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How to install on a new server using a different user retrieval method

Author: Luis Fernandes Updated

Answer

If you need to install GFI MailEssentials on a different server, and you would like to start retrieving users using a different method then the one used on the old server, you will lose some of the configuration files. Below are the features which can be retained in such cases:

  • Whitelist
  • Custom Blacklist
  • Keyword Checking
  • Bayesian Analysis Database
  • Anti-Spam log files
  • List Server databases
  • Reports database
  • Archive databases

Proceed as follows to move the above mentioned configuration settings and databases to the new server:

  1. Install GFI MailEssentials on the new server
  2. Ensure that the old and new installations are running the same version and build. This can be done from the GFI MailEssentials configuration > General > Version Information. 
  3. Stop all the GFI MailEssentials services and the IIS admin service, taking note of the dependencies that are stopped. This should be done on both servers.
  4. Move the following files to the new location, ensuring that the same path is retained. Note that for MailEssentials 2012, the Antispam\ folder path is also included.
    • AutoWhitelist database - <\Autowhitelist.mdb>
    • Bayesian Database - <\data\weights.bsp>
    • You can move the Anti-Spam log files if these where being saved to the same location. By default these will be found in <\Logs\*.*>
    • If the Reports data was being archived to an Access mdb file, you can continue using the same Reports database. The default location for this database is <\data\reports.mdb>. If you where using SQL server, you can configure the new installation of MailEssentials to start archiving report data to the same SQL database.
    • If the Archive data was being archived to an Access mdb file, you can continue using the same Archive database. The default location for this database is <\data\archive.mdb>. If you where using SQL server, you can configure the new installation of MailEssentials to start archiving data to the same SQL database.
    • If you had any Newsletters or Discussion lists configured, the subscribed users will be saved to a database. If you chose to store subscribers to an Access database, you can move the access database to be used by the new installation. The default location for these databases is <data\ListName.mdb>. If you where using SQL server, you can configure the new installation of MailEssentials to start using the same SQL database.
  5. Export the manual Whitelist / Blacklist / Keyword checking lists from the GFI MailEssentials configuration > Anti-Spam > Whitelist / Blacklist / Keyword Checking. Re-import the exported lists to the new GFI MailEssentials installation.
  6. Start the services stopped in 3

IMPORTANT:

  • The same version and build as the older installation needs to be installed on the new server.
  • If an upgrade is required, it is recommended to perform the upgrade on the old server, and leave the installation running for a few days to ensure that the upgrade was done successfully.
  • If you are installing GFI MailEssentials on a different server, and you intend to use the same user retrieval method, then check this knowledge base article.

Note:  This procedure may also be used if GFI MailEssentials needs to be moved to a different drive on the same server.