Restore deleted Netware and Groupwise accounts

Actually, you don't have to restore the eDirectory account in order to restore the GroupWise account. You could just create an eDirectory account and then graft the GroupWise account to it.

No harm in pulling back the eDirectory account - but that step isn't required.

> Actually, you don't have to restore the eDirectory account in order to restore the GroupWise account
Huh?

A GroupWise mailbox does not have to be tied to an eDirectory ID in order to exist. You can delete an eDirectory user ID without touching their GroupWise mailbox, and vice-versa.

Yeah, but nobody mentioned restoring an edir account.

 

"Title: Restore deleted Netware and Groupwise accounts"

I plead old-timer's disease.

Anything you might have said has already been taken down in evidence against you. :-)

I'm following the instructions Bill first provided.  The restore is taking forever from tape and 35GB at that!  I created a directory called RestoreArea on our Groupwise server, and am restoring a backup from two weeks ago (The accounts were deleted last week).  When that is done, I'll perform the ConsoleOne procedures as outlined.

Now, I am not a network administrator, we have a consultant come in when needed, but I know a bit.  The old Netware accounts were deleted using Netware Administrator, and if was affirmed to delete the email accounts when prompted.  I'm guessing that the Netware accounts don't have to be recreated to access the restored email accounts through proxy, although it would be no problem to recreate them.  Correct me on this if needed.

>I'm guessing that the Netware accounts don't have to be recreated to access the restored email accounts
True. Simply restoring the deleted groupwise account data should be enough to let people proxy and use shared folders. If not, you can actually log into the restored groupwise account directly with an existing GroupWise client.

Create a new shortcut to the GroupWise client, and add the /@u-? parameter to the end of the command line.
The result should look something like this:
  C:\Novell\GroupWise\grpwise.exe /@u-?

Exit GroupWise and any other GroupWise stuff (Notify, etc), wait a few seconds, then double-click the new icon, and you'll be prompted to enter the groupwise username and password (which you probably need to reset).

Okay, my restore contains the following:

 Directory of \\HFH-GW\SYS\RestoreArea

11/01/2005  04:43 PM    <DIR>          .
11/01/2005  04:43 PM    <DIR>          ..
07/05/2006  11:53 PM           510,532 bu.log
05/13/2005  10:18 PM            17,111 gwpo.dc
07/05/2006  11:40 PM            86,016 ngwcheck.db
07/05/2006  11:40 PM           186,368 ngwguard.db
05/13/2005  10:19 PM           104,080 ngwguard.dc
07/05/2006  12:00 AM           186,368 ngwguard.fbk
07/02/2006  12:00 AM                24 ngwguard.rfl
11/02/2005  05:09 PM           378,880 oldwphost.db
07/05/2006  11:40 PM           448,512 wphost.db
11/01/1999  08:43 AM            10,942 wphost.dc
11/02/2005  05:09 PM    <DIR>          GWDMS
11/01/2005  04:43 PM    <DIR>          OFFILES
11/01/2005  05:52 PM    <DIR>          OFMSG
11/01/2005  05:48 PM    <DIR>          OFUSER
11/02/2005  05:10 PM    <DIR>          OFVIEWS

In ConsoleOne, I'm having difficulty finding the backup of the domain database, is it supposed to be wpdomain.db?  If so, it's not in the backup.  That's as far as I get.

Yes, the Domain Database is WPDOMAIN.DB. If it wasn't backed up, you're going to have a very tuff time indeed.

WPHOST.DB is the Post Office database. Different creature.

Note that unless your backups were made using a backup solution that is TSA-compliant, and unless the system configuration was such that GroupWise support for the TSA software was enabled, you may not have gotten "clean" backups of the GroupWise databases. Dunno if you've made sure your backup software configuration is appropriate for GroupWise.

Our network consultant setup a program called Groupwise Post Office Backup.  It backs up x:\kahrspo, which is the post office, not the domain.  So it doesn't look like we've been backing up the domain.  Is there anyway to extract the accounts in the post office?

It is a Groupwise Backup utility executable GWBACK32.EXE.  The instructions say:

"You can use DBCOPY.EXE to recover a database file, such as a user's database file that has become corrupt. Data created for the database file after it was last backed up will be lost. Individual database files that are restored will be logically inconsistent with the post office's other database files. Therefore, when you restore a post office database file from backup you should run Analyze/Fix Databases on the post office to ensure database consistency."

Since the users data to be restored have not changed for some time, I don't have to worry about losing any of their info.  I just don't want to lose any current user info.

OK, I see that GWBACK32.EXE is a workstation-based backup solution. Yuk.

You still haven't specified what VERSION of GroupWise you have. Altho the file names suggest GroupWise v6.0 or later.

Also seems that GWBACK32.EXE was designed for GroupWise v5.5 --> http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?10057062.htm and http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?2956723.htm

You really need to state the EXACT VERSION of GroupWise you have.

We have Groupwise v6.5.

Could I recreate the deleted users Netware and Groupwise accounts, and then copy the current domain over to the restore area where I've restored an earlier backup of the post office?  Then use ConsoleOne?

Clueless...

Have you verified that GWBACK32.EXE is compatible with GroupWise v6.5?

Any reason you're not using an SMS-compliant backup solution and leveraging the GW-specific TSA functionality to ensure you have clean and restorable backups?

No, you can't do that.

1) The GroupWise accounts do not need the eDirectory accounts. Remember, you are not creating "NetWare accounts". No such thing. User accounts exist in the Directory Service, not the NOS. You create "eDirectory accounts".

2) If you create new GroupWise accounts, they will have new FIDs (File IDs, which uniquely identify the account within the GroupWise System). But the restored files will have the old FIDs. While you can edit FIDs, you'll rapidly create a mess in your particular situation.

Everything was setup by a consultant network administrator who we assumed knew what he was doing.  He is no longer available.

So, I have restored the post office.  I just have one question.

Is it impossible to restore the two deleted users with just the backup of the post office?

It might be. See this TID --> http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?10100928.htm

However, to restore a user using the built-in User Recovery features of GroupWise, you *need* the backup Domain Database. So only having the PO files is not enuf. See --> http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/search/searchtid.cgi?10082831.htm

"Everything was setup by a consultant network administrator who we assumed knew what he was doing."

Well, lesson learned. :-/

I found a copy of wpdomain.db dated 5/4/2005.  I copied it into the restore area, and using Bill's instructions was able to restore the deleted users with ConsoleOne.  Hallelujah.

Thanks very much.

Don't know if I can pose another question after accepting an answer, but what method should be use to backup the Groupwise post office and doman in version 6.5?

The best bet is to use a backup program that supports TSAs. There are several, including Backup Exec and ArcServe, but they tend to be pretty expensive. However Netware also has a built-in backup utility you can use for this purpose. It's not exactly elegant to work with, but it does the job, and you should already have it.
  http://www.novell.com/documentation/nw65/sbcon_admin/data/hjc2z4tu.html

Here's a link to some comparisons of Netware backup products.
  http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/trench/656.html