Backup and Restore

Creating Backups

MailStore has built-in technology to perform a full backup of the archive.

A full database backup contains all archived e-mails and all program settings such as users and privileges. Restoring such a backup is sufficient to completely reinstate the original archive without having to perform any further configurations.

Procedure

To create a complete backup, click on Administrative Tools and select Create Archive Backup. Enter the destination directory and specify the scope of the backup. Click on OK to perform a single backup; to perform the backup in regular intervals automatically, click on Schedule Task.

When using external backup software, simply include the MailStore backup directory that was specified when creating the backup (e.g. C:\ArchiveBackup) in the procedure.

Please note: Backing up the MailStore data directory with external backup software is only possible if the MailStore Server service is stopped; always use the MailStore internal backup to then back up the data directory with external software.

Please note: Never perform a backup of the file groups only; the master database must be included in every backup.

Please note: Older storage groups can be write-protected in Administrative Tools under Storage Locations. These file groups remain available to all users (except that emails cannot be moved or deleted) but no longer need to be backed up constantly. Such file groups can safely be kept on cost-effective storage media as well.

Information about file groups and storage locations is available in chapter Managing Storage Locations.

Restoring Backups

This chapter describes how a database backup of the entire email archive can be restored.Information about archiving individual files (in EML or MSG format) is available in chapter Archiving Emails from External Systems.

Background

A database backup contains all archived emails and program settings such as users and privileges. A recovery of such a backup is sufficient to completely restore the original archiving service without requiring any further configuration.

A new database backup can be created directly from MailStore through Create Archive Backup at Administrative Tools.

Regardless of how it was created, a database backup can always be restored by following the steps described below.

Restoring a Database Backup

An operative installation of MailStore Server is required to restore a database backup. Please proceed as follows:

• Copy the database backup to a local hard drive on the computer on which MailStore Server is installed.
• Start the MailStore Server Configuration. It is located in the MailStore Server program folder that can be accessed through the Windows Start menu.
• Below Master Database, click on Change and select the backup directory containing the file MailStoreMaster.fdb. Click on OK to confirm.

• Below Windows Service, click on Restart to save the new settings.
• The backup is completely restored to the application and the archive can be used as usual.

Additional file groups may exist which will not have been restored to the archive after following these steps. In this case, please proceed as follows:

• Start MailStore Client on the MailStore Server PC and log on as MailStore administrator.
• Under Administrative Tools click on Storage Locations.
• In the menu bar at the bottom of the screen, click on Attach and select the appropriate file group.