Zimbra configuration

[skiv71]

Hi, been using Zimbra FOSS 5.0.16 opensuse10.2 x86 for sometime now, and i was doing LVM snapshots and archiving these.

I've since read about using zmmailbox to create a tgz for each user.

I'm thinking about using this in a backup script but i'm wondering is there a way i can backup the configuration of zimbra...

so that, say i made a new server, i could clean install, import the config, creating mailboxes, settings etc and then import mailboxes?

i'm thinking this setup allows per user restoration, if they mess something up but i can still restore zimbra to a different PC (as long as its 5.0.16 FOSS).

I seem to remember that during the installation phase, it asks if you want to backup the configuration? can i do this at anytime? an if so, can import the configuration?

thanks

Neil

[Krishopper]

The short answer is no, its not really that quick/easy.

You have to consider the global config, the server config, all of the CoS's, recreating the domains, etc.

The best you're going to get for "hot" backups in OSS are mailbox items (not even the users preferences are included in that tgz dump).

If you want a full system backup, I'd still suggest doing the LVM snapshots nightly. In my environment, my server is only unreachable for users for about 70 seconds at 3AM. They're in bed then anyways.

[skiv71]

Originally Posted by Krishopper

The short answer is no, its not really that quick/easy.

You have to consider the global config, the server config, all of the CoS's, recreating the domains, etc.

The best you're going to get for "hot" backups in OSS are mailbox items (not even the users preferences are included in that tgz dump).

If you want a full system backup, I'd still suggest doing the LVM snapshots nightly. In my environment, my server is only unreachable for users for about 70 seconds at 3AM. They're in bed then anyways.

Well as it stands, with system changes being rare, i might go for a weekly full backup and daily mailbox archives.

do you happen to know if zimbra needs to be stopped for the zmmailbox archiving i'm doing?

[Krishopper]

Originally Posted by skiv71

do you happen to know if zimbra needs to be stopped for the zmmailbox archiving i'm doing?

With the zmmailbox GetRestURL .tgz dumps, no you do not have to stop Zimbra.

You might be able to copy off the redo logs also for the "incremental" backups - but I haven't tested that and am not sure how well it works. I'm also not sure if there is a way to force Zimbra to roll over the redo log so you can get a completely committed one.

I'd test it before trying it, but that would let you replay the redo logs against your full backup and get up to being recent (config and all).