Zimbra Not Answering Calls

[dave.gill@yourpcknights.c]

Hello

I've contacted zimbra via e-mail.

I've left a voice message to the main phone number.

I've left a voice message on the sales phone number.

Who doesn't answer their sales number?

No one answers, no one responds to the voice messages.

I have a customer who needs to purchase zimbra network edition V.7, who is using open source V6.

Is there a way to upgrade from V.6 open source to V.7 network edition?

[phoenix]

Is there a way to upgrade from V.6 open source to V.7 network edition?

You can find the answer to that in the forums and the wiki, it's a fairly straightforward and painless process.

[dave.gill@yourpcknights.c]

You can find the answer to that in the forums and the wiki, it's a fairly straightforward and painless process.

I was actually more concerned about Zimbra not contacting me.

Do you happen to know why that is happening. Are there issues with the VMware transfer?

I really was asking, what sales dept. doesn't answer a phone call.

I don't want to reccomend Zimbra Network for my customer, and have Zimbra close. Then have everyone using the Network Edition be shutdown.

I need to know Zimbra is still there.

I really like my customers. I don't want them to be in a bad situation...

[mmorse]

I'm sure they'll get to it soon, certainly no one's gonna reject a sale - think phil/john/tony have seen the thread and will pass along a reminder to the sales team or a partner where appropriate.

Yes you can upgrade from 6.0.x > 7.1, infact start that process anytime. (Do post exact version/platform being utilized, and as always take a backup.) Then once you purchase you can convert FOSS > NE simply by running the NE installer and applying the license. Version 7 now activates against license.zimbra.com instead of just a local hash check. (Don't forget about https://buy.zimbra.com for self-serve if under 1k users in a pinch, and they could retroactively apply any necessary discount be-fitting your status. (Though the only truly serious pinches I could think of would entail expired license + 30 days leeway up, but in that case the person hasn't exactly been proactive.)

Keep in mind the sales line to this point hasn't utilized a call-center/direct approach, the numbers go to voicemail and they call you back usually within a day. I'm sure your wait warranted long enough for you to come post here about it - no contest, but if you don't mind might we enquirer the timing between the email (sales@, sales-northamerica@ or contact forum), phone call # 1, and # 2 anyways? (Also remember you're central and their primarily pacific based.) They can obviously look up the details, but it helps when passing along the feedback to know exactly how much time/frustration we're talking about.

Any company could 'shutdown' and not leave behind a way to continue using a particular product, but I'm quite sure VMware (and in turn EMC) is enjoying what Zimbra brings to the table! In such a 'situation' even if the network edition code (MobileSync, MAPI, Backup, HA, etc) weren't released you could still convert back to the completely open source edition - which your customers are already familiar with. If ultra concerned there's a perpetual license option (good for 30-years, the ability to upgrade and fix security discoveries if Zimbra's not around non-withstanding, but at least the clock won't run out).

From another perspective not having enough sales people to take a sheer volume of calls can be a good 'problem' to have! (Support on the other hand is different, I could totally see justification for concern if they didn't return contact within SLA, but the team is pretty good about critical help escalations.)

[dave.gill@yourpcknights.c]

Thanks for the reply.

I did wait three days after the e-mail to phone. Then one day after the phone call to post.

I contacted VMWare directly.

All calls are going through them. They are accepting Zimbra related calls.

I didn't ask, but I'm assuming the zimbra phone numbers aren't being monitored right now.

I just wanted to make certain they were still there.

I won't be processing this upgrade until I return from vacation.

I will post with my results. Including backup commands and version numbers. Simply because I haven't seen other posts on it.

My call through VMWare netted me an e-mail with a link to the zimbra help page for migrating V6 OS to V7 NE from one server to another.

O well, I learned a long time ago that forum help is better then the helpdesk.

I'll be posting again around the 25th or the 27th.

[mmorse]

Thanks for the details, enjoy your vacation.


Stuff to think about when you're back - are you:

A) Upgrading a customer in-place with only a single instance involved (instance = against a master ldap, be it one server or a multi-server setup)?

B) Using a staging server(s) for the upgrade (can fallback to the old easily, or just because it's time for new and larger hardware, etc)?

C) Moving the customer to your server(s)?

