Set up Zimbra as second mail server without effecting the first

[yonatan]

I currently have the company's email hosted by the ISP. Long story short I want to move to a different email provider (possibly self-hosted Zimbra). As I am not familiar with installing and managing a mail server is it possible for me to install Zimbra on the company's local server (VMware vSphere) and set it up, so that incoming email will arrive at both the current mail server at the ISP and also on the local Zimbra server?

I will not change my users to send or receive through Zimbra. They will continue to use the ISP's mail server for the time being. I just want to get familiar with Zimbra and also I want to verify whether the same amount of incoming emails are received on both mail servers! The reason for this is that many emails from our clients are disappearing not reaching us and the problem lies somewhere at the ISP.

Just a thought, but if I setup Zimbra and then create a second mx record on the ISP's DNS pointing to Zimbra will incoming mail arrive at both servers?

Thank you

[soxfan]

Just a thought, but if I setup Zimbra and then create a second mx record on the ISP's DNS pointing to Zimbra will incoming mail arrive at both servers

Well, to answer your last question first, I don't think setting up a second MX record is going to work. If you set up the second record with a lower priority it will only get email if the primary is down. If you set it up with the same priority this will have a load balancing effect; meaning some messages will go to the ISP's email server and some will go to your Zimbra server. I don't think that's what you want either. Lastly, obviously if you set up the MX record with a higher priority then the Zimbra server will become your primary mail server.

Have a look at the Split Domain wiki page. I'm not sure it is exactly what you are looking for, but it will allow you to continue to use the ISP's email server and run Zimbra in parallel. The problem with this setup for you is that it depending on which method you go with it is probably not going to help you find the "disappearing" email that you are trying to track down.

[yonatan]

Hi soxfan

Thanks for explaining the different mx scenarios

I did a quick read of the Split Domain wiki page. What would you do in my situation? Are there any other options?

[yonatan]

If I setup a subdomain can I then point this straight to Zimbra for testing purposes without worrying about a "split-domain" setup?

[yonatan]

Anyone please?

[nagileon]

Hi
IMHO you should not waist your time but get the ZCS installed and then attempt a test migration. If everything goes OK with the test then migrate for real, point your DNS to your new IP and you're done.

[yonatan]

Originally Posted by nagileon

Hi
IMHO you should not waist your time but get the ZCS installed and then attempt a test migration. If everything goes OK with the test then migrate for real, point your DNS to your new IP and you're done.

The problem with your approach is that I'm new to Zimbra and I can't disrupt my users who are sending and receiving mail with the ISP's mail server. This is why I thought about creating a subdomain and create an mx record pointing to the Zimbra mail server for my testing only. Once I feel comfortable using Zimbra then I would move from the ISP.

[farrukhndm]

Hi, yonatan

Same Scenario with My company , i also duplicate install zimbra with sub domain mail.mydomain.com ,mail1.mydomain.com, and transfer my all user mails with imapsync from mail.mydomain.com to mail1.mydomain.com .When my zimbra server get mature with 100% uptime then change MX record pointing to mail.mydomain.com

Now i am running zimbra up from 4-5 months without any problem.

[yonatan]

Originally Posted by farrukhndm

Hi, yonatan

Same Scenario with My company , i also duplicate install zimbra with sub domain mail.mydomain.com ,mail1.mydomain.com, and transfer my all user mails with imapsync from mail.mydomain.com to mail1.mydomain.com .When my zimbra server get mature with 100% uptime then change MX record pointing to mail.mydomain.com

Now i am running zimbra up from 4-5 months without any problem.

Hi farrukhndm!

Can you please explain how you did this? I don't quite understand what your setup looks like. Your current mail server is mail.mydomain.com and you created a new sub domain mail1.mydomain.com for Zimbra. So, your users are sending and receiving mail through the mail server at mail.mydomain.com and you sync the mail to the Zimbra server for testing, but no one is connecting to Zimbra yet.

Is this what you have done?

Thanks

[farrukhndm]

Originally Posted by yonatan

Hi farrukhndm!

.So, your users are sending and receiving mail through the mail server at mail.mydomain.com and you sync the mail to the Zimbra server for testing, but no one is connecting to Zimbra yet.

Is this what you have done?

Thanks

Yes, I synced All Users Mail boxes to mail1.mydomain.com(new installed zimbra) and checked all services of some account for testing purpose,As my all account are synced,which is not possible in same day as it takes lot of time and some of mails may be unsynced when i change Mx record from mail1 ->mail

After that my All users login through mail.solex.com(zimbra server ) which is set as a default domain in my zimbra server .

If some of accounts still not uptodate & i have to update them from my privious mail server.
i have changed domain name of previous mail server (in my case it was postfix/dovecot/openwebmail) from mail.mydomain.com to mailold.mydomain.com.now in imapsync host1 mailold.mydomain.com host2 mail.mydomian.com