5.1 “Hit the Road” Process in Online Mode

This message flow diagram illustrates how a user who will be away from the network prepares to access GroupWise from a remote location by downloading mailbox contents.

Figure 5-1 Message Flow for Hit the Road

Table 5-1 Message Flow for Hit the Road Stages

Stage

Icon

Description

Remote User

The GroupWise user runs Hit the Road in Online mode in order to request items from the master mailbox to be downloaded to the Remote mailbox in preparation for disconnecting from the master GroupWise system. For example, the user could be preparing a laptop computer for use away from the network.

GroupWise Client in Online Mode

The GroupWise client prompts the user for the location to create the Remote mailbox and the types of items to download, then it transfers the request to the POA.

POA for Remote User’s Post Office

The POA receives the request from the GroupWise client and performs the following actions:

  • Gathers all folders from the GroupWise user’s master mailbox (msgnnn.db and userxxx.db) so that it has somewhere to put the items requested by the user.

  • Gathers the requested items from the GroupWise user’s master mailbox.

  • Gathers any attachments for requested items from the post_office\offiles\fd0-F6 subdirectories in the GroupWise user’s post office.

  • Gathers any other types of information requested by the GroupWise user, such as rules, address books, documents, and junk mail lists.

POA for Remote User’s Post Office

The POA compiles the information into a response file and transfers the response to the GroupWise client.

GroupWise Client in Online Mode

The GroupWise client receives the response and performs the following actions for the GroupWise user:

  • Updates the GroupWise Remote message database (msg.db) with any items requested from the user’s master mailbox.

  • Creates pointers in the GroupWise Remote user database (user.db) so the messages gathered from the master mailbox appear in the user’s GroupWise mailbox when running in Remote mode.

  • Places any requested attachments larger than 2 KB in the rofdata directory and creates pointers from the message to its attachments. (For database efficiency, messages and distribution lists larger than 2 KB are also handled as attachments.)

  • Updates the Remote mailbox with any other types of information requested by the GroupWise user.

The user’s GroupWise Remote mailbox now contains current copies of requested items from the user’s master mailbox.

Remote User

The GroupWise client restarts in Remote mode and accesses the new Remote mailbox. The GroupWise user can now review current GroupWise mail in Remote mode after the connection to the master GroupWise system is no longer available.