Periodic mailbox maintenance keeps GroupWise running smoothly. Occasionally, mailbox maintenance is required to resolve a problem with a mailbox or other GroupWise database.
GroupWise client users can perform the following mailbox maintenance actions using the Repair Mailbox feature:
The mailbox maintenance actions are performed on the mailbox to which the user is currently connected, such as the Caching mailbox, the Remote mailbox, or the Archive. The Repair Mailbox function is only available in the menu if you are in Caching, Remote, or Archive mode.
In Online mode, your GroupWise mailbox resides in the post office to which you belong and maintenance of your Online mailbox is performed by your GroupWise administrator. In other modes, you can perform some of your own maintenance, depending on what GroupWise client features you are using.
Archive: When you archive GroupWise items, they are stored at the location you have specified using > > > File Location. You must open your archive using > in order to repair your archive.
Caching Mailbox: If you are using Caching mode, your Caching mailbox is stored at the location you specified when you set up your Caching mailbox. You must be in Caching mode in order to repair your Caching mailbox.
Remote Mailbox: If you are using Remote mode, your Remote mailbox is stored in whatever location you specified when you used the Hit the Road feature in the client to create your Remote mailbox. You must be in Remote mode in order to repair your Remote mailbox.
Three databases are associated with each of these mailbox locations:
User Database: Your user database contains your client options settings, pointers to messages, personal groups, personal address books, and rules.
Message Database: Your message database contains your GroupWise items.
Document Database: Your document database contains any documents you are accessing from a GroupWise library.
When you are repairing a mailbox, you can choose which databases to repair, depending on the type of problem you are having with your mailbox.
Depending on how GroupWise Check is installed, you can have a item on the menu that enables you to run GWCheck from the client. If the GWCheck program is available to you, you can perform database maintenance on your Remote, Caching, and archive mailboxes.
For the item to display on the menu, the following files must be installed in the GroupWise directory; by default, this is c:\novell\groupwise.
gwcheck.exe
gwchkxx.dll (Replace xx with your language code)
gwchkxx.chm (Replace xx with your language code)
The GroupWise administrator can install these files by using SetupIP to install your GroupWise Windows client, and selecting to install and enable GWCheck. During installation, the files are copied to the \novell\groupwise\gwcheck directory.
The default for SetupIP is to install GWCheck, but not enable it.
If you do not see the option in the menu, you need to copy the files listed above from the GWCheck directory (\novell\groupwise\gwcheck) to the main GroupWise directory (\novell\groupwise).
The Analyze/Fix Databases action of GroupWise Mailbox Maintenance can check your mailbox for various types of problems and can repair problems that it detects.
To check and optionally repair your mailbox:
Click > , then click .
From the drop-down list, select .
Select from the following options as needed:
Structure: The structure check verifies the structural integrity of the mailbox and reports the amount of space that could be recovered if the mailbox is rebuilt.
Index Check: If you select Structure, you can also select . You should perform an index check if you try to open a message and get a read error, or if someone sends you a message that does not appear in your mailbox, even though the sender sees a Delivered status for the message. Depending on the size of your mailbox, an index check can be time-consuming.
Contents: A contents check verifies references to other items. For example, in your user database, a contents check verifies that all messages listed in your mailbox actually exist in your message database. In your message database, a contents check verifies that all attachments to messages in your mailbox actually exist in the attachment directories. A contents check also makes sure that your rules, distribution lists, and personal groups are valid.
Collect Statistics: If you select , you can also collect statistics during the contents check. The statistics include the number of messages and appointments in your mailbox, the amount of space consumed by your mailbox, and so on.
Select to repair your mailbox.
If you deselect , problems with your mailbox are reported but not fixed.
On the tab, select one or more databases to analyze and optionally fix.
For information about the databases, see Section 7.19.1, About Your GroupWise Mailbox.
On the tab, the field shows that, by default, a file named GWCHK32.LOG will be created in the GroupWise client installation directory.
You can specify a different filename and location. You can also select Verbose Logging to record more detailed information during the analyze/fix process.
Click to start the Analyze/Fix Database option.
A progress log displays during the analyze/fix process.
You can click at any time to stop the analyze/fix process. An error code is displayed but it simply indicates that the process has been stopped.
You can click at any time during the analyze/fix process to add interim statistical information to the log, such as how many problems have been identified and fixed so far in the process.
Click , then click when the analyze/fix process is complete.
Click to return to your GroupWise mailbox.
The Structural Rebuild action of GroupWise Mailbox Maintenance forces a structural rebuild of a database in your mailbox regardless of whether problems with the database have been detected using the Analyze/Fix Databases action. A structural rebuild ensures that the various record containers in the database are correctly organized so that data can be successfully retrieved from them by the GroupWise client.
To perform a structural rebuild on your mailbox:
Click > , then click .
From the drop-down list, select .
On the tab, select one or more databases to rebuild.
For information about the databases, see Section 7.19.1, About Your GroupWise Mailbox.
On the tab, the field shows that, by default, a file named gwchk32.log is created in the GroupWise client installation directory.
You can specify a different filename and location. You can also select to record more detailed information during the structural rebuild.
Click to start the structural rebuild.
A progress log displays during the structural rebuild.
You can click at any time to stop the rebuild. An error code is displayed but it simply indicates that the process has been stopped.
You can click at any time during the rebuild to add interim statistical information to the log, such as how many problems have bee corrected so far in the structural rebuild process.
Click , then click when the structural rebuild is complete.
Click to return to your GroupWise mailbox.