Novell GROUPWISE 7 - DATABASES User manual

Databases

VIII

novdocx (en) 11 December 2007

371

VIII

Databases

Chapter 25, “Understanding GroupWise Databases,” on page 373

Chapter 26, “Maintaining Domain and Post Office Databases,” on page 377

Chapter 27, “Maintaining User/Resource and Message Databases,” on page 385

Chapter 28, “Maintaining Library Databases and Documents,” on page 391

Chapter 29, “Synchronizing Database Information,” on page 395

Chapter 30, “Managing Database Disk Space,” on page 399

Chapter 31, “Backing Up GroupWise Databases,” on page 407

Chapter 32, “Restoring GroupWise Databases from Backup,” on page 411

Chapter 33, “Retaining User Messages,” on page 419

Chapter 34, “Standalone Database Maintenance Programs,” on page 423

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Understanding GroupWise Databases

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373

Understanding GroupWise

Databases

Your GroupWise®system includes numerous databases where vital information is stored.

Section 25.1, “Domain Databases,” on page 373

Section 25.2, “Post Office Databases,” on page 373

Section 25.3, “User Databases,” on page 374

Section 25.4, “Message Databases,” on page 374

Section 25.5, “Library Databases,” on page 374

Section 25.6, “Guardian Databases,” on page 375

25.1 Domain Databases

The domain database (wpdomain.db) in each domain contains all administrative information for

the domain, including:

Address information about all GroupWise objects (such as users and resources), post offices,

and gateways in the domain

System configuration and linking information for the domain’s MTA

Address and message routing information to other domains

The first domain you create is the primary domain. In the primary domain, the wpdomain.db file

contains all administrative information for your entire GroupWise system (all domains, post offices,

users, and so on). Because the wpdomain.db file in the primary domain is so crucial, you should

back it up regularly and keep it secure. See Section 31.1, “Backing Up a Domain,” on page 407.

You can re-create your entire GroupWise system from the primary domain wpdomain.db file;

however, if the primary domain wpdomain.db file becomes unusable, you can no longer make

administrative updates to your GroupWise system.

Every domain you create after the primary domain is a secondary domain. The contents of

secondary domains are automatically synchronized with the primary domain.

For the location of the domain database, see “Domain Directory” in GroupWise 7 Troubleshooting

3: Message Flow and Directory Structure. For additional domain information, see Section 40.3,

“Information Stored in the Domain,” on page 606.

25.2 Post Office Databases

The post office database (wphost.db) in each post office contains all administrative information

for the post office, including a copy of the GroupWise Address Book. This information is necessary

for users to send messages to others in the GroupWise system.

For the location of the post office database, see “Post Office Directory” in GroupWise 7

Troubleshooting 3: Message Flow and Directory Structure. For more post office information, see

Section 35.3, “Information Stored in the Post Office,” on page 464.

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25.3 User Databases

Each member of the post office has a personal database (userxxx.db) that represents the user’s

mailbox. The user database contains the following:

Message header information

Pointers to messages

Personal groups

Personal address books

Rules

When a member of another post office shares a folder with one or more members of the local post

office, a “prime user” database (puxxxxx.db) is created to store the shared information. The

“prime user” is the owner of the shared information.

Local user databases and prime user databases are stored in the ofuser directory in the post office.

Because resources are addressable just like users, resources also have user databases.

For the location of user databases in the post office, see “Post Office Directory” in GroupWise 7

Troubleshooting 3: Message Flow and Directory Structure. For more post office information, see

Section 35.3, “Information Stored in the Post Office,” on page 464.

25.4 Message Databases

Each member of the post office is assigned to a message database (msgnnn.db) where the body

portions of messages are stored. Many users in a post office share a single message database. There

can be as many as 255 message databases in the post office (numbered from 0 to 254). Message

databases are stored in the ofmsg directory in the post office.

Outgoing messages from local senders are stored in the message database assigned to each sender.

Incoming messages from users in other post offices are stored in the message database with the same

name as the message database assigned to the sender in his or her own post office. In each case, only

one copy of the message is stored in the post office, no matter how many members of the post office

it is addressed to.

For the location of message databases in the post office, see “Post Office Directory” in GroupWise 7

Troubleshooting 3: Message Flow and Directory Structure. For more post office information, see

Section 35.3, “Information Stored in the Post Office,” on page 464.

