Until it is delivered or sent, mail is stored in the mail database file, which is called AppleShare IP Mail Data.

Note: The mail database grows to accommodate new messages but does not shrink when messages are deleted. Space that was used by deleted messages is made available for new messages.

The mail server checks the mail database every time you start up the server, either immediately or after a 30-second period of inactivity. The server notifies the administrator of any problems. (In some rare cases, such as when the server is low on memory or disk space, the mail server cannot verify the database. If so, you can recover the database using the AppleShare IP Mail Tool.)

IMPORTANT: You should regularly back up the AppleShare IP Mail Data file so you can restore the file if it becomes damaged. If you have only IMAP enabled, backing up is especially necessary, because the data file contains the only copies of users' mail. (If you have POP enabled, mail is copied to users' computers.)

To back up the mail database:

1	Stop the mail server.
	Tip: Some backup utilities can automatically stop the mail server before they back up the database. For more information, see the Read Me file in the Mail Server Backup folder on your AppleShare IP 6 CD-ROM disc.
2	Using the Finder or a backup utility, copy the AppleShare IP Mail Data file to a backup disk. (The file is located in the AppleShare IP Mail folder on the startup disk.)
3	Back up the Users & Groups Data File.
4	Remove and store the backup disk safely.

Related topic

Managing mail services