Zimbra Server Sending and Recieveing +DNS Lookup

[f1tzz1mbr4]

I have been fighting with this zimbra server for some time. I have made progress with posts that already existed on this forum and the Wiki's.

The problem I am having is that the server can only send mail when DNS Lookup is disabled, and only receive mail when it is Enabled.

I will provide some of the cfg's I have currently set up. I have split-dns set up as well but not 100% sure if it is working.


Here are the cfg/files:

Hostname:

mydomain.net

Hosts:

# Do not remove the following line, or various programs
# that require network functionality will fail.
127.0.0.1               localhost.localdomain localhost
#::1            localhost6.localdomain6 localhost6
192.168.1.X    mydomain.net    mail

Resolve: (Internal IP)

search mydomain.net
nameserver 192.168.1.X

Named:

options {
        directory "/var/named";
        dump-file "/var/named/data/cache_dump.db";
        statistics-file "/var/named/data/named_stats.txt";
forwarders { 208.67.222.222 ; };
};
include "/etc/rndc.key";
zone "mail.mydomain.net" {
        type master;
        file "db.mail.mydomain.net";
};

Named db:

;
;
;
@       IN      SOA     mail.mydomain.net. hostmaster.mail.mydomain.net. (
                                10118   ; Serial
                                43200   ; Refresh
                                3600    ; Retry
                                3600000 ; Expire
                                2592000 )       ; Minimum
;       Define the nameservers and the mail server
                IN      NS      192.168.1.X
                IN      MX      10 mail.mydomain.net.
mail            IN      A       192.168.1.X

Dig mydomain.net mx:

; <<>> DiG 9.3.6-P1-RedHat-9.3.6-16.P1.el5 <<>> mydomain.net mx
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 33331
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;mydomain.net.                  IN      MX

;; ANSWER SECTION:
mydomain.net.           600     IN      MX      0 mail.mydomain.net.

;; Query time: 31 msec
;; SERVER: 208.67.222.222#53(208.67.222.222)
;; WHEN: Mon Jul 18 11:25:30 2011
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 51

Dig mydomain.net any:

; <<>> DiG 9.3.6-P1-RedHat-9.3.6-16.P1.el5 <<>> mydomain.net any
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 11388
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 4, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;mydomain.net.                  IN      ANY

;; ANSWER SECTION:
mydomain.net.           12852   IN      A       Our External IP (Is Correct)
mydomain.net.           546     IN      MX      0 mail.mydomain.net.
mydomain.net.           86346   IN      NS      ns28.hostgator.com.
mydomain.net.           86346   IN      NS      ns27.hostgator.com.

;; Query time: 10 msec
;; SERVER: 208.67.222.222#53(208.67.222.222)
;; WHEN: Mon Jul 18 11:26:24 2011
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 118

///////////////////////////////////////

I am sure I am forgetting a few things most likely. Let me know if there is any other information you request to help me identify and correct this problem. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

-Steve

[phoenix]

Originally Posted by f1tzz1mbr4

I have been fighting with this zimbra server for some time.

I can't imagine why.

Originally Posted by f1tzz1mbr4

I have made progress with posts that already existed on this forum and the Wiki's.

The Split DNS article describes exactly what you need to do to run Zimbra behind a NAT router - valid DNS A & MX records and a correct /etc/hosts file. From what you've posted the /etc/hosts file is incorrect as is the A record. You can verify the configuration by running all the commands in the 'Verify...' section of that article.

[f1tzz1mbr4]

Thanks Phoenix. As for the A record, is there something I have to do via a service ? Kind of like pointing the MX to the location of the server ?

[phoenix]

Originally Posted by f1tzz1mbr4

Thanks Phoenix. As for the A record, is there something I have to do via a service ? Kind of like pointing the MX to the location of the server ?

You need to set-up and use a DNS server on your LAN to point at the LAN IP of your Zimbra server - the external records do not need to be touched. The dig output you've posted is (incorrectly) using an external server, not the one on your LAN (if you've already set one up) - see the information below:

;; Query time: 10 msec
;; SERVER: 208.67.222.222#53(208.67.222.222)
;; WHEN: Mon Jul 18 11:26:24 2011
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 118

[f1tzz1mbr4]

Originally Posted by phoenix

You need to set-up and use a DNS server on your LAN to point at the LAN IP of your Zimbra server - the external records do not need to be touched. The dig output you've posted is (incorrectly) using an external server, not the one on your LAN (if you've already set one up) - see the information below:

;; Query time: 10 msec
;; SERVER: 208.67.222.222#53(208.67.222.222)
;; WHEN: Mon Jul 18 11:26:24 2011
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 118

The server is on a external network by itself (data center) behind FW. So should I point the DNS to itself ? The zimbra server?

[phoenix]

Originally Posted by f1tzz1mbr4

The server is on a external network by itself (data center) behind FW. So should I point the DNS to itself ? The zimbra server?

Have you already set-up a SPlit DNS (you mentioned earlier you have done that)? That requires a DNS server to be set-up on the same LAN (or the Zimbra server) that points it's records to the LAN IP of the Zimbra server - this is all detailed in the Split DNS wiki article.

[f1tzz1mbr4]

Originally Posted by phoenix

Have you already set-up a SPlit DNS (you mentioned earlier you have done that)? That requires a DNS server to be set-up on the same LAN (or the Zimbra server) that points it's records to the LAN IP of the Zimbra server - this is all detailed in the Split DNS wiki article.

I already have bind set up on the zimbra server. Can't I use that as the DNS pointer ?

[phoenix]

Originally Posted by f1tzz1mbr4

I already have bind set up on the zimbra server. Can't I use that as the DNS pointer ?

Yes but you're not actually using that DNS server according to the information you posted earlier, I've already pointed that out in my previous post - you need to fix that then check the configuration by running all the commands from the Split DNS article that I've also mentioned.

[f1tzz1mbr4]

I have been following the wiki article, but I am still struggling. Not sure what I am doing wrong. When I have followed the guide, and preform a dig, I am still not showing A records. Do I have to use a separate server for DNS or can I set up the zimbra server to be the DNS server also?

[phoenix]

Originally Posted by f1tzz1mbr4

I have been following the wiki article, but I am still struggling. Not sure what I am doing wrong. When I have followed the guide, and preform a dig, I am still not showing A records.

Then post the output of all the commands in the 'Verify ....' section of the article

Originally Posted by f1tzz1mbr4

Do I have to use a separate server for DNS or can I set up the zimbra server to be the DNS server also?

You have to use a DNS server on your LAN, I've already told you that the results you posted earlier are not querying your local DNS server, you are using the external DNS server (look at the IP address I highleted in red, is that the LAN IP address of your Zimbra server?)- you need to change that to use the DNS server on the LAN (i.e. the one on your Zimbra server).