Mail Server Configuration Restore: mchk.exe

The mchk.exe utility serves to restore the mail server (MS) configuration basing on the configuration of mail system in the Parallels Plesk Panel database. The utility allows restoring mail on the level of:

domain
global mail settings
the whole mail server (domains + global settings)

Using the utility is indispensable when changing the mail server used with Parallels Plesk Panel from one to another, or when a mail server configuration is corrupt.

Restoring Domain Mail Configuration

Restoring MS configuration on the domain level means that, if missing, the following objects are created and properties set:

domain, domain's mail aliases
mail service status, the Mail to non-existent user property
domain's mail accounts, mail account status, password, aliases, mailbox quota, redirect and mail group addresses, spam filter status
mail lists, mail list status
domain limits Mailbox Quota and Total Mailboxes Quota

If the domain-level restoring of mail is performed with the --fix=local option specified, the following additional changes are made:

if a domain exists in mail server, its mail data is reconfigured (true for SmarterMail only)
if a mail name exists on the domain, its data is reconfigures (true for MailEnable and Merak)

For your convenience, mchk.exe allows restoring a single domain, several domains, and all domains with one command (see the available options in the table below).

Restoring Global Mail Settings

Restoring global mail settings includes the following:

setting relay type, configuring relay white and black lists
enabling/disabling the following functionality if it's not supported by the mail server:
- enabling mail service on all domains if disabling the service is not supported
- disabling mail domain aliases
- disabling mail groups in general, or mail groups on mail names with mail boxes
- disabling/enabling the Mail List service on all domains and disabling/enabling all existing mail lists if the contrary is not supported
setting up the spam filtering (none, server, user, both)

Location

%plesk_bin%

Usage

mchk.exe [option] [<param>]

Example

This command checks and restores the missing mail configuration data for all domains, and, if errors are found in the existing domain settings, reconfigures them:

>mchk.exe --all-domains --fix=local

Options

Option	Parameter	Description	Example
`--domain`	`--domain-name=<domain name>`	Checks and restores mail configuration for a single domain. (See the details above.)	To restore mail server configuration for the example.com domain: >mchk.exe --domain --domain-name=example.com
`--domains`	`--domain-names=<dom1[;dom2;dom3;...]>\|--via-file <file>`	Checks and restores mail configuration for several domains listed either right in the command line or in the plain text file specified by the `--via-file` option. (See the details above.)	To restore mail server configuration for the domains example.com, sample.net: >mchk.exe --domains --domain-names-example.com;sample.net To restore mail server configuration for the domains listed in the file `restore-domains.txt` located at `C:\Program files\Parallels\plesk\temp\`: >mchk.exe --domains --via-file "C:\Program files\Parallels\plesk\temp\restore-domains.txt"
`--all-domains`		Checks and restores mail configuration for all domains. (See the details above.)	>mchk.exe --all-domains
`--global-settings`		Checks and restores only server-wide mail settings. (See the details above.)	>mchk.exe --global-settings
`--all`		Checks and restores server-wide mail settings and mail settings for all domains.	>mchk.exe --all
`--fix=local`		Checks the existing mail configuration data and reconfigures the mail settings if finds something wrong. (See the details above.) Used with the `--domain`, `--domains`, `--all-domains`, and the `--all` options.	To restore the example.com domain so that its configuration in mail server, if exists, was changed: >mchk.exe --domain --domain-name=example.com --fix=local
`--fix=all`		Resets forcedly the mail configuration: removes all the existing configuration data, and sets it up according to the Parallels Plesk Panel database. Used only with the `--all` option. Note: It is recommended to use this option only if the mail server database is seriously corrupted.	>mchk.exe --all -- fix=all