Installation guide

PhylaxVault Setup Guide

Follow the complete PhylaxVault appliance setup process—from importing the OVA and initializing the system wizard to configuring network settings, hostname, services, Docker health checks, and accessing the management console.

Start Setup Steps PhylaxVault Guide
1

Open Your Virtualization Software

Launch your virtualization software(e.g. VMware Workstation 16 Pro). You will see the home screen with options to create, open, or connect to virtual machines.

PhylaxVault OVA import guide
2

Open Virtual Machine & Select the OVA File

Click Open a Virtual Machine on the home screen. In the file browser that appears, navigate to the location where you saved the OVA, selectphylaxvault.ova (or Phylaxvault.ovf), and click Open.

PhylaxVault OVA import guide
3

Assign a VM Name & Import

The Import Virtual Machine dialog will appear. Enter a name for the virtual machine — for example, mail-archiver — leave the storage path as the default or choose a preferred location, then click Import to begin the import process.

PhylaxVault OVA import guide
4

Power On Your VM

Once the import completes, your VM will appear in the library on the left. Select it and click Power On (or press the play button) to start the virtual machine. The server setup wizard will launch on the first boot.

1

ISO Boot & System Wizard Initialization

Upon successfully booting the system from the bootable ISO media (USB drive or Virtual Machine ISO image), the installer will launch the Phylaxvault Text-based User Interface (TUI) setup wizard.

Device information and serial token
2

Device Information & Serial Token Record

The wizard will display the appliance's unique Serial Number Token generated specifically for this hardware or virtual machine instance.

System language and locale
3

System Language & Locale Selection

Configure the primary language locale for system prompts, logging, and administrative console interfaces.

Timezone and system clock
4

Timezone & System Clock Configuration

Select the deployment timezone to ensure precise timestamping for log management, email archiving indexes, audit trails, and automated background tasks.

Keyboard layout selection
5

Keyboard Layout Selection

Choose the appropriate keyboard layout map for typing terminal commands, passwords, and system configuration data in the console.

Keyboard layout selection
1

Network Interface Adapter Selection

Select the physical or virtual network interface card (NIC) that will serve as the primary network port for the Phylaxvault appliance.

Network interface adapter selection
2

Choose DHCP or Static IP

On the Network Setup screen, select how this server should receive its network settings. Choose DHCP if your router or DHCP server will assign the address automatically. Choose Static if the archiver server must always use a fixed IP address.

DHCP

Select DHCP when the network can automatically provide the IP address, subnet, and gateway.

Static IP

Select Static IP when you already know the server IP address, subnet/CIDR, gateway, and DNS values.

DHCP: Network details are filled automatically.
DHCP versus Static network configuration
3

Enter IP Address

For Static IP setup, enter the fixed address for this archiver server in CIDR format. Use the format 192.168.x.x/24, replacing the x values with the correct network address for your environment.

STATIC_IP=192.168.x.x/24

Static IP address with CIDR prefix
4

Enter Gateway

Enter the default gateway for the server network. This is usually the router or firewall address on the same subnet as the static IP.

GATEWAY=192.168.x.1

Default gateway configuration
5

Enter Primary DNS

Enter the primary DNS server that the archiver should use for domain lookups. The screen suggests 8.8.8.8 as an example; replace it with your preferred internal or public DNS server if needed, then select OK.

Primary DNS configuration
6

Enter Secondary DNS Optional

Enter a secondary DNS server if you have one. This field is optional, so you can leave it blank if the primary DNS server is enough, then select OK

Secondary DNS configuration
1

System Hostname Setup

Define a unique network Hostname for the server appliance to identify it on your local network domain and network management dashboards.

Secondary DNS configuration
2

Deployment Configuration Summary & Confirmation

Review all appliance parameters and regional settings entered during the wizard setup before applying the system configuration.

Secondary DNS configuration
3

Appliance Engine Deployment

The system will complete initializing the Docker daemon and extract the microservice container stack.

Container Health Checks

You will see the Starting Appliance Engines progress bar advance from 0% to 100%

Secondary DNS configuration
1

Setup Completed & Appliance Access Summary

Once all engine containers pass health checks, the wizard displays the final Setup Completed confirmation screen along with the secure HTTPS Web Dashboard access URL.

Bookmark the Access URL

Record the Server URL (e.g., https://server-ip). You will use this URL in any modern web browser to access the administrative portal.

Secondary DNS configuration
2

Post-Installation Management Console & Status Dashboard

After exiting the initial setup wizard, the system displays the permanent Phylaxvault Archiver Appliance Management Console. This TUI dashboard provides real-time system status and quick access to management tasks.

Management Menu Options

1. PhylaxVault Authorized Access: Opens an authorized root command-line shell for advanced system management.

2. Network Configuration: Re-launches the Network Wizard to modify IP addressing, DNS servers, or network adapters.

3. Shutdown Appliance: Gracefully stops all container engines and shuts down server power.

Record the Server URL (e.g., https://server-ip). You will use this URL in any modern web browser to access the administrative portal.

Secondary DNS configuration
Journal

Set Up Email Journaling

Configure your mail platform to send a copy (journal) of every email to the archiver. The archiver receives these copies via SMTP on port 25. Choose the option that matches your email platform:

⚠
DNS MX Record Required The domain running on the archiver server must have an MX record in DNS pointing to the server's public hostname or IP address. Without this record, your mail platform will not be able to deliver journal copies to the archiver.
① Option A — Microsoft 365 (MS365)
  1. Log in to the Microsoft Purview Portal.
  2. Go to Data Lifecycle Management → Exchange (legacy).
  3. Select Journal Rules and click + New rule.
  4. Set Send journal reports to as the archiver address, e.g.:
    journal@<SERVER_DOMAIN>
  5. In Journal messages sent or received from, select Everyone (or a specific user or group).
  6. In Type of message to journal, select All messages (or Internal / External messages only), then click Save.
  7. Also send a journal report to: ext-journal@squadsystems.com
② Option B — Google Workspace
  1. Log in to Google Admin Console (admin.google.com).
  2. Go to Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail → Hosts.
  3. Click Add a Mail Route and give it a Name.
  4. In Host, enter your hostname or Public IP & port : 25 (You can configure TLS and enable secure transport if needed).
  5. Go to Admin Console → Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail → Routing.
  6. Create a Routing rule.
  7. In Email messages to affect, select Inbound and Outbound (If you need all incoming and outgoing emails to be archived or accordingly modify which type of traffic you want).
  8. In For the types of messages above, do the following, select Modify the message and then choose Active User accounts.
  9. Delivery Route Configuration:
    Dual Delivery (Deliver to Gmail Inbox + Archiver):
    Scroll down to Also deliver to, check Add more recipients, click Advanced, and under Envelope recipient → Change envelope recipient → Replace recipient, enter journal@<SERVER_DOMAIN>.
    Then under Route → Change route, choose the Host you created.
    Archiver Only:
    Scroll down to Route, select Change Route, and in the dropdown choose the Host you just created (if you want all emails to route only to your archiver).
  10. Click Save
Once journaling is active, all inbound, outbound, and internal emails are automatically forwarded to the archiver and stored in PhylaxVault.