5.5 ORF Online Help
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Table of Contents

Database Settings


This help section describes the Database Settings dialog and the database management in ORF.

ORF has four tests which rely on databases: the Auto Sender Whitelist test, the Greylisiting test, the DHA Protection test, and the Honeypot test. When enabled, the above tests will use a Private Local Database file by default (stored with .abs extension in the ORF directory) created by the embedded database engine of ORF, but you can also use an External SQL Database. Make sure to read the notes below about selecting the database type that suits your setup the best.

Using the Dialog

Database type selection and configuration

The dialog allows you to select the type of the database and configure the path where the database file is stored (Private Local Database) or configure the database access parameters (External SQL Database).

Managing the database

The currently configured database can be managed by clicking the Manage button. Note that actual management is performed using the ORF Service, so it must be running to manage the database.

Notes

Which database is the best for me?

ORF can store various test data either locally or on an external SQL server. A comparison of the database options can be found below:

Property Private Local Database External SQL Server
Created and maintained automatically Yes No
Does not require another software Yes No
Can be shared between ORF instances No Yes
Can handle more than 50,000 emails/per day No Yes
Data can be edited from external program No Yes

Private Local databases are created automatically on demand in the local file system and practically they do not require any maintenance. However, they cannot concurrently serve requests (hence the lower performance) and they cannot be shared between servers.

External Databases require manual setup (this may include Microsoft® SQL Server® setup, too) which may take a few minutes, but they scale well, the databases can be shared and you can use the native database editing tools of SQL Server® to view the database contents.

We occasionally receive reports about unexpected database corruption issues from Private Local Database users which we were unable to reproduce so far. Such corrupted database files can be fixed by clicking the Repair button under Manage, or (if it does not help), by stopping the ORF Service and deleting the affected .abs file: ORF will create a new, empty one automatically.

To avoid such corruptions, we recommend using External SQL Databases whenever it is possible.

How can I set up an External Database?

Our website offers downloadable guides that explain the process. Please visit the ORF Database Setup Guides page.

Converting the Private Local Database file to External SQL Server data

Use the ORF database converter tool available on our website to migrate your Private Local Database to an External SQL Server.

Copyright © Vamsoft Ltd. 2024. All rights reserved. Document ID adm-databasesettings, version 1.