Setting backup UserGate Mail Server

In UserGate Mail Server backup the following parameters should be specified:

• Directory for containing backup files. The default directory is %UGMail%\Backup.
• Maximum number of backup files that you want to save. Earlier copies of backup files will be deleted automatically.
• Interval for performing a full backup.
• Interval for performing a differential backup. It is recommended to choose the value of this interval smaller than the corresponding parameter for full backup.
• Backup start time.

Optionally, UserGate Mail Server administrator can back up the current state of UserGate Mail Server through "Manual Backup" item. Let us suppose that we have specified: backup start time (Tstart), full backup creation interval (Pfull) and differential backup creation interval (Pdiff). Than the time for creation of subsequent full and differential backup files could be defined as follows:

Tfull(i) = Tstart + (i - 1) * Pfull, where i = 1, ..., N.

Tdiff(j) = Tfull(i) + j * Pdiff, where j = 1, ..., M

During backing up UserGate Mail Server saves the contents of the mail directory (default %UGMail%\Mail), server`s settings file (%UGMail%\settings.xml) and creates a dump of the mail database. UserGate Mail Server database ("ugmail") contains some server`s settings and information about processed mail messages.

Fig. 1. Backup Settings

Recovery UserGate Mail Server from backup

Recovery from backup is performed in two stages. At the first stage, a set of differential backup files and an initial full backup is used to form a resulting backup. It is performed with BackupPrepare command line tool, located in the %UGMail%\Backup directory. The latest differential backup file (*.zip) name is used as a command line argument. Start of BackupPrepare tool might look like this:

BackupPrepare.exe "2010.01.01 09.01.00 diff1.zip"

During work BackupPrepare tool pass through the whole chain of intermediate differential backup files, up to the first full backup. If it succeeds a directory containing final full backup will be created. In the example shown above, you will get a directory "2010.01.01 09.01.00". At the second stage the obtained full backup directory name is used as a command line argument passed to RestoreBackup.bat tool. This tool is also located in %UGMail%\Backup directory. Before starting RestoreBackup.bat tool you must stop UserGate Mail Server and close any applications that might have access to mail database. Starting RestoreBackup.bat might look as follows:

RestoreBackup.bat "2010.01.01 09.01.00"

RestoreBackup tool will remove the current mail directory, the current server`s settings file and mail database by replacing them with files taken from the backup directory.