If GroupWise is on Linux, there are two models for backing up the data:
Collector/Server
Server Only
The collector model is built for speed. Backups that take too long to create are not very useful.
The collector agent sits on the GroupWise server, uses DBCopy to make a local copy of the post office databases, then sends the databases, BLOBs and other files to one or more Reload servers with rsync. This is fast and has minimal impact on the server.
The server model uses DBCopy across NFS to copy the production POA across the network to the Reload server. This is slow and requires a lock on the database for the duration of the transfer.
With GroupWise on Linux, you have the option to restore emails using the GroupWise Restore Area, which allows users to restore items themselves just by going to File | Open Backup, if the item is in the latest backup. This sets up the links in ~/<profile>/connect/restore for GroupWise to use.
When a backup is loaded a POA is activated. The client can connect to the Reload Access Mode POA. Items can be saved to a local archive and unarchived to the production GroupWise server.
With a Restore Area in place, you can restore all items for a user from GroupWise Administration.
With Disaster Recovery setup, you can use a bash script to restore all items back to the production GroupWise Post Office.