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:
- Install GFI MailEssentials on the new server
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.