Batch Operations

Batch operations handle multiple messages on your local Gateway (and across a peer group). If there are a large number of messages that must all be processed in the same way, a batch operation saves time by processing the messages together.

For example, if you search for messages held in a particular area, you can apply search criteria to locate them. The search filters the results to messages that match your search criteria. You can then apply a batch operation to the messages displayed.

 

If your Secure Email Gateway is using the multi-box message management license, you can manage messages held on all Gateways across the peer group simultaneously.  You must apply any configuration changes across every Peer Gateway in a group to ensure that messages are processed consistently.

Available batch operations

There are six batch operations. You can apply any of the following batch operations to messages retained in a held message area:

Batch Operation Description
Delete Permanently removes messages from the message area.
Release Releases messages to their intended recipients.
Forward Forwards messages to a specified email address.
Non-Deliver Replies to message senders with a non-delivery message.
Reprocess Attempts to reprocess modified (for example, redacted messages, or messages with attachments or headers removed) or original messages using either the current policy, or optionally using a specified policy route.
Set expiry Applies a specified expiry time to messages. When this time elapses, these messages will be deleted from the message area.
  If you apply Release, Forward, or Non-Deliver batch operations to your filtered messages, you can choose to retain a copy of the original message in the message area.

Releasing messages

Releasing messages does not guarantee that they will reach the intended recipient. If you use a batch operation to release messages, Secure Email Gateway attempts their delivery. However, if additional rules were triggered at the time a message was initially held, any disposal actions on the next triggered content rule (or policy route default) are applied to the released message. See Disposal Actions for more information.

Manage batch operations

Apply a batch operation to held messages

  1. Navigate to Messages > Find Held Messages. The Find Held Messages page is displayed.

     

    If you know the message area to which your message has been sent, you can also open it directly from the Held Messages table under the Messages menu. Select the message area you require. The Message Filter displays the details of the message area, listing all messages that are currently retained.
  2. Click Add Batch. The Add Batch Operation dialog box is displayed, enabling you to select the batch operation you require.
  3. Select a batch operation from the available options. The dialog box displays configuration options for each batch operation.
  4. Enter any configuration details you require. For example, if you select Non-Deliver, you can enter a comment to be included in the non-delivery reply.
  5. Click Add batch. The operation is applied to all the messages displayed. The Current batch operations page is displayed, indicating all the queued and current batch operations in progress.

View batch operations in progress

Navigate to Messages > Batch operations. The Current batch operations page is displayed, listing all the currently queued or in-progress batch operations. You can monitor, pause, or cancel batch operations. The Gateway performs batch operations as background tasks, sequentially in the order displayed.

 

The Gateway removes all canceled or paused batch operations at the end of each day.

Cancel a batch operation

  1. Navigate to Messages > Batch operations. The Current batch operations page is displayed, listing all the currently queued or in-progress batch operations. The page displays a status pane for each operation.

  2. If the batch operation you require is In Progress or Queued, click Cancel in the associated Status pane. The Status is updated.

      Click Pause to stop the operation. You can restart a paused batch operation by clicking Requeue. If several batch operations are queued and you want one to complete urgently, pause the non-urgent operations and then requeue them.