Questions about move to Zimbra from OS X Mail Server

[drader]

I am thinking about moving to Zimbra, but want to test it first. I currently have about 150 email users in a stock OS X Server 10.5.7 situation. I am running both POP and IMAP. Most all of my users are using Entourage configured for POP access now. Here are some questions:

Can I test Zimbra with a few users for a while?
Can I install Zimbra on the same physical box that is my mail server right now?
If things go well and I start to migrate other users to Zimbra can I do them a little at a time so I can reconfigure their clients to use IMAP?

Any other commentary would be appreciated.

[ewilen]

You can test Zimbra with a few users either using the open source version or a time-limited copy of the network edition. If you intend to keep using Entourage, though, I'm not sure there's much point testing the NE unless Entourage supports Address Book. (The main benefit of NE for Mac users is that it syncs Address Book with the user's server-based account. But you might want to use NE in a production environment because it has built-in backup features.)

Installing on the same physical box could be done but I would recommend using VirtualBox to create a VM and assign it its own IP address. Otherwise you'll have OS X server and Zimbra fighting for use of SMTP/POP/IMAP/etc. ports.

I think you could do gradual migration but the trick will be seamlessly forwarding mail. I was able to configure Communigate and Zimbra to work this way so that some people could stay on Communigate and others could use Zimbra, without it being obvious that they were different mail servers. (Calendar interoperation would have been much more complicated.) Ultimately it depends on what OS X Server can do in terms of rerouting email.

[kjurkic]

to drader:

I was wondering if you have performed the migration, and are willing to share some tips. I have the exact same scenario (very frustrated with Apple's poor email server setup), and wish to migrate with minimal disruption.

regards
Ken Hawkins