Configuration Backup and Restore

The IceWarp Server configuration data is stored in these folders:

{InstallDirectory}/config/

{InstallDirectory}/spam/

{InstallDirectory}/calendar/

{InstallDirectory}/_webmail/config/

These folders contain the following information:

  • All system settings
  • Users, domains, and all settings associated with each
  • The Calendar and Spam folders contain the default SQLite databases for groupware and Antispam. These hold the data for Contacts, Calendars, and White and Blacklists.)

You can easily backup your configuration by using the File > Backup settings menu option. You can also automate the backup by using the Tools > System Backup feature.

Note: If using external databases (MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, etc.) for accounts, groupware or Antispam, you will need to backup the database manually or by using the option in the System > Tools > System Backup > Database section to synchronize your databases to another database server.

Figure. File Menu.

It is recommended to perform a backup after your final configuration. In the case of a hardware failure, you will be able to restore your configuration.

It is also recommended to backup regularly and the backup file is kept somewhere safe such as written to a removable media and taken off site.

Configuration Restore

Choosing the Restore option will prompt you for a file containing backed up data. Once a file is chosen and opened, the configuration will be restored. Use this option carefully in order to prevent overwriting your active configuration with an older version. You should previously rename the /config directory so the restore is completely fresh.

Should a server have to be rebuilt and all software freshly installed, this restore provides an excellent way of retrieving all the users' account information without retyping.

Note: If you restore a backup to a different machine, then your Server Reference ID will change and your license will be invalid. See Licenses for information on how to retrieve a new license.
Also you should be aware that the restore will restore data to the same paths they were backed up from, so if you have:

Modified your IceWarp Serverconfiguration paths (see System > Storage > Directories)

Changed the installation path for IceWarp Server

Installed IceWarp Serveron a new server with a different hard drive configuration

If seeing problems with or the restore fails, you can view the Error log to see if any path errors are seen

When restoring a backup file (.zip), if it refers to paths witch do not exist in the server where restore is being done, be them paths defined here or paths to centralized configuration/emails, the restore may fail. One work-around in the case of servers that have centralized configurations whose paths do not exist in the server where backup is being restored, is to manually extract and copy the backup file. Note that the internal Windows archiver is not able to see all the paths in a backup, so it is recommended to use another archiver such as 7zip or WinRAR.