Zimbra
Installation
DNS Records
Firstly, you need to own a public domain name, then get your ISP to create two DNS records...
- MX record - Mail Exchanger (MX) record
- EG
sandfordit.com [MX] -> mail.sandfordit.com
sandfordit.com
is the domain you own, andmail
is hostname of your email server (can be anything you like)
- EG
- A record - Standard DNS record
- EG
mail.sandfordit.com [A] -> 158.25.34.124
158.25.34.124
is the static IP address assigned by your ISP. You'll need to set-up a NAT on your router (often oddly called a virtual server in domestic routers) to map incoming mail on TCP 25 to your email server's actual address (EG158.25.34.124:25 -> 192.168.1.150:25
.
- EG
Note, instead of an A record you can use a CNAME record if you prefer, though obviously the CNAME record will still need to point to a valid A record. Using a CNAME might be preferable, if for example you've multiple services running from a single public IP, that you might want to split out in the future to run on separate IP's, at which point you can replace the CNAME records with A records.
OS DNS Setup
In order to get round the fact that your exchange server won't have the same IP (or name even) on the public internet as it will on your internal network, a DNS server is installed on the exchange server to provide MX record resolution. Procedure assumes DNS (Bind) is already installed.
Terminology...
- Private = Home or internal network IP address and network name (eg
192.168.1.150
andmail.home.int
) - Public = Global internet, ISP assigned IP address and registered domain name (eg
158.25.34.124
andmail.sandfordit.com
)
Firstly, add the IP('s) of the DNS servers you use for resolution on your other machines to your local DNS server's list of forwarders (so that your exchange server forwards DNS resolution requests for unknown names to your normal DNS servers), edit /etc/bind/named.conf.options
options { directory "/var/cache/bind"; query-source address * port 53; forwarders { 192.168.1.1; 158.25.30.10; }; auth-nxdomain no; # conform to RFC1035 };
Edit /etc/resolv.conf
to force the server to use its local DNS server for resolution
nameserver 127.0.0.1
Restart bind using /etc/init.d/bind9 restart
and check you can resolve external addresses properly.
Now create the internal zone that will eventually contain the local MX record for your exchange server, append the following to /etc/bind/named.conf.local
, using your publicly registered domain name
zone "sandfordit.com" { type master; file "/etc/bind/db.sandfordit.com"; };
Lastly create the database file for you DNS domain /etc/bind/db.sandfordit.com
, using your publicly registered domain name and private (internal) IP address for your exchange server...
; ; BIND data file for sandfordit.com ; $TTL 604800 @ IN SOA mail.sandfordit.com. admin.sandfordit.com. ( 070725 ; Serial 604800 ; Refresh 86400 ; Retry 2419200 ; Expire 604800 ) ; Negative Cache TTL ; @ IN NS mail IN MX 10 mail IN A 192.168.1.150 mail IN A 192.168.1.150
Zimba Install
Reference http://wiki.zimbra.com/index.php?title=Ubuntu_8.04_LTS_Server_%28Hardy_Heron%29_Install_Guide
- Copy the install to the server
- EG
pscp zcs-6.0.5_GA_2213.UBUNTU8.20100202225756.tgz simons@mail:zcs-6.0.5_GA_2213.UBUNTU8.20100202225756.tgz
- EG
- Uncompress the package
tar -xzf zcs-6.0.5_GA_2213.UBUNTU8.20100202225756.tgz
- Start the install
./install.sh
- The install will fail due to missing packages!
- Install the missing prerequisite packages
- EG
apt-get install libpcre3 libgmp3c2 libstdc++5 sysstat
- EG
- Restart the install
- Part-way through the install will complain about your domain not having a DNS record, change the domain to your publicly registered domain (without server hostname, so
sandfordit.com
rather thanmail.sandfordit.com
- At the end of the install, address the unconfigured item (ie an admin password)
Once the install is completed, login to administer the exchange server using https://mail:7071
To enforce https for Zimbra Desktop clients use the following commands (requires a restart to take effect)...
su - zimbra zmtlsctl https
High CPU Workaround
Zimbra seems to have some real issues with constant high CPU spikes every minute, to limit reduce the logging retention and failed process checking.
