--- title: "Setting Up the CTERA Messaging Service" slug: "setting-up-the-ctera-messaging-service-3" tags: ["8.2", "Portal"] updated: 2025-06-12T09:32:37Z published: 2025-06-12T09:32:37Z canonical: "kb.ctera.com/setting-up-the-ctera-messaging-service-3" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.ctera.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Setting Up the CTERA Messaging Service **To set up the CTERA Messaging Service:** 1. In the global administration view, select **Services > Messaging** in the navigation pane. The **Messaging** page is displayed. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-S79F1IC0.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A28%3A38Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A28%3A38Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=OPgWHRbttfv8hQIT21hA%2Fb9QSsf7J2o8k8wKkIgdOiA%3D) 2. To add a new messaging server, click **Add Messaging Servers**. The **Messaging Service** window is displayed, showing all the CTERA Portal Servers. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-ZABCVFR6.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A28%3A38Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A28%3A38Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=OPgWHRbttfv8hQIT21hA%2Fb9QSsf7J2o8k8wKkIgdOiA%3D) 3. Check the servers you want to use as messaging servers. In a production environment, you must select three servers to be messaging servers. CTERA allows a single messaging server in a small or test environment where the main database server is the only server. Otherwise you have to assign three, and only three, servers as messaging servers. **Note** Unless the main database server is the only server, if you try to check the main database server, the replication server, or a preview server, a message is displayed. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-9UTWHG9K.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A28%3A38Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A28%3A38Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=OPgWHRbttfv8hQIT21hA%2Fb9QSsf7J2o8k8wKkIgdOiA%3D) 4. Click **SAVE**. **Note** If you only selected one server to be a messaging server, the following warning is displayed. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-GWKRDX6V.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A28%3A38Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A28%3A38Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=OPgWHRbttfv8hQIT21hA%2Fb9QSsf7J2o8k8wKkIgdOiA%3D) The selected servers are added as messaging servers. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-KF4ANZ3K.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A28%3A38Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A28%3A38Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=OPgWHRbttfv8hQIT21hA%2Fb9QSsf7J2o8k8wKkIgdOiA%3D) Deploying the servers for the messaging service takes a few minutes, after which the status changes to **STARTING**. After the messaging service starts running, the status changes to **ACTIVE**. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-GH0KPM25.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A28%3A38Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A28%3A38Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=OPgWHRbttfv8hQIT21hA%2Fb9QSsf7J2o8k8wKkIgdOiA%3D) **Note** The process of deploying and starting the messaging service takes a few minutes. You cannot start to configure any other service that requires the messaging service, such as Varonis, until the messaging service is running. Clicking a server displays the server window with the server name as the window title. The **Messaging Server** box is checked. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-YOAPGSCK.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A28%3A38Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A28%3A38Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=OPgWHRbttfv8hQIT21hA%2Fb9QSsf7J2o8k8wKkIgdOiA%3D) You cannot uncheck this service. ## Messaging Service Statuses The messaging service is in one of the following statuses: **NO SERVERS: NO MESSAGING SERVERS AVAILABLE** – No servers have been defined as messaging servers. **DEPLOYING: DEPLOYING MESSAGING SERVICE** – The servers defined as messaging servers are being deployed. This status is displayed after defining messaging servers and takes a few minutes for the service to be deployed on the servers. **STARTING: COLLECTING MESSAGING SERVICE STATUS** – After the messaging service has been deployed, the portal starts to gather information before the service becomes active. **ACTIVE: RUNNING OK** – The messaging service is up and running. **WARNING: SOMETHING WRONG WITH SOME OF THE SERVERS** – At least one messaging server is working but one or more messaging servers have problems. The messaging service is still running but the problematic messaging servers need attention. **ERROR: MESSAGING SERVICE HAS FAILED** – The messaging service is not working. **ERROR: COULDN'T FETCH MESSAGING SERVICE STATUS** – The collection of the messaging service status failed. **READ-ONLY MODE: NOT ENOUGH AVAILABLE STORAGE ON THE MESSAGING SERVER** – The available storage for the messaging service logs has dropped to 4GB or less. The messaging server is in read-only mode until more space is freed up. Message retention in the logs can be set to help prevent this status. For details, see [CTERA Messaging Service Logs](/v1/docs/setting-up-the-ctera-messaging-service-3#ctera-messaging-service-logs). ## CTERA Messaging Service Logs All CTERA services that require the CTERA Messaging service, for example the Varonis log, write to the same volume, /usr/local/lib/ctera/work/logs/services. In order that the logs do not grow too large, which can cause storage issues, you can set how long messages in the logs are retained. **To set the messaging service logs retention:** 1. In the global administration view, select **Services > Messaging** in the navigation pane. The **Messaging** page is displayed. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-GH0KPM25.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A28%3A38Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A28%3A38Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=OPgWHRbttfv8hQIT21hA%2Fb9QSsf7J2o8k8wKkIgdOiA%3D) 2. Click **Settings** in the status bar and click **Configure Service**. The **Messaging Settings** window is displayed. ![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/30792387-cdcb-4791-aa14-94929bbcd3fe/Images/Documentation/image-FTL1FVT3.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T04%3A28%3A38Z&se=2026-11-11T05%3A28%3A38Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=OPgWHRbttfv8hQIT21hA%2Fb9QSsf7J2o8k8wKkIgdOiA%3D) 3. Set the number of days messages should be retained. 4. Click **Save**.