Backing up, batch training, and monitoring the Bayesian databases

The User tab lets you train, back up, restore, and reset the global, per-domain, and per-user Bayesian databases. It also lets you view a summary of the number of email messages that have been used to train each Bayesian database.

To access this part of the web UI, your administrator account’s access profile must have Read or Read-Write permission to the Policy category.

Domain administrators can access the global Bayesian database, and therefore could affect domains other than their own. If you do not want to permit this, do not provide Read-Write permission to the Policy category in domain administrators’ access profile.

For details, see “About administrator account permissions and domains” on page 290.

To individually train, view and manage Bayesian databases

1. Go to AntiSpam > Bayesian > User.

Figure 290:Accessing the global Bayesian database

2. Select the type of the Bayesian database:
   • For the global Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select System. For more information, see “Use global Bayesian database” on page 401.
   • For a per-domain Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select the name of the protected domain, such as example.com.
   • For a per-user Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select the name of the protected domain to which the email user belongs. The Global Bayesian area switches to a Group user area and the User area appears.

The Summary area displays the total number of email messages that the Bayesian database has learned as spam or not spam. For per-user Bayesian databases, if the FortiMail unit cannot currently use the database because it is not considered to be mature, the Summary area will also display Alert: User spam classification is not effective. For more information on maturity of per-user Bayesian databases, see “Training the Bayesian databases” on page 645.

3. For a per-user Bayesian database, enter a user name in the User field and click OK.

A user summary and a list of operations appears.

Figure 291:Accessing a per-domain or per-user Bayesian database

4. For any level of Bayesian database, select an operation:
   • “To train a Bayesian database using mailbox files” on page 651
   • “To back up a Bayesian database” on page 652
   • “To restore a Bayesian database” on page 653
   • “To reset a Bayesian database” on page 653

To train a Bayesian database using mailbox files

Uploading mailbox files trains a Bayesian database with many email messages at once, which is especially useful for initial training of the Bayesian database until it reaches maturity. Because this method appends to the Bayesian database rather than overwriting, you may also perform this procedure periodically with new samples of spam and non-spam email for batch maintenance training.

2. Select the type of the Bayesian database that you want to train.
   • For the global Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select System.
   • For a per-domain Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select the name of the protected domain, such as example.com.
   • For a per-user Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select the name of the protected domain to which the email user belongs, then, in User, type the user name portion of their email address, such as user1 and click OK.
3. In the Operation area, click the link appropriate to the type that you selected in the previous step, either:
   • Train global Bayesian database with mbox files
   • Train group Bayesian database with mbox files
   • Train user Bayesian database with mbox files

A pop-up window appears enabling you to specify which mailbox files to upload.

4. In the Innocent mailbox field, click Browse, then select a mailbox file containing email that is not spam. For a per-user Bayesian database, this should be the target user’s email for best results.
5. In the Spam mailbox field, click Browse, then select a mailbox file containing email that is spam.

For best results, the mailbox file should contain a representative sample of spam for the specific FortiMail unit, protected domain, or email user.

6. Click OK.

Your management computer uploads the file to the FortiMail unit to train the database, and the pop-up window closes. Time required varies by the size of the file and the speed of your network connection. To update the training summary display in the Summary area with the new number of learned spam and non-spam messages, refresh the page by selecting the tab.

To back up a Bayesian database

1. Go to AntiSpam > Bayesian > User.
2. Select the type of the Bayesian database that you want to train.
   • For the global Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select System.
   • For a per-domain Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select the name of the protected domain, such as example.com.
   • For a per-user Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select the name of the protected domain to which the email user belongs, then, in User, type the user name portion of their email address, such as user1 and click OK.
3. In the Operation area, click the link appropriate to the type that you selected in the previous step, either:
   • Backup global Bayesian database
   • Backup group Bayesian database
   • Backup user Bayesian database

A pop-up window appears enabling you to download the database backup file.

4. Select a location in which to save the database backup file and save it.

The Bayesian database backup file is downloaded to your management computer. Time required varies by the size of the file and the speed of your network connection.

To restore a Bayesian database

Back up the Bayesian database before beginning this procedure. Restoring a Bayesian database replaces all training data stored in the database. For more information on backing up Bayesian database files, see “To back up a Bayesian database” on page 652 or “Backup and restore” on page 218.

1. Go to AntiSpam > Bayesian > User.
2. Select the type of the Bayesian database that you want to train.
   • For the global Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select System.
   • For a per-domain Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select the name of the protected domain, such as example.com.
   • For a per-user Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select the name of the protected domain to which the email user belongs, then, in User, type the user name portion of their email address, such as user1 and click OK.
3. In the Operation area, click the link appropriate to the type that you selected in the previous step, either:
   • Restore global Bayesian database
   • Restore group Bayesian database
   • Restore user Bayesian database

A pop-up window appears enabling you to upload a database backup file.

4. Click Browse to locate and select the Bayesian database backup file, then click OK.
5. Click OK.

The Bayesian database backup file is uploaded from your management computer, and a success message appears. Time required varies by the size of the file and the speed of your network connection.

If a database operation error message appears, you can attempt to repair database errors. For more information, see “Backup and restore” on page 218.

To reset a Bayesian database

Back up the Bayesian database before beginning this procedure. Resetting a Bayesian database deletes all training data stored in the database. For more information on backing up Bayesian database files, see “To back up a Bayesian database” on page 652 or “Backup and restore” on page 218.

1. Go to AntiSpam > Bayesian > User.
2. Select the type of the Bayesian database that you want to train.
   • For the global Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select System.
   • For a per-domain Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select the name of the protected domain, such as example.com.
   • For a per-user Bayesian database, from Select a domain, select the name of the protected domain to which the email user belongs, then, in User, type the user name portion of their email address, such as user1 and click OK.
3. In the Operation area, click the link appropriate to the type that you selected in the previous step, either:
   • Reset global Bayesian database
   • Reset group Bayesian database
   • Reset user Bayesian database

A pop-up window appears asking for confirmation.

4. Click Yes.

A status message notifies you that the FortiMail unit has emptied the contents of the Bayesian database.