MAIL

Linking unshared messages in a mail file to the object store
After you set up shared mail on a server, IBM® Lotus® Domino™ automatically stores all new shared mail messages in the shared mail database. However, messages that users received before shared mail was enabled, or that were delivered while shared mail was temporarily disabled, remain in their mail files as complete messages.

To eliminate redundant copies of messages received by multiple users to save additional space, you may want to transfer these existing messages to the object store. To store these messages in a shared mail database, you use the Object Link command to link the user's mail file to a shared mail directory.

During the linking operation, the Object Store Manager moves the content of each shared message from the user's mail file to the shared mail databases in the specified directory. Message headers remain in the mail file with a link to the shared mail database containing the shared portion. If more than five messages are moved to the shared mail database, the Object Store Manager automatically compacts the user's mail file to reclaim the disk space that was previously occupied by the message content. Linking does not determine whether the mail file stores future messages it receives as complete messages or uses the object store. If you disable shared mail on the server, or exclude the mail file from using shared mail, the messages placed in the object store during the linking process remain there, even if the mail files receive complete messages in the future.

You can also use the Object Link command to unlink a mail file from all shared mail databases so that existing messages in the mail file will be stored as compete messages; and unlink a shared mail database from all mail files.

To link a mail file

The linking operation splits complete messages in a mail file into headers and content and distributes the content to the shared mail databases on the server. Typically, you would use linking to process the complete messages in a mail file that is newly replicated to another shared mail server, or that existed on a server before you enabled shared mail.

Enter this command at the console:


where USERMAIL is the name of the directory containing user mail files. Running this command links messages in the specified user mail files to the configured shared mail databases in a distributed fashion. You cannot link a mail file to a specific shared mail database.

To link a mail file without compacting it

By default, if linking a mail file results in more than five messages being moved to the shared mail database, the Object Store Manager compacts the user's mail file. To link a mail file without compacting it, use the -Nocompact option.

Enter this command at the console:


where USERMAIL is the name of a single user mail file or a directory containing user mail files.

For example:


Unlinking messages in a user's mail file from the object store

You can restore complete messages to a user's mail file by unlinking the mail file from the shared mail databases.

After you unlink existing messages from the shared mail databases, new messages delivered to the mail file continue to use shared mail as long as shared mail is enabled on the server, unless you explicitly exclude the mail file from using shared mail.

Note Unlinking a mail file can result in a significant size increase.

To unlink a mail file

Enter this command at the console:


where USERMAIL.NSF is the complete path to a user mail file or a directory containing mail files.

To unlink an object store

Enter this command at the console:


where OBJECTSTORE is the name of a shared mail directory or an individual shared mail database.

Caution Unlinking an object store can significantly increase the size of all mail files that previously linked to the object store. Before unlinking an object store, confirm that the disk where user mail files reside includes enough available space to accommodate the resulting increase.

See also