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Moving, Migrating, Merging, and Splitting up Archive Stores

Author: Nisha Shrivastava Updated

Overview

This article describes how to migrate the items between the Archive Stores. This can be useful in different situations; however, the most common ones are:

  • When there is a need to change the Archive Store type (e.g., from Firebird to Full-SQL or from Full-SQL to SQL+NTFS).
  • To re-import into a new set of Archive Stores if the existing Archive Store set does not align correctly with the Archive Store naming or date range schema.
  • If the database of an Archive Store was unrecoverably lost and only the binary folder is still available.
  • To split large Archive Stores into multiple smaller ones.

 

Information

 

CAUTION! It is recommended to create a backup of the system, including the installation and data before going through this procedure.

Depending on the GFI Archiver version used and the type of source Archive Store, the steps need to be performed differently.

 

IMPORTANT! Before starting this procedure, please read the important considerations in every section.

  • It is recommended to update to the latest version before performing the migration.
  • Since the items will be handled on disk, it is recommended to disable the antivirus software entirely during the whole process.
  • Ensure that sufficient disk space is available on all disks involved, including the disk on which the GFI Archiver installation is located.
  • Reprocessing the items in the ways described below causes a high load on the system resources and might best be run outside of business hours.

 

Glossary:

 

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Process

Reimporting the Items via the GFI Archiver Import Service

Step A: Plan and Configure the Desired Destination Archive Stores (GFI Mail Archiver 2012 or Newer Only)

  1. Open the web interface > go to Configuration > Archive Stores.
  2. Select New Archive Store Settings.
  3. Follow the wizard and ensure that it matches the desired destination Archive Stores.
  4. Select Schedule Archive.
  5. Choose the desired time range, e.g., choose Monthly if 1x Archive Store should be created per month.

 

Step B: Verify AddAllOwnersOnImport Is Set to true (GFI Mail Archiver 2012 or Newer Only)

IMPORTANT: It is vital to ensure that the configuration key AddAllOwnersOnImport in ..\Archiver\Core\Data\MArcSettings.xml is set to true.
  1. Stop all the GFI Archiver services.
  2. Browse to ...\GFI\Archiver\Core\Data.
  3. Make a backup copy of MArcSettings.xml.
    1. Create a subfolder named Backup.
    2. Create a copy of the file MArcSettings.xml into the Backup subfolder.
  4. Open MArcSettings.xml in a text editor.
  5. Search for the key named AddAllOwnersOnImport.
  6. Set its value to true.
    IMPORTANT: This value is case sensitive, e.g., AddAllOwnersOnImport="true"
  7. Save the changes.
  8. Start all the GFI Archiver services.

 


Step C: Export Items From Source Archive Store and Import to Destination Archive Stores

Method A (Preferred): Using the Export SQL Raw Data Tool

  • This method applies to Full-SQL, SQL+NTFS – the database and the binary folder are still present and can be accessed.
  • It does not apply to Firebird.

Important Considerations/Preparations Before Starting This Procedure

  • The folder structure of the emails is lost while migrating the data via this procedure. However, the emails can be re-synchronized to retrieve the folder structure, but only if they still exist in the user's Microsoft Exchange mailboxes.
  • The folder structure of the emails deleted from the Microsoft Exchange mailboxes is permanently lost.
  • The ownership between the items and the users which were deleted from Active Directory will be lost.
    • After the re-import, no mailbox would exist within GFI Archiver anymore for such users.
    • The affected items will be reimported, but they will be accessible only via a user who has Full Access permissions.

      For example:

      • On 1st December 2012, User A received an email, and it was archived. User A could access the email via the web interface and other methods within GFI Archiver.
      • On 1st June 2013, User A left the company, and his user object in Active Directory was deleted.
        • At this point, a user with Full Access permissions within GFI Archiver could still access User A's mailbox as the ownership of emails was still present within the Archive Stores.
      • On 1st October 2013, this procedure was used, and the items were reimported into new Archive Stores.
        • At this point, the ownership between any items and User A is lost.
        • A user with Full Access permissions cannot add the User A's mailbox anymore. However, he can browse and search against All User's items and ultimately access them.
      • If a mailbox is required, you would need to create new user objects in Active Directory for the users who were deleted in the past (one object per deleted user) and ensure that the new objects have all the email addresses that the original user had placed in the past. This must be done before going through this procedure.
  • The ownership of the items that were assigned based on the distribution groups might be lost or might change (depending on the changes of group membership).

    For example:

    • On 1st December 2012, User A sent an email to a distribution group of which User B and User C were members at that time.
    • When the email was archived initially, the ownership was assigned to all three users (User A, User B, and User C).
    • On 1st June 2013, User C was removed as a member from the distribution list, and User D was added as a member.
    • On 1st October 2013, this procedure was used, and the items were reimported into new Archive Stores.
      • At this point, the ownership will be assigned based on the current membership of the distribution list, and the ownership is assigned to User A, User B, and User D.
      • User C will not be assigned with the ownership. User D will be assigned with the ownership, although this user never received the email in the first place.
  • The ownership of the items which were assigned based on the archival through the GFI Archive Assistant will be lost.

    For example:
      • User A has a PST file mounted in Outlook, and it contained an email sent from User B to User C.
      • The GFI Archive Assistant archived this email, and the ownership was assigned to User A.
      • After reimporting the data via this procedure, the ownership of this email will not be assigned to User A again. Instead, it will be assigned to User B and User C. The ownership for User A would be lost.