D) Moving the customer to your server(s) in a multi-tenant (on one LDAP) senario? Tricks like ZCS-to-ZCS Migrations » Zimbra :: Blog (with or without selected ldiff data).


How many mailboxes? Amount of data involved? Useful tools like snapshotting available? Changing operating systems? Changing architecture 32-bit > 64-bit (adds a few more steps). Exporting and Importing Zimbra LDAP Data » Zimbra :: Blog & Network Edition: Moving from 32-bit to 64-bit Server - Zimbra :: Wiki


The reason I ask is because the link you might have gotten like Network Edition Moving from Open Source to Network Edition ZCS - Zimbra :: Wiki could even be unnecessarily complex for your senario, whereas Moving ZCS to New Server - Zimbra :: Wiki also explained well in Moving ZCS to Another Server » Zimbra :: Blog (./install.sh -s trick) can be ultra handy when things are close to the same platform, same hostname (though ZmSetServerName - Zimbra :: Wiki has improved), etc. Just fix dns, -s, copy /opt/zimbra, run the installer again. Could even do it once using FOSS so you're sure everything is the same when testing, than apply NE. Actually the trick can work across version numbers too, but that fact is not often advertised since it's easier to troubleshoot any hiccups when fewer variables are changing.

As you can tell everyone's upgrade/migration situation is unique, and there are probably multiple ways to tackle it. Have a safe (hopefully work-free) trip.

[dave.gill@yourpcknights.c]

I'm excited and ready to go, I get ready to purchase Zimbra for my customer.

I notice there is a perpetual license.

Is that a license were we do not have to buy again?

If so can I upgrade to future version with that license, or is it only for V.7. IE when 8 comes out can I upgrade to 8?

It didn't directly state, but can I use outlook connector with it?

Of course I have called, and sent e-mails to the Zimbra division of VMWare, and gotten no response. VMWare can not answer any Zimbra related questions...

[xeon]

I'm excited and ready to go, I get ready to purchase Zimbra for my customer.

I notice there is a perpetual license.

Is that a license were we do not have to buy again?

If so can I upgrade to future version with that license, or is it only for V.7. IE when 8 comes out can I upgrade to 8?

It didn't directly state, but can I use outlook connector with it?

Of course I have called, and sent e-mails to the Zimbra division of VMWare, and gotten no response. VMWare can not answer any Zimbra related questions...

Perpetual license costs more but you do not have the annual fees to use Zimbra NE. The first year of support is included. After the first year you can still use Zimbra NE but you do not get support or updates. Support is cheap each year after. About after the third year the cost makes sense. So if you plan on sticking with Zimbra the perpetual license is a good idea. Zimbra Sales and Zimbra Value-Added Resellers will have more information... I personally used a local Zimbra Value-Added Reseller.

Zimbra Outlook connector is used with Zimbra NE Professional licenses. So, yes if you get a perpetual NE Professional license you can use Zimbra Outlook Connector.

[dave.gill@yourpcknights.c]

I did get a chance to upgrade the server.
It was for a small office. So my open source backup included backing up the /opt/zimbra folder.
I then also exported the e-mail data using zmmailbox -z -m.
I was going to use zmslapcat for backing up LDAP, but had seen some information that stated it cleared out the current LDAP data.
At any rate, it was for a small office. So I wasn't concerned about recreating the users. I was more concerned about positily losing their settings.
I downloaded the latest package for open source. Upgraded the server.
I downloaded the SAME package version that I 'upgraded' to in the Network edition.
After putting the license where it ask everything processed without an issue.

Of course the fun doesn't stop there. The main reason for upgrading was to be able to connect blackberry's to calendar events. Without having to use the web interface.

I researched it myself. It was the reason I contacted sales. To verify that Zimbra can connect to a blackberry. I was told I could. The advertisement on the website states that you can.

After the upgrade I go to download the connector. It is for a black berry enterprise server. Awsome.

Any suggestions for that would be a huge help.

I will say the even though I verified with Zimbra, then checked on my own. I still registered with a trial version before I baught Zimbra Network edition. At leaste this way my customer isn't out the money for that.

[dave_kempe]

The bes connector works fine with besx, the free blackberry enterprise server.