su - zimbra zmlocalconfig -e zmmtaconfig_interval=6000 zmprov mcf zimbraLogRawLifetime 7d zmprov mcf zimbraLogSummaryLifetime 30d /opt/zimbra/libexec/zmlogprocess crontab -e */60 * * * * /opt/zimbra/libexec/zmstatuslog
zmlocalconfig -e zmmtaconfig_interval=6000
- Increase service failure watchdog interval to 6000 secs
Above seems to help, but doesn't fix things...! Additionally, to disable the logging process, maybe (uncomplete)
su - zimbra hostname # Gives your server's hostname zmprov ms <hostname> -zimbraServiceEnabled logger
Zimbra Appliance
Installation
Download a copy of the (OVA format) appliance from http://www.zimbra.com/downloads/zca-downloads.html or just get a copy of the download URL to delay downloading until deployment, plus get a license if you want to run for more than 60 days (10 user license is free). The appliance needs to be run on VMware vSphere.
The appliance is just over 2GB in size (though the disk in 18GB if thick provisioned and can be deployed as...
- Trial - 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM
- Not officially suitable for production, but fine for the free 10-user license
- Midsize - 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM
- Production use up to 500 users
- Large - 2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM
- Production use up to 1000 users
To deploy
- In the VI Client, go to File | Deploy OVF Template...
- Locate the downloaded OVA file or paste in the URL, click Open and then Next
- Check the OVF Template Details and click Next
- Accept the End User License Agreement and click Next
- Enter a suitable VM name, and change the destination location as required, and click Next
- Select the appropriate Deployment Configuration, and click Next
- Select the appropriate Host / Cluster, and click Next
- Update the Resource Pool config as required, and click Next
- Select a Datastore and click Next
- Select a Disk Format of your preference and click Next
- Select a network to connect the VM to (IP address settings can be applied later), and then click Next
- Leave the IP Address Allocation as Fixed, and then click Next
- In the Properties step, proceed as follows and then click Next
- 0. Configuration Password - Enter a password note that it won't be obscured
- 1. Server Name - Enter the network hostname for your server (not FQDN - eg mailserver)
- 2. Administrative Account - Enter your admin email address and password note that the password won't be obscured
- Networking Properties - Enter an IP address
- Confirm the config is correct, then click Next
Post-Install
- High CPU Workaround - Quite why you have to tweak a VMware provided appliance to make it run efficiently on VMware is mind boggling
- SNMP Install
License
You may get a warning to say that your license is not activated, in which case log in as the zimbra user to your server, check you've got the correct license loaded, then activate it (your server needs to be able to reach the Zimbra license portal)
zimbra@mail:~$ zmlicense -p [License] AccountsLimit=10 ArchivingAccountsLimit=0 AttachmentConversionEnabled=true AttachmentIndexingAccountsLimit=10 BackupEnabled=true CrossMailboxSearchEnabled=false HierarchicalStorageManagementEnabled=false ISyncAccountsLimit=0 InstallType=regular IssuedOn=<removed> IssuedToEmail=<removed> IssuedToName=<removed> LicenseId=<removed> MAPIConnectorAccountsLimit=0 MobileSyncAccountsLimit=10 MobileSyncEnabled=true ResellerName= SMIMEAccountsLimit=0 ValidFrom=<removed> ValidUntil=<removed> zimbra@mail:~$ zmlicense -c license not activated for 7.0.0_GA_3077 zimbra@mail:~$ zmlicense -a zimbra@mail:~$ zmlicense -c license is OK
Maintenance
Backup
Basic manual backup
- SU to Zimbra admin
su - zimbra
- Stop Zimbra services
zmcontrol stop
- Exit Zimbra user and create copy of directory
- EG
cp -rp /opt/zimbra /home/simons/zimbra_backup_100301
- EG
More elaborate scripted version
- For more info see - http://www.zimbra.com/forums/administrators/15275-solved-yet-another-backup-script-community-version.html
- Script is downloadable from - http://www.osoffice.de/downloads/viewcategory-7.html
- Check the size of the
/opt/zimbra
dir, this will be replicated to a sync directory, from which the actual backup is taken, and check available free spacedu -hs /opt/zimbra
df -h
- Un-gzip and upload the config file to somewhere convenient
- Edit required config params at start of script
- Run the script to install (as root), allow creation of required folders and install of required utils
./zmbak_v.0.8.sh --INSTALL
- Perform a first full run to check everything works alight and to create the first full backup
./zmbak_v.0.8.sh -f
To restore, see http://www.zimbra.com/forums/administrators/15275-solved-yet-another-backup-script-community-version-24.html
Upgrade
Use the same package to upgrade the software as used for a brand new install (there is no separate upgrade package). The important part of any upgrade IS NOT how to get your system upgraded, it IS how you're going to recover if it all goes horribly wrong.
