During normal operation, the messaging databases work independently under the direction of a set of software managers. These managers, in tandem with hardware and firmware managers, allow the files, databases, and system hardware to work together.
Because databases are handled separately, it is possible for different databases to contain conflicting information. For example, if a subscriber is removed from the messaging system, other databases may contain messages addressed to that subscriber. In addition, mailing lists that include the deleted subscriber's name could still exist.
To reconcile possible conflicts among databases, software programs called auditsrun automatically to check for inconsistencies. Audits can also be run on demand by you.