Storage tiers (HSM)

Move the files (blobs) of old messages to a cheaper secondary disk and set up a disk map per domain. The move is invisible to users; messages stay where they are.

Global administratorAdmin console › Tools and Migration › Profelis Storage

Always On message store (Profelis S3)

This page covers HSM tiers only. The Always On message store (Profelis S3, PFE 10) is described in Always On setup; the HSM block mover is not used for S3.

The screen

Open Tools and Migration › Profelis Storage. Cards for volumes, servers, secondary, HSM target, age (days) and last HSM are at the top, the Volumes list is below. Toolbar actions:

1. Secondary... creates a new secondary volume.
2. Activate makes the selected secondary volume the HSM target (Deactivate removes the target).
3. Policy... sets the age, schedule and domain map.
4. Apply HSM starts a move job now.
5. Restore moves messages from secondary back to primary.

The Profelis Storage screen

Creating a secondary volume

1. Press Secondary... and enter a Volume name (for example hsm-cold).
2. In Path on server enter the directory (for example /data/message2). It must already exist on the server and be writable by the zimbra user.
3. If Make current HSM target (Activate) is ticked, the new volume becomes the HSM target at once.
4. If Compress blobs on disk is ticked, files larger than 4096 bytes are stored compressed. Create it with OK.

The New Secondary Volume window

To make an existing secondary volume the target, select its row and press Activate. This does not ask for confirmation. To turn compression on or off later, select the row and press Compression.

Policy and schedule

1. Press Policy...; in Age (days) enter how old messages must be to move (for example 60). Item types defaults to message,document; Max GB per run limits how much one run moves.
2. For a daily automatic run tick Scheduled daily run and enter the Run time (HH:MM).
3. In Domain volumes write domain=volumeID one per line (for example zpe.profelis.net=3). The volume IDs are listed above the field; unmapped domains use the current secondary volume. Save with OK.

The HSM Policy & Schedule window

Each volume is validated on save; a missing or non-secondary volume is rejected.

Starting and reverting a move

1. Apply HSM asks for confirmation, then starts the move job. Without a current secondary volume it shows an error.
2. Follow the progress with Job Status.
3. Restore starts a job that moves messages from secondary back to primary, after confirmation.

Try it first

Try the move on a small scope first. A slow or unreachable secondary disk delays opening old messages.

Limits

New mail is not written directly to the secondary disk; moves are age-based. On several mail servers, each server runs its own job.