (202,21,130,170,200,222)
> 2009-10-14 07:45:30.983 RETR <REQUESTED FILE>
< 2009-10-14 07:45:31.046 150 Data connection accepted from <REMOTE SERVER IP>; transfer starting for <REQUESTED FILE> (10552 bytes).
< 2009-10-14 07:45:31.249 226 Transfer completed.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:31.249 Download successful
. 2009-10-14 07:45:31.249 File: "/<REQUESTED FILE>"
. 2009-10-14 07:45:31.249 Copying "/<REQUESTED FILE>" to local directory started.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:31.249 Binary transfer mode selected.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:31.249 Starting download of /<REQUESTED FILE>
> 2009-10-14 07:45:31.249 TYPE I
< 2009-10-14 07:45:31.686 200 Type okay.
> 2009-10-14 07:45:31.686 PASV
< 2009-10-14 07:45:31.749 227 Entering Passive Mode (202,21,130,170,200,229)
> 2009-10-14 07:45:31.749 RETR <REQUESTED FILE>
< 2009-10-14 07:45:31.796 150 Data connection accepted from <REMOTE SERVER IP>; transfer starting for <REQUESTED FILE> (14035 bytes).
< 2009-10-14 07:45:32.015 226 Transfer completed.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:32.015 Download successful
. 2009-10-14 07:45:32.015 File: "/<REQUESTED FILE>"
. 2009-10-14 07:45:32.015 Copying "/<REQUESTED FILE>" to local directory started.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:32.015 Binary transfer mode selected.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:32.015 Starting download of /<REQUESTED FILE>
> 2009-10-14 07:45:32.015 TYPE I
< 2009-10-14 07:45:32.077 200 Type okay.
> 2009-10-14 07:45:32.077 PASV
< 2009-10-14 07:45:32.124 227 Entering Passive Mode (202,21,130,170,200,233)
> 2009-10-14 07:45:32.124 RETR <REQUESTED FILE>
< 2009-10-14 07:45:32.186 150 Data connection accepted from <REMOTE SERVER IP>; transfer starting for <REQUESTED FILE> (1763 bytes).
< 2009-10-14 07:45:32.452 226 Transfer completed.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:32.452 Download successful
. 2009-10-14 07:45:32.452 File: "/<REQUESTED FILE>"
. 2009-10-14 07:45:32.452 Copying "/<REQUESTED FILE>" to local directory started.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:32.452 Binary transfer mode selected.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:32.452 Starting download of /<REQUESTED FILE>
> 2009-10-14 07:45:32.452 TYPE I
< 2009-10-14 07:45:32.999 200 Type okay.
> 2009-10-14 07:45:32.999 PASV
< 2009-10-14 07:45:33.046 227 Entering Passive Mode (202,21,130,170,200,238)
> 2009-10-14 07:45:33.046 RETR <REQUESTED FILE>
< 2009-10-14 07:45:33.108 150 Data connection accepted from <REMOTE SERVER IP>; transfer starting for <REQUESTED FILE> (1712 bytes).
< 2009-10-14 07:45:33.218 226 Transfer completed.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:33.218 Download successful
. 2009-10-14 07:45:33.218 File: "/<REQUESTED FILE>"
. 2009-10-14 07:45:33.218 Copying "/<REQUESTED FILE>" to local directory started.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:33.218 Binary transfer mode selected.
. 2009-10-14 07:45:33.218 Starting download of /<REQUESTED FILE>
> 2009-10-14 07:45:33.218 TYPE I
< 2009-10-14 07:45:33.280 200 Type okay.
> 2009-10-14 07:45:33.280 PASV
< 2009-10-14 07:45:33.327 227 Entering Passive Mode (202,21,130,170,200,242)
> 2009-10-14 07:45:33.327 RETR <REQUESTED FILE>
< 2009-10-14 07:45:33.390 150 Data connection accepted from <REMOTE SERVER IP>; transfer starting for <REQUESTED FILE> (10533 bytes).
< 2009-10-14 07:45:33.655 226 Transfer completed.
. 2009-10-14 07:46:33.297 Timeout detected.
. 2009-10-14 07:46:33.297 Copying files from remote side failed.
. 2009-10-14 07:46:33.297 Connection was lost, asking what to do.
. 2009-10-14 07:46:33.297 Asking user:
. 2009-10-14 07:46:33.297 Lost connection. ("Timeout detected.","Copying files from remote side failed.","Transfer completed.")

Martin,

Unfortunately, because this can only be run once a day and I cannot make changes to this download with a change procedure in place, I have uploaded the log from yesterday using version 4.1.8 Build 415.

Basically I just need to know if WinSCP retries when something like this comes up:

*****************************************************************
. 2009-10-14 07:46:33.297 Connection was lost, asking what to do.
. 2009-10-14 07:46:33.297 Asking user:
*****************************************************************

If there was an auto-response to these sort of "user requests" that could be programmed in, that would reduce the number of transfer errors we are having.

Thank you

Muxxx wrote:

Basically I just need to know if WinSCP retries when something like this comes up:

*****************************************************************
. 2009-10-14 07:46:33.297 Connection was lost, asking what to do.
. 2009-10-14 07:46:33.297 Asking user:
*****************************************************************

It does. Though this part is not shown in log you have posted. So I cannot tell why does not for you. Though I would recommend trying the latest beta (or at least stable 4.1.9).