Backup REDDOXX Archive Container

Each container resides in its own folder.
This folder consists of an encrypted configuration file (eventually with a backup file) and two subfolders (data and index).
Sample structure:

<Container-Folder>

<Data-Folder>

<Index-Folder>

In the data folder, the compressed and encrypted archived mails are stored in a REDDOXX File Container.
The file container consists of 1-n volumes.
Each volume can grow up to 4GB in size before a new volume is created.

Files:
dataContainer.00000
dataContainer.00001
dataContainer.00002
dataContainer.00003
dataContainer.00003.DataHolder
dataContainer.00003.Name
dataContainer.00003.NameHolder
datacontainer.device
datacontainer.global
datacontainer.journal
datacontainer.name

The files in blue are completed volumes, These files will not be altered anymore.
(With exception to the first volume dataContainer.00000, where a reference of 4 Byte is written, upon creating a new volume.)

The files in red are the files for the current volume.
These files are changed when archiving a new mail.

The files in green are global files.
These files are also changed when archiving new mails.
These files can be generated anytime by using the Information from the volumes (Rebuild Data).

The indexfolder holds the fulltext-index of the REDDOXX Archive Container.
The files in this folder remain unchanged, after they are written.
From time to time, these files will get optimized.
With an optimization, new files will be created with new filenames and the old files will be deleted.

If the Container is opened for write access, a file in this folder named "write.lock" is created.
This file (write.lock) should be excluded in backup jobs, as it is exclusively opened by the REDDOXX software.
This file (write.lock) does not hold any data, it is just a lock-semaphore.

The complete fulltext-index may be regenerated anytime by using the Information from the data volumes (Rebuild-Index).

In general, the archive Container can be copied with all common backup Tools, or via a simple "copy".
As most of the files dont change, the backup can be optimized in size and Speed by using "rsync".
Backups on the basis of snapshots can also be used.

If using backup tools with "verify" features, keep in mind that some files may change between backup and verify thus causing verify warnings.

A backup archive container can be mounted again at any time in the appliance.
A consistency check is performed automatically, when opening a container.
In very rare cases, the consistency cannot be restored automatically.

In this case, a manual „Rebuild Data“ and/or „Rebuild Index“ with the „MailDepot Container Utility“ needs to be done.

For a Desaster-recovery it is sufficient to have the configuration-file reddoxx.rdxacs and the data volumes.
The global data part (above mentioned as files in green) as well as the index can be recreated with these files.