25.5 Library Databases

A library is a collection of documents and document properties stored in a database system that can

be managed and searched. You do not need to set up libraries unless you are using GroupWise

Document Management Services (DMS). See Part VII, “Libraries and Documents,” on page 291.

The databases for managing libraries are stored in the gwdms directory and its subdirectories in the

post office.

The dmsh.db file is a database shared by all libraries in the post office. It contains information

about where each library in the post office is located.

Understanding GroupWise Databases 375

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Each library has its own subdirectory in the gwdms directory. In each library directory, the

dmxxnn01-FF.db files contain information specific to that library, such as document properties

and what users have rights to access the library.

For the location of library databases in the post office, see “Post Office Directory” in GroupWise 7

Troubleshooting 3: Message Flow and Directory Structure. For more post office information, see

Section 35.3, “Information Stored in the Post Office,” on page 464.

The actual documents in a library are not kept in the library databases. They are kept in a document

storage area, which consists of a series of directories for storing documents. Documents are

encrypted and stored in BLOBs (binary large objects) to make document management easier. A

document, its versions, and related objects are stored together in the same BLOB.

A document storage area might be located in the post office itself, or in some other location where

more storage space is available. If it is located in the post office, the document storage area can

never be moved. Therefore, storing documents in the post office directory structure is not usually

recommended. If it is stored outside the post office, a document storage area can be moved when

additional disk space is required.

See Chapter 22, “Creating and Managing Libraries,” on page 299 and Chapter 23, “Creating and

Managing Documents,” on page 335 for more information about Document Management Services.

25.6 Guardian Databases

The guardian database (ngwguard.db) serves as the master copy of the data dictionary

information for the following subordinate databases in the post office:

User databases (userxxx.db)

Message databases (msgnnn.db)

Prime user databases (puxxxxx.db)

Library databases (dmsh.db and dmxxnn01-FF.db)

The guardian database is vital to GroupWise functioning. Therefore, the POA has an automated

back-up and roll-forward process to protect it. The POA keeps a known good copy of the guardian

database called ngwguard.fbk. Whenever it modifies the ngwguard.db file, the POA also

records the transaction in the roll-forward transaction log called ngwguard.rfl. If the POA

detects damage to the ngwguard.db file on startup or during a write transaction, it goes back to

the ngwguard.fbk file (the “fall back” copy) and applies the transactions recorded in the

ngwguard.rfl file to create a new, valid and up-to-date ngwguard.db.

In addition to the POA back-up and roll-forward process, you should still back up the

ngwguard.db, ngwguard.fbk, and ngwguard.rfl files regularly to protect against media

failure. Without a valid ngwguard.db file, you cannot access your e-mail. With current

ngwguard.fbk and ngwguard.rfl files, a valid ngwguard.db file can be rebuilt should the

need arise.

The ngwguard.dc file is the structural template for building the guardian database and its

subordinate databases. Also called a dictionary file, the ngwguard.dc file contains schema

information, such as data types and record indexes. If this dictionary file is missing, no additional

databases can be created in the post office.

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Maintaining Domain and Post Office Databases

novdocx (en) 11 December 2007

377

Maintaining Domain and Post

Office Databases

Occasionally, it is necessary to perform maintenance tasks on domain databases (wpdomain.db)

or post office databases (wphost.db). The frequency depends on the reliability of your network

and your own experience of how often problems are likely to occur. The following tasks help you

maintain the integrity of your domain and post office databases:

Section 26.1, “Validating Domain or Post Office Databases,” on page 377

Section 26.2, “Recovering Domain or Post Office Databases,” on page 378

Section 26.3, “Rebuilding Domain or Post Office Databases,” on page 381

Section 26.4, “Rebuilding Database Indexes,” on page 383

NOTE: Unfortunately, damage to databases cannot be prevented. A power outage can occur in the

middle of a write to a database. A hard drive can fail. However, the GroupWise®tools for repairing

damaged databases are very effective and should be able to resolve most damage to GroupWise

databases.

To further protect your GroupWise system against loss of domain and post office information, see

Chapter 31, “Backing Up GroupWise Databases,” on page 407 and Chapter 32, “Restoring

GroupWise Databases from Backup,” on page 411.

To ensure that the same information exists in all domain and post office databases throughout your

GroupWise system, see Section 29.5, “Synchronizing the Primary Domain from a Secondary

Domain,” on page 398, Section 29.4, “Synchronizing a Secondary Domain,” on page 397, and

Section 29.2, “Synchronizing a Post Office,” on page 396.

