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, and mail is hostname of your email server (can be anything you like)
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 (EG 158.25.34.124:25 -> 192.168.1.150:25 .

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 and mail.home.int)
Public = Global internet, ISP assigned IP address and registered domain name (eg 158.25.34.124 and mail.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
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
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 than mail.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

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

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 space
- du -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
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
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 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
Move the file to the /opt/zimbra/zimlets directory
Deploy the Zimlet
- EG zmzimletctl deploy com_zimbra_tasksreminder.zip

Signature Length Increase

The maximum length of an email signature is limited to 10240 by default, to increase...

Update appropriate CoS/user pref...
1. In server admin console
2. Either update the
  1. User
    - Addresses > Accounts > <user>
  2. Or CoS
    - Configuration > Class of Service > <CoS>
3. Go to Preferences > Mail Options > Composing mail
4. Change Maximum length of mail signature value (eg 20480)
Update Zimbra Desktop
1. Delete, then re-add the account and allow to resync fully

LDAP Config Item Check/Modify

To check config
- EG zmprov gcf zimbraMailPurgeSleepInterval
To modify config
- EG zmprov mcf zimbraMailPurgeSleepInterval 1m

Message Filters

To verify email account filters setup
- EG zmmailbox -z -m simon gfrl

Message Purging

Check per-user settings zmprov ga simon@sandfordit.com | grep Lifetime

more /opt/zimbra/log/mailbox.log | grep MailboxPurge

Documentation Links

Zimlets
Zimbra Client Dictionary Install

Zimbra

Contents

Installation

DNS Records

OS DNS Setup

Zimba Install

High CPU Workaround

Maintenance

Backup

Upgrade

Patch

Procedures

Install Zimlet

Signature Length Increase

LDAP Config Item Check/Modify

Message Filters

Message Purging

Documentation Links

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Zimbra

Installation

DNS Records

OS DNS Setup

Zimba Install

High CPU Workaround

Maintenance

Backup

Upgrade

Patch

Procedures

Install Zimlet

Signature Length Increase

LDAP Config Item Check/Modify

Message Filters

Message Purging

Documentation Links

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