Archive Container

An archive container is a data container very similar to a ZIP-archive, which can store and contain a very large amount of individual files (= E-Mails).
In the REDDOXX appliance, the archive container is not a single file, but rather acts as a directory for your available file storages on your external data storage.

The files in an active (mounted) container are permanently open and their behavior can be compared to the behavior of a database.
This behavior necessitates an absolutely reliable deployment of external data storage devices.
You need to make sure that the network connection is stable and runs without any handicaps, and that the storage containers are readily available.
Recommended, at least for the default container, is an independent NAS device.

  • Simple administration in the file manager (copy, delete, move)
  • Parallel access of up to 32 archive containers
  • Offline availability of the container (access without the appliance)
  • Retention Control
  • Long-term archive with offline mediums
  • Password-controlled access
  • A container is exponentially voluminous.
    It is only limited by the size of the storage device.

REDDOXX would like to offer you some tips on how best to organize the files and the containers and answer some questions you may have regarding the application of MailDepot 2.0.

  • Understand that frequent copying and moving of files (mails) into different containers can compromise the performance of the appliance and the storages.
  • Duplicates will no longer be recognized if the original e-mail is not in the Default Container.
  • The more containers that are mounted parallel, the slower the search function will be.
  • A task for each container is necessary in order to further process the mails.
  • If you would like to store the mails on a yearly basis, consider if it is possible to group years together (for example: 2000-2009).
  • Containers being used only for offline viewing should not be active (containers should be unmounted).
  • An extremely reliable storage (for example, a NAS device) is an absolute must for the Default Container.
  • The Default Container must always be active.
  • The containers which should not be changed or overwritten, should be secured with a write protection.
  • Containers should be created with the guideline "As much as necessary, but as little as possible!"

In the archive container list, you can use the following functions:

  • Create a new Container on a previously mounted storage
    While creating a container, it can optionally be procteted with a password (this cannot be undone later!)
    The maximum chunk size (default 4096 MB) defines the size for the container files
    The minimum retention time defines, how long a document inside the container is protected agaings deletion or move tasks
  • Unmount containers (this is required prior to a maintenance of the storage)
  • Mount containers
  • Remove containers (the container is removed from the list, but still available on the storage)
  • Set a container as default Container (Mails in the Archive Spooler will be archived in the default container)
  • Add a container (this is used to add a container that is not in the list, but available on the storage)
  • Edit a container

The following options are available while editing a container:

  • Commit Interval
    The default value in this field is 10. The files, or mails, will be saved to the file storage after every 10th mail that goes into the container.
    This is similar to a cache of a hard drive and greatly enhance the performance of the appliance.
    If the storage happens to malfunction (a power outage, for example), there could be a potential loss of the last 9 mails.
    If this is not acceptable, it is possible to lower the value..
  • Mount on service start
    Mounts the container after every new start of the appliance.
    This requires that the storage on which the container is found is also programmed to be automatically mounted upon a new start.
  • Enable searching
    The container will be included when a search is conducted.
    The more containers that need to be searched, the slower the search will be.
  • Read-only
    Activate this when you would like to ensure that the container cannot be changed.
    Non-writeable mediums, ex. DVDs, should also have this option activated.
    This action takes place immediately..
  • Disable body indexing
    Activate this option when the text of an e-mail should not be indexed for a search.
    Activating, or changing the status of this option only works for new, incoming mails.
  • Disable attachment indexing
    Activate this option when an attachment in a mail should not be indexed for a search.
    Activating, or changing the status of this option only works for new, incoming mails.
  • Save the changes to the configuration

This option is not available in the REDDOXX Appliance Manager.
This needs to be accomplished with the help of a file manager.

Follow these steps to move a container to a different storage device:

  1. Unmount the container.
  2. Remove the container from the inventory.
  3. Connect via file manager to \\Appliance-IP\
  4. SMB/CIFS Logon Credentials: are configured in the webinterface => Configuration => Network => SMB/CIFS.
  5. Move the container with the file manager
  6. Add the container to the inventory. Choose the new file storage.
  7. Mount the container and set the container properties.