Open Archiver

Open Archiver is a self-hosted web application designed for the long-term archiving, indexing, and searching of email communications. It allows users to ingest data from various sources to maintain a permanent, sovereign record of communication history. The software is deployed via Docker Compose on a server or local machine, requiring a minimum of 4GB of RAM for standard installations.

The system supports both initial bulk imports and continuous, real-time synchronization from multiple providers. It is intended for use cases requiring digital preservation and legal compliance, providing tools to ensure that archived emails remain tamper-proof and accessible for eDiscovery. By storing data independently, it removes reliance on external email vendors for historical record keeping.

Key features

• Ingestion from IMAP, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, PST, Mbox, and zipped .eml files
• Storage of emails in standard .eml format with deduplication and compression
• Support for local filesystem and S3-compatible object storage backends
• Full-text search across email bodies and attachments including PDF and DOCX
• Thread discovery to group related emails into conversations
• Granular retention policies for automated data lifecycle management
• File hashing and integrity reports to detect unauthorized content alterations
• Immutable audit trails that log all system access and activities

The application uses a technology stack consisting of a SvelteKit frontend and a Node.js backend written in TypeScript. Metadata, user management, and audit logs are managed by a PostgreSQL database, while Meilisearch handles the indexing for high-performance search queries. Asynchronous processing is managed through BullMQ using Redis or Valkey. The architecture ensures that all files are encrypted at rest to maintain data security and regulatory compliance.

The software is built for administrators and compliance officers who need to manage large volumes of communication data. It provides the necessary infrastructure to track who accessed specific records and when, ensuring a transparent chain of custody for archived documents.

Open Archiver serves organizations and individuals needing a sovereign platform for email compliance and digital preservation.