26.1 Validating Domain or Post Office Databases

You can validate the data in the domain and post office databases at any time without interrupting

normal GroupWise operation. The frequency can vary depending on the size of your system and the

number of changes you make to users, resources, and distribution lists.

1Make sure you have full administrative rights to the domain and post office database directories

you are validating.

2In ConsoleOne®, browse to and select the Domain object or Post Office object where you want

to validate the database.

3Click Tools > GroupWise Utilities > System Maintenance.

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4Click Validate Database > Run.

5When prompted, make sure the Path to Database is correct. If an incorrect path is displayed,

browse to and select the path to the database being validated. Click OK.

You are notified if there are any physical problems, so you can then recover or rebuild the

database.

See Section 26.2, “Recovering Domain or Post Office Databases,” on page 378 and

Section 26.3, “Rebuilding Domain or Post Office Databases,” on page 381.

26.2 Recovering Domain or Post Office

Databases

The database recover process corrects physical problems in the database structure, but does not

update incorrect information contained in the database.

If you receive an administrative message informing you that an internal database error has occurred,

or if you detect database damage and don’t want to take users out of GroupWise, you can recover the

database. If no errors are reported after the recover process, you do not need to take further action.

The recover process is run against a copy of the domain database (wpdomain.db) or post office

database (wphost.db). Therefore, while the recover process is running, you can continue to

access the database through ConsoleOne and you do not need to stop the MTA or the POA.

As the copy of the database is created, the recover process skips invalid records. If the number of

records in the original wpdomain.db file or wphost.db file is different from the number in the new,

valid copy, GroupWise sends an administrative message informing you that data has been lost.

When the recover process is completed, the backup database is deleted.

Maintaining Domain and Post Office Databases 379

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Figure 26-1 The Database Recovery Process

For convenience, the agents are configured by default to automatically recover domain and post

office databases whenever a physical problem is encountered. See “Recovering the Domain

Successful?

creating.ddb

NO YES

creating.ddb

Read and copy records from

recover.ddb into creating.ddb. Skip

invalid records. Check the number of

records (Y) in creating.ddb.

Delete creating.ddb.

creating.ddb

wpdomain.db

Try rebuilding

wpdomain.db.

Notify the administrator

that wpdomain.db

could not be recovered.

Rename recover.ddb

to wpdomain.db.

Delete recover.ddb.

wpdomain.db

Rename creating.ddb

to wpdomain.db.

wpdomain.db has been

successfully recovered.

wpdomain.db

Check the number of

records (X) in wpdomain.db.

wpdomain.db

recover.ddb

Rename wpdomain.db

to recover.ddb.

recover.ddb

wpdomain.db

X=Y?

NO YES

wpdomain.db

is useable.

Notify the administrator

that information has

been lost in the

recovery process.

wpdomain.db

380 GroupWise 7 Administration Guide

novdocx (en) 11 December 2007

Database Automatically or Immediately” on page 654 and “Recovering the Post Office Database

Automatically or Immediately” on page 526.

To recover a specific database in ConsoleOne:

1Make sure you have network access to the domain or post office directory for the database you

are recovering.

If you have administration rights in the primary domain, you can recover the primary domain

database, the post office databases in the primary domain, and any secondary domain

databases.

From a secondary domain, you can recover the secondary domain database and the post office

databases in the secondary domain.

2Make sure you have sufficient disk space for the copy of the database that is created during

recovery.

3In ConsoleOne, browse to and select the Domain object or Post Office object where you want

to recover the database.

4Click Tools > GroupWise Utilities > System Maintenance.

5Click Recover Database > Run.

6When prompted, make sure the Path to Database is correct. If an incorrect path is displayed,

browse to and select the path to the database being validated. Click OK.

If recovery is successful, the backup database is deleted, and the new domain database is renamed to

wpdomain.db, or the new post office database is renamed to wphost.db.

If recovery fails for any reason, the backup database is copied back to wpdomain.db or

wphost.db. If any data was lost, you are notified by an administrative message.

You have several options for retrieving lost data from other sources:

If data has been lost from the primary domain, you can synchronize it with a secondary domain

that is known to contain current information. See Section 29.5, “Synchronizing the Primary

Domain from a Secondary Domain,” on page 398.

If data has been lost from a secondary domain, you can synchronize it with the primary domain.

See Section 29.4, “Synchronizing a Secondary Domain,” on page 397.

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