 

  1. Note down the Microsoft SQL server instance, the database name, and the path to the binary source.
    1. Open the web interface and go to Configuration > Archive Stores.
    2. Highlight the source Archive Store > select Summary button.
  2. Close the Summary and select the Detach button.
  3. Start ExportSQLRawDataTool.exe.
  4. Use the tool to connect to the desired Archive Store and export its items to a temp folder, for example, D:\temp\2008.
  5. Start movebix.exe.
    1. Open an elevated Command Prompt.
      1. Go to Start > Run > type cmd > hit Enter.
      2. Right-click on cmd.exe and choose Run as Administrator.
    2. Go to the folder ...\GFI\Archiver\MAIS\bin.
    3. Run the following command:

      movebix.exe "<source binary path>" "<MAIS pickup folder>"
      • <source binary path>: The temp folder into which ExportSQLRawDataTool.exe saved the bix files.
      • <MAIS pickup folder>: The folder which the Import service monitors for files. The default path is ..\Archiver\MAIS\Pickup.
      • For example, movebix.exe "D:\temp\2008" "C:\Program Files\GFI\Archiver\MAIS\Pickup"

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Method B (Fallback): If the Export SQL Raw Data Tool Cannot Be Used

 

Important Considerations Which Apply to This Fallback Method B (in Addition to the Ones Mentioned for Method A)

  • Ownership information that was solely assigned based on the journal envelope, e.g., BCC recipients, will be lost.
    • For example, User A sends an email to User B. User C is specified as a recipient via BCC.
    • GFI Archiver archives this email and assigns the ownership to all three users, including the BCC recipient User C (as the BCC recipient is available in the journal envelope).
    • When reimporting this email via this procedure, the information that the email was sent to User C via BCC is not present anymore, and the ownership will only get assigned to User A and User B.
  • The ownership of the items that were assigned based on archival through the GFI Archive Assistant will be lost.
    • If you have archived any files using the GFI File Archive Assistant, it is highly discouraged to follow this method.
    • Any files which were archived using the GFI File Archive Assistant will lose the association with their owner and render them inaccessible for the user who archived them.
    • Additionally, the item type changes from 'file' to 'email' during the process.


If the Source Archive Store is Firebird or SQL+NTFS:
  1. Note the path to the binary source.
    1. Open the web interface and go to Configuration > Archive Stores.
    2. Highlight the source Archive Store > select the Summary button.
  2. Close the Summary and select the Detach button.
  3. Make a backup copy of the binary directory.
  4. Start movebix.exe.
    1. Open an elevated Command Prompt.
      1. Go to Start > Run > type cmd > hit Enter.
      2. Right-click on cmd.exe and choose Run as Administrator.
    2. Go to the folder ...\GFI\Archiver\MAIS\bin.
    3. Run the following command:

      movebix.exe "<source binary path>" "<MAIS pickup folder>"
      • <source binary path>: The binary folder of the source Archive Store (which was noted down in a previous step).
      • <MAIS pickup folder>: The folder which the Import service monitors for files. The default path is ..\Archiver\MAIS\Pickup.
      • For example, movebix.exe "C:\Program Files\GFI\Archiver\Databases\2008\binary" "C:\Program Files\GFI\Archiver\MAIS\Pickup"
      NOTE: Items can be copied instead of moved via copybix.exe. Movebix.exe is recommended as it preserves the disk space and makes the process more trackable.

 

 

If the Source Archive Store is Full-SQL:
  1. Export the items.
    1. Go to Start > Programs > GFI Archiver > GFI Archiver Import Export Tool.
    2. Choose the mode Download emails from GFI Archiver.
    3. Connect to the GFI Archiver URL as a member of the Full Access Group.
    4. Choose the option What do you want to export? Items with specific search criteria.
    5. Export all the items of the source Archive Store.

      NOTES:
      • As this export relies on search, the index of the source Archive Store must be healthy. If the search does not return the desired results, you might need to rebuild the index.
      • Use the option Restrict search on particular archive store.
      • Uncheck the option Retrieve only the first 5000 occurrences.
      • Remove any Query Criteria lines to ensure all items are returned.
    6. From the Export and Download Options page, select:
  • Download to the path.
  • Download emails in the EML format.
  • Select Next to start the export process.
  • When the export process completes, select Finish.
    NOTE: The duration of the export process depends on the number of items to export.
  • Remove the source Archive Store from the web interface.
    1. Open the web interface and go to Configuration > Archive Stores.
    2. Highlight the source Archive Store > select the Detach button.
  • Rename the .EML files to .Q.
    1. Browse to the directory that was specified when downloading the items.
    2. In this location, there will be a folder named Folder_# for every 5000 items that were exported.
    • For example, if 7000 items were exported, Folder_1 would contain the first 5000 items, and Folder_2 would include the remaining 2000 items.
  • Open a Command Prompt and change to the Folder_1 directory.
  • Execute the command: ren *.eml *.q.
  • Repeat the steps 3a to 3d for each of the Folder_# directories.
  • Move the *.q files from the Folder_# directories to ...\GFI\Archiver\MAIS\Pickup in batches.

    NOTE: It is recommended to move the files from the Folder_# directories one at a time and only continue with the next one once ..\Archiver\MAIS\Pickup is cleared.

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    Splitting a Large Microsoft SQL-Based Archive Store Into Multiple Smaller Archive Stores

    • Use the DB Split Tool if you have a vast Microsoft SQL-based Archive Store (Full-SQL or SQL+NTFS) and need to split it into multiple smaller ones, but you do not have any other requirements.
    • This tool uses a different approach compared to the extended procedures above. It connects to the Microsoft SQL database (and binary folder) and directly copies the data into new Archive Stores based on a chosen schedule.
    • Advantage: The tool does carry over the folder structure and ownership information.
    • Disadvantage: The tool does not store the data in existing Archive Stores, even if any are present which cover the same date range of the items to be processed.

     

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