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groupwiserestore

GroupWise Backup and Restore Management

This is a article discussing the way GroupWise should be backupped including how to restore it. Of course, a golden rule applies. No backup is complete until it is fully restored and tested. In case you're also looking for a certification or want to be prepared for an audit you should also let the responsible sign for the quality of the restore. Auditors will be asking for prove that your restore worked flawlessly. The article covers the build-in groupwise backup feature in the TSAFS.NLM in netware, and the restore area management in GroupWise.

GroupWise Backup

The backup of a GroupWise system on the server side is done with tsafs (since 2004, tsa5up16). The tsafs doesn't know GroupWise, and doesn't know anything about GroupWise domains and or post offices. The only thing it knows about is the individual GroupWise database files. It does know about them because of the file names and file signatures. When it comes across a database file it checks if it's a GroupWise database file. If it is, it sets a GroupWise lock on the file so it can't be written during the backup, but it can be read by the GroupWise system to ensure normal operation during the backup. This behavior is not enabled by default. You have to enable the nlm manually to recognize the GroupWise database files. You can do this by issuing this command, on loadtime:

load tsafs.nlm /EnableGW=yes

In case tsafs is already loaded you can unload it by issuing:

unload tsafs

This command should only be given once, and is boot persistent. After issuing you can check the results by simply issuing

tsafs

on the commandline. You will then see all the parameters of the tsafs.nlm:
gwbackup01.jpg
As you can see, the value is set to true.

GroupWise Objects in Backup Console

If you want to backup through the GroupWise objects in your backup console you'll need an additional module to load. Since tsafs.nlm doesn't know about GroupWise objects it doesn't show the GroupWise objects in the backup console. For your backup, this also isn't necessary. It does, however, provide some additional caching functionality. To load this module issue the following command:

Load TSAFSGW /HOME-VOL1:\GW\DOMAIN /HOME-VOL1:\GW\PO

Replace the volumename and the directories for the GroupWise domain and post office to your needs.

GroupWise Restore

If you have a proper backup of your GroupWise environment there is a neat built-in feature to facilitate the restores for your self and your end users. Build inside GroupWise is a feature called a Restore Area. If you restore a post office inside such a restore area your end-users will be provided with the means to restore email themselves. Of course you will be responsible for a restore policy, so users know how far in time they can go by default, and how far back they can go if needed.

  • In ConsoleOne, click Tools → GroupWise System Operations → Restore Area Management.

gwbackup02.jpg

  • Click Create to set up a new restore area.

gwbackup03.jpg

  • Fill in the name of the restore area, in this case a date because it's a one-time restore. I've also added a description so it's clear for other administrators what purpose it is for. In the UNC path I entered the path to the post office database I already restored.
  • Click Membership to specify who or what can read and write in the restored GroupWise database. You have the possibility to add single users or complete post offices:

gwbackup04.jpg
As you can see I added the postoffice, because I want to test with a couple of mailboxes.

  • If you now click OK the restore area will be created.

Access Rights

There is one more thing to do before the restore area can be used. The assigned POA needs read, write end file scan file rights to access the restored data base:
gwbackup05.jpg

Restore

You have now two ways to restore mailbox items to a mailbox. As an administrator you have the possibility to restore a complete mailbox, and you have the possibility to let end users restore items themselves. The first possibility is nice in case you need to restore a lot of mails and deletion of multiple items is easier then to restore all the needed mails one by one.

Restore a Complete Mailbox

  • ConsoleOne, browse to and select a User object for which you need to restore mailbox items.
  • Click Tools → GroupWise Utilities → Backup/Restore Mailbox.

The Restore tab is automatically selected for you, with the restore area and directory location displayed for verification:
gwbackup06.jpg

End User Restore

  • In the GroupWise client, click File → Open Backup.
  • Enter the UNC path of your restore.
  • Retrieve individual items as needed.
    • Remember that only differences between the original and the backup version are shown.
    • The backup copy of your mailbox offers basic features such as Read, Search, and Undelete so that you can locate and retrieve the items you need.
  • When you are finished restoring items to your live mailbox, click File → Open Backup again to remove the check mark from the Open Backup option and return to your live mailbox.

Resources and Additional Info

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groupwiserestore.txt · Last modified: 2021/09/24 00:24 (external edit)