Reload for Retain

Retain is an archiving program. Over time, items will be removed from the email system. So the email system and the archive will not match and the archive will have things that no longer exist in the email system. Now there is only a single copy of important items. Retain is a very large system that can be challenging to backup.

Reload for Retain was created to make backing up Retain easy and fast.

Most backup systems have to check each and every item on the Retain server, which can be tens or hundreds of billions of files spread across 16.7 million subdirectories. Reload for Retain is able to just backup the new items without scanning everything.

Design

Reload for Retain is made up of 2 parts:

• Reload Server
• Reload of Retain Agent

The Reload server must be on the SLES Linux OS platform.

The Reload of Retain Agent is also Linux based. It can be run on the Reload server or the Retain server.

System Requirements

• Memory: Retain requires a minimum of 12GB of RAM.
• Disk space: Allot 1.13-1.2 times the existing data space on the Retain server for the Reload for Retain server. This will allow the copying the archives, database, indexes and configuration files, and a 14-day backup cycle for the database.

Reload for Retain stores the following data from the Retain Server:

Retain Base Directory contents (A few megabytes)

The Retain Database - Ratio: 1:2.4 (14 Days worth of Backups)

If using MySQL, consider using a Master/Slave configuration of MySQL so that the Retain Database can be replicated in real-time. The size of the Slave MySQL Database will be the same size as the Master MySQL Database because the Slave is a duplicate replica of the MySQL Database on the Master.

Reload for Retain can perform MySQL Dumps of the Retain database. Each dump of the Retain Database is approximately 10% of the actual size of the database. The reason for this is that the MySQL Dump is compressed into a zip file. Example: The Retain database is 100 Gigabytes Allocate 100 GB on the Reload for Retain Server In order to keep 14 days worth of dumps, allocate 140 GB on the Reload for Retain Server to store the dumps.

The Retain Archive (blob files) - Ratio: 1:1

The Retain Archive files are replicated in their entirety. Retain can maintain multiple Retain Archive partitions. Make sure to allocate disk space on the Reload for Retain Server for all Retain Archive Partitions.

The Retain Indexes - Ratio: 1:1

Generally, only one copy of the Retain Indexes (the latest version of the Indexes) is necessary.

Install Reload

• Install Reload [these are two separate products so make two docs]
• Apply the license
• Browse to the Reload sever
• Choose the Overview tab, and this line should confirm that Reload for Retain is installed: "Licensed Reload Version: 5.00 (Reload for Retain Included)"

Install Retain

• Install Retain to the Reload server. This is a full install of Retain so that includes: The web server, SQL server and Retain.

Reload will copy over the configuration files from the production Retain server, so configuring Retain is not necessary.

• • WARNING: ONCE YOU HAVE INSTALLED THE RETAIN SERVER, DO NOT RUN THE WEB-BASED CONFIGURATION WIZARD FOR RETAIN. IT WILL DELETE THE CONTENTS OF YOUR PRODUCTION RETAIN DATABASE.

• • Install the exact version of Retain on the Reload server as is running on the Production Retain Server. Most customers using Retain on Linux have the version of Retain installed on their Production Retain Server sitting somewhere in an installation directory on the Retain Server. Locate the software there.
    • IMPORTANT: Make sure to match the tomcat identity of the Reload for Retain Server to match exactly with the tomcat identity of the Production Retain Server. See the GWAVA Knowledgebase Article: Moving Retain To New Server (Linux to Linux) [1] and read and implement on the Reload for Retain Server the section that states: Change the tomcat userid on the new server to match the tomcat userid on the old server (if necessary). [2]
  • For customers using MySQL as their database for Retain, make sure to install the exact same version of MySQL on the Reload for Retain Server as is installed on the Production Retain Server. Make sure to install the appropriate MySQL Server and MySQL client. To obtain older MySQL versions go the Archives location on the MySQL website. Use the following command to determine the version of MySQL that is installed: mysqlshow -V
    • MySQL Configurations Only: Make sure to create a new MySQL database on the Reload for Retain Server. This will allow the MySQL database backup created by the Reload for Retain Agent to be imported into a database on the Reload for Retain Server.
    • MSSQL and Oracle databases: Fill in the database information to reflect the database connectivity to the database server that hosts your Retain database.
  • From the production server, copy the ASConfig.cfg file from the Production Retain Server to the Retain installation that is hosted on the Reload Server. The destination location to put the ASConfig.cfg file on the Reload Server is: /opt/beginfinite/retain/RetainServer/WEB-INF/cfg
• Go into Reload Web Administration on the Reload Server. Fill in the settings under both the Configure Disaster Recovery button and also under General Settings | Local Retain Settings. The settings you make will then be added to the ASConfig.cfg file that you copied over in the steps above.

Configure Reload

• Browse to the Reload Web Console
• Select the Configure tab
  • If the Reload for Retain panel does not appear, go to Configure | Web Administration & System Preferences | Show Reload for Retain Server Controls: Enabled
• Open the Reload for Retain panel
• Edit the "Local Retain Backup Storage Path" and provide a directory for the backup data. For example, /data/reload
• Edit the "Remote Retain Server Platform" to specify the Operating System that Retain is on.
• Save settings and select NEXT