- Isolate the server from the internet (so new mails can't received following the pre-upgrade backup)
- Stop the mail server running
su - zimbra
zmcontrol stop
- Backup the server 1st
- If hosted on an ESX, probably most easily achieved by starting a snapshot (remember to delete the snapshot after a few days if no probs are encountered)
- Also copy off any existing local backup (so that a new full backup can be started following the upgrade)
- Copy the install to the server
- EG
pscp zcs-6.0.6_GA_2324.UBUNTU8.20100406144520.tgz simons@mail:zcs-6.0.6_GA_2324.UBUNTU8.20100406144520.tgz
- EG
- Uncompress the package
tar -xzf zcs-6.0.6_GA_2324.UBUNTU8.20100406144520.tgz
- Start the upgrade using the install script
./install.sh
- The script should detect an existing installation and upgrade it, do not install additional components, but do confirm the upgrade.
- Once completed, test thoroughly
- Perform a full local backup
- Reconnect to network
Patch
Sometimes patch packages are supplied for minor upgrades between specific versions. Take the same backup precautions as for a normal upgrade. The actual application of the patch varies slightly from an upgrade...
- Copy the patch package to the server
- EG
pscp zcs-patch-6.0.6_GA_2332.tgz simons@mail:zcs-patch-6.0.6_GA_2332.tgz
- EG
- Uncompress the package
tar -xzf zcs-patch-6.0.6_GA_2332.tgz
- Start the patch upgrade using the install script
./installPatch.sh
- Restart the software to apply changes
su - zimbra
zmcontrol stop
zmcontrol start
Procedures
Install Commercial Certificate
- Create a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) - can be done via the GUI admin console, but doesn't always work properly
- Logged into the server as root...
- Generate CSR, EG
/opt/zimbra/bin/zmcertmgr createcsr comm -new -keysize 2048 -subject "/C=GB/L=London/O=SandfordIT Limited/CN=mail.sandfordit.com"
- /C - Country
- /ST - Region / county (optional)
- /L - City
- /O - Organisation / company name
- /OU - Department (optional)
- /CN - Server FQDN
- Display and copy CSR key
more /opt/zimbra/ssl/zimbra/commercial/commercial.csr
- Upload CSR to certificate authority
- Install received keys via GUI and restart server
Install Zimlet
Zimlets only work when accessing via the web client, they are not usable from the full-fat Zimbra client.
- Copy the Zimlet to the server
- EG
pscp com_zimbra_tasksreminder.zip simons@mail:com_zimbra_tasksreminder.zip
- EG
- Move the file to the
/opt/zimbra/zimlets
directory - Deploy the Zimlet
- EG
zmzimletctl deploy com_zimbra_tasksreminder.zip
- EG
Signature Length Increase
The maximum length of an email signature is limited to 10240 by default, to increase...
- Update appropriate CoS/user pref...
- In server admin console
- Either update the
- User
- Addresses > Accounts > <user>
- Or CoS
- Configuration > Class of Service > <CoS>
- User
- Go to Preferences > Mail Options > Composing mail
- Change Maximum length of mail signature value (eg 20480)
- Update Zimbra Desktop
- Delete, then re-add the account and allow to resync fully
LDAP Config Item Check/Modify
- To check config
- EG
zmprov gcf zimbraMailPurgeSleepInterval
- EG
- To modify config
- EG
zmprov mcf zimbraMailPurgeSleepInterval 1m
- EG
Message Filters
- To verify email account filters setup
- EG
zmmailbox -z -m simon gfrl
- EG
Message Purging
Check per-user settings zmprov ga simon@sandfordit.com | grep Lifetime
more /opt/zimbra/log/mailbox.log | grep MailboxPurge