cwRsync itself has no support for it. However, after an rsync operation, you can use Robocopy (standard in more recent Windows versions), to transfer all windows specific file information (NTFS security, timestamps, attributes, ownership, auditing info):

ROBOCOPY source destination /XO /XN /XC /E /COPY:ATSOU

options /XO (exclude older), /XN (exclude newer) and /XC (exclude changed) assure that only existing files are targeted. Option /E is for recursive directory operation including empty ones. Option /COPY:ATSOU instructs Robocopy to copy only attributes (A), timestamps (T), NTFS security information (S), Ownership O) and auditing (U).

Rsync server uses port 873 by default. You can add port directive to the configuration file rsyncd.conf to specify an alternative port.

port new-port-number

Restart the service.

Assuming that you want to pull directory c:\backup on Windows machine to /var/backup on Linux machine:

On Windows machine :

• Install Cwrsync Server

• Start RsyncServer service

• Add a new module to the configuration file rsyncd.conf :

path = /cygdrive/c/backup
read only = true
transfer logging = yes

On Linux machine :

• Use the command below to initiate rsync:

rsync -vrt windows_machine::backup /var/backup

NB! Keep in mind that the recipe above is suitable for operations within a secure network.

On Windows: 

• Install Copssh and cwRsync server. Use the same service account.

• Start RsyncServer and OpenSSHD services

• Activate a user
• Import your public key via Copssh Control Panel:

•  Make sure that the user and the service account has write access to c:\backup
• Add a new module to rsyncd.conf :

[backup]
path = /cygdrive/c/backup
read only = false
transfer logging = yes

On Linux:

• Use shell script below after having it updated according to your needs:

#!/bin/bash
localport=9119
remoteport=873
remotehost=192.168.100.21
rsyncmodule=backup
remoteuser=lab1user
sourcedir=/bin/

echo Establishing secure channel ...
ssh -L $localport:127.0.0.1:$remoteport $remoteuser@$remotehost -T -N -f

rsync -vrt $sourcedir rsync://localhost:$localport/$rsyncmodule

echo Terminating secure channel ...
ps ax | grep "ssh -L $localport" | awk '{print $1}' | xargs -i kill {} 2&>/dev/null

Assuming that you want to synchronize from directory c:\srcdir on machine WINCLIENT to directory c:\destdir on machine WINSERVER :

On WINSERVER :

• Install cwRsync Server

• Start RsyncServer service

• Make sure that the service account has write access to c:\destdir. You can use Prep a Dir for Upload wizard from start menu.

• Add a new module to rsyncd.conf :

path = /cygdrive/c/destdir
read only = false
transfer logging = yes

On WINCLIENT :

• Download cwRsync client.

• Use the command below to initiate rsync communication:

".\bin\rsync" -av /cygdrive/c/srcdir/ WINSERVER::wintest

NB! Keep in mind that the recipe above is suitable for operations within a secure network.

From Windows Developer network:

“In the Windows API (with some exceptions discussed in the following paragraphs), the maximum length for a path is MAX_PATH, which is defined as 260 characters. A local path is structured in the following order: drive letter, colon, backslash, name components separated by backslashes, and a terminating null character. For example, the maximum path on drive D is "D:\some 256-character path string<NUL>" where "<NUL>" represents the invisible terminating null character for the current system codepage. (The characters < > are used here for visual clarity and cannot be part of a valid path string.)

The Windows API has many functions that also have Unicode versions to permit an extended-length path for a maximum total path length of 32,767 characters. This type of path is composed of components separated by backslashes, each up to the value returned in the lpMaximumComponentLength parameter of the GetVolumeInformation function (this value is commonly 255 characters). To specify an extended-length path, use the "\\?\" prefix. For example, "\\?\D:\very long path".”

Even if the underlying APIs may have support for really long paths, the problem occurs due to user interface tools like Windows Explorer, Cmd prompt and PowerShell which don't support Unicode variants of the Windows APIs. The result is then path names up to 256 chars. As of version 1.7, Cygwin uses unicode Windows APIs, you can use tools like bash shell or nano editor for management of files/paths with long names.

Log example for cwRsync transfer with long path names:

...
2014/03/25 22:08:42 >f+++++++++ backup/0123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789
/0123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789
/0123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789
/0123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789/testfile
...

If you run into permissions problems or your directories' security ACLs are populated by some unwanted groups/users, you need to make sure that:

• File ../etc/fstab  exists with at least the content below (with Unix line endings even if the file has only one line!):

none /cygdrive cygdrive binary,posix=0,user,noacl 0 0
  

That will instruct Cygwin not to touch permissions.

NB! You may experience very slow transfer rates and/or building the file list may take long time. You can remove /etc/fstab and use the option --no-perms  option instead. The problem can also be related to real-time anti-virus scanning. Consider file/folder exclusion if possible.

More information:

The Cygwin Mount Table

The cygdrive path prefix

Windows paths may contain a colon (:) as a part of drive designation and backslashes (example c:\, g:\). However, in rsync syntax, a colon in a path means searching for a remote host.

Solution: use absolute path 'a la unix', replace backslashes (\) with slashes (/) and put -/cygdrive/- in front of the drive letter.

Example :

C:\WORK\* --> /cygdrive/c/work/*