Automating the Archiving Process

With MailStore, every archiving process (every archiving profile) can be executed automatically according to specified points in time.

The time-controlled execution of archiving processes cannot prevent users from deleting emails from their email applications or mailboxes prior to having been archived. In order to ensure that all emails are archived they should be automatically archived upon sending and receiving.

How To: For Emails Stored Locally on User Computers

To automate the archiving process for user emails that are stored on the corresponding user computer - as is the case with Microsoft Outlook (without Exchange server), for example - please proceed as follows:

• Start MailStore Client on the user computer.
• Log on to MailStore Server using the user’s access data.
  

  As MailStore administrator and using MailStore’s user management, first verify that the user possesses the privilege to archive emails.

• In the user’s MailStore Client click on Archive Email.
• Right-click on an existing profile and select Schedule.... Please refer to the chapter Working with Archiving Profiles to learn how to create a new archiving profile.

In the next window "Schedule Task" the following settings can be specified:

Task - Name: The task name can be chosen freely. By default, the name of the archiving profile and its internal MailStore ID are used.

Trigger: A time for daily execution (the task is executed once a day) or a time interval (e.g. every 60 minutes) can be specified.

If the option Other Trigger is chosen. the archiving task is still created as a Windows task but the execution times have to be specified separately. This has to be done using the Windows task planner and is described in Windows Help. All options offered by your version of Windows can be used.

Windows Account: Specify here which user account is to be used when executing the scheduled task. The option Local System Account is used for the automated archiving of server mailboxes (see below) and has the advantage that no password is required to execute the task. If the emails are to be archived from the application of the current user (e.g. from Microsoft Outlook), the corresponding user account must be selected. In such cases, the option Local System Account is deactivated.

Log Messages - File Name: If a log file is to be created, the name for that file can be specified here. The placeholders {DATE} and {TIME} can be used in the file name which will be replaced by the actual date and time during the archiving process. The log file can also be created on a network drive, if desired.

Copy Cmd Line: Here, the command line of the scheduled task can be copied to the clipboard so it can be used in batch files, for example. Detailed information about this topic is available at the end of this chapter.

After all settings have been specified, the task can be created by clicking on OK. Confirm the safety prompt and enter the Windows password of the currently logged on user twice. Confirm again by clicking OK. A list of scheduled tasks is displayed in MailStore’s Administrative Tools. All tasks created on the current computer up to now are listed here.

General Background Information

• Every archiving profile can be executed automatically according to a schedule.
• MailStore creates every scheduled task as a Windows task which can be edited and processed independently from MailStore using the Windows task manager.
• For each archiving profile multiple tasks can be created, each executing the profile at different times.
• By deleting a scheduled task (through MailStore’s Administrative Tools or the Windows Task Manager) neither the underlying archiving profile nor the emails already archived by the task are deleted.

How To: For Emails Stored in Server Mailboxes

To automate the archiving process for user emails that are stored in server mailboxes, e.g. when using Microsoft Exchange or an external IMAP mailbox, please proceed as follows:

• Start MailStore Client on the computer on which the scheduled archiving task is to be initiated. This can be any user computer or the MailStore server machine.
• Log on as MailStore administrator (admin).
• Click on Archive Email.
• Right-click on an existing archiving profile and click on Scheduled....
• Specify the settings for the planned task (see above section "How To: For Emails Stored on User Machines") and click on OK. Confirm the following security warning with OK again.
• A list of scheduled tasks is displayed in MailStore’s Administrative Tools. All tasks created on the current computer up to now are listed here.

Managing Scheduled Tasks

Scheduled tasks created on the current computer are managed through Administrative Tools > Miscellaneous > Scheduled Tasks on .

The list shows all scheduled tasks for the archiving and export processes that were created on the current computer.

Run Task: The selected task is executed immediately regardless of its scheduled runtime.

Properties: The Windows Task Planner is opened for the selected task; all options offered by your current Windows version can be used.

Delete Task: The selected task is deleted. This does not affect the underlying archiving profile or any of the archived emails.

Open Log Files Directory: The directory containing the protocols for the selected task is opened.

Important notice: Information about removing old scheduled task log files automatically are vailable in the article Scheduled Tasks Troubleshooting.

Viewing the Command Line

If desired, the archiving process can be incorporated into a larger procedure, such as one run by a batch file (.bat). To simplify this process, MailStore offers the option Copy Cmd Line in the Schedule Task window (see top of this page). Click on the button to view a command line that can be incorporated into the desired procedure. For example:

The command line is to be read as follows:

"...MailStoreCmd.exe" - MailStoreCmd.exe is the MailStore Management Shell. It was developed for the automated execution of certain processes in MailStore. Additional information about MailStoreCmd is available in chapter MailStore Server Management Shell.

--h="localhost" - The computer name of MailStore Server to which MailStoreCmd.exe is to connect.

--pkv3="..." - Public Key Fingerprint. It guarantees that the MailStore server at the time of archiving is the same as it was at the time when the scheduled task was created (optimal safety feature).

--u="admin" - User name.

--p="admin" - Password.

-c - The actual command follows (non-interactive mode).

import-execute --id=4 --user="admin" - Execute the archiving profile of user admin with the internal ID 4.