Migration Zimbra from old to new servers

[lucianog]

Hi all,
I'm considering migrating zimbra from a virtual machine, name example: ACTIVE (CentOS 5.6 x86) to a new virtual machine (CentOS 6.2 x86_64) , name example: STANDBY.
I'd like some tips on how to do.
The two servers are configured with different IP and different names and on the same LAN, mails are sent/receive through a relay (MailScanner).
The name resolution is managed with internal DNS and the MX record points now to the ACTIVE server (for the clients point of view).
I run a first migration with ZeXtras and transaction was OK. I' ve all mails, calendars, etc on the STANDBY server. :-)
Now the steps on final job:

- Mails stop on MailScanner (maybe with iptables, stopping MailScanner, etc ), don' t flow to ACTIVE server.
- Final Migrations with ZeXtras.
- Stop ACTIVE server
- Remove ACTIVE "A record" server from DNS.
- Add an ALIAS ACTIVE to point at STANDBY, reload BIND, wait Slaves Nameserver for updates their db.

Question: Clients with Zimbra Desktop must be stopped during migration?

- Change postfix Transport map on MailScanner, reload postfix/MailScanner.
- Enable mails from MailScanner to flow to new server.

Every answer is appreciated.
Thanks, Luciano

[Cine]

Hello Luciano,
welcome to the forums!

There is actually no need to stop the mailflow before performing the final steps of the migration, just check out the guide posted at ZxBackup: Incremental migration with ZeXtras Backup - ZeXtras Suite Wiki to see how to perform a downtimeless migration
You'll be able to "update" the data in your STANDBY server while the ACTIVE is still running and then update such data one last time after the mailflow has been switched and the ACTIVE server has been decommissioned.
In your particular case you must change your Mailscanner's transport map during the Step 7 of the guide (when the guide states "Switch the mail flow to the new server").

Stopping Zimbra Desktop clients during the migration will GREATLY improve performances, it's 101% suggested to do so.

A couple of additional hints:
- Data deleted from the ACTIVE server between the final imports will be present on the STANDBY server, as this kind of migration incremental but not differential.
- I don't think that this is the case, but the names you use in your example are dangerously close to those used for failover environments... ZeXtras Suite is not made to allow that kind of operational mode (well, not yet :P)

Keep us up to date with your migration process and feel free to ask any further questions you sould have!

Have a nice day,
Cine

[lucianog]

Cine Thanks for the quick response.
I read the document "ZxBackup: Incremental migration with ZeXtras Backup - ZeXtras Suite Wiki".
I used the Migration Tool for exporting data from the server of origin and I think the result is the same. I think!
I prefer to stop mail, i feel more secure and my client agree :-))

To migrate the data I used an NFS share on a NAS server.

You're right regarding the "failover environments": it is not my case.
If next week will end all my tests, I will proceed to the final migration and will propose the purchase of Migrations Suite (ZxBackUP) to my client.

Thanks folks for zeXtras software!

Luciano

[Cine]

Cine Thanks for the quick response.
I read the document "ZxBackup: Incremental migration with ZeXtras Backup - ZeXtras Suite Wiki".
I used the Migration Tool for exporting data from the server of origin and I think the result is the same. I think!
I prefer to stop mail, i feel more secure and my client agree :-))

That's one of the good things of ZeXtras Suite... It's flexible
The only difference between the two methods is that with ZeXtras Migration Tool you will need to perform the export one more time, while with ZeXtras Backup you can update your exported data saving some time.

To migrate the data I used an NFS share on a NAS server.

May I ask a feedback on export performances? What's the size of the data you are migrating?

You're right regarding the "failover environments": it is not my case.
If next week will end all my tests, I will proceed to the final migration and will propose the purchase of Migrations Suite (ZxBackUP) to my client.

Keep us updated!

Thanks folks for zeXtras software!

You are very welcome

[lucianog]

Hi Cine,

My client has:

OLD Environment: VMware Standard V3.5, IBM x3400 Server/16Gb_RAM, Storage: DAS
OLD VM ZIMBRA: CentOS 5.6 x86, RAM 4Gb, 4 vCPU.
OLD VM ZIMBRA: Store about 6Gb of data.
OLD VM ZIMBRA: 73 Mailbox, clients: Outlook (POP3), Zimbra Desktop. None use ZWC :-(

NEW Environment: VMware_Essential V4.1, 2 HOST IBM_3650M3/32Gb_RAM in HA, Storage: IBM DS3512 SAS.
NEW VM ZIMBRA: CentOS 6.2 x86_64, RAM 6Gb, 2 vCPU (for now ...).

NAS: IBM PC PIV, 512Mb RAM, FreeNAS V0.72

LAN: 1GB, HP Switches

IMPORT TIME = 12 minutes

All systems are on same LAN segment.

Bye.

L.-

[lucianog]

Hi!
Today I' ve migrated from the old to the new zimbra server.
The only problem is that the PC running ZD (latest version)
I had to delete and add the account again to access the mailbox.
I' m very happy!

Bye
L.-

[Cine]

Hi!
Today I' ve migrated from the old to the new zimbra server.
The only problem is that the PC running ZD (latest version)
I had to delete and add the account again to access the mailbox.
I' m very happy!

Bye
L.-

Glad you completed your migration!

If you want to share your happyness with the world (and help us spread the news), a brief review of ZeXtras Suite in the Zimbra Gallery is always welcome!
You can find the link in my signature...

Have a nice day,
Cine

[pedroloborocha]

How could be possible to make a differential restore? Because in a scenario where the restore takes too much time, it would be unfeasible to make just one restore operation (the restore windows would be huge).
Regards,
Pedro.

.

Hello Luciano,
welcome to the forums!

There is actually no need to stop the mailflow before performing the final steps of the migration, just check out the guide posted at ZxBackup: Incremental migration with ZeXtras Backup - ZeXtras Suite Wiki to see how to perform a downtimeless migration
You'll be able to "update" the data in your STANDBY server while the ACTIVE is still running and then update such data one last time after the mailflow has been switched and the ACTIVE server has been decommissioned.
In your particular case you must change your Mailscanner's transport map during the Step 7 of the guide (when the guide states "Switch the mail flow to the new server").

Stopping Zimbra Desktop clients during the migration will GREATLY improve performances, it's 101% suggested to do so.

A couple of additional hints:
- Data deleted from the ACTIVE server between the final imports will be present on the STANDBY server, as this kind of migration incremental but not differential.
- I don't think that this is the case, but the names you use in your example are dangerously close to those used for failover environments... ZeXtras Suite is not made to allow that kind of operational mode (well, not yet :P)

Keep us up to date with your migration process and feel free to ask any further questions you sould have!

Have a nice day,
Cine

[d0s0n]

Hi Pedro, glad to hear from you.
Sure you can make many differential restore following point 3, 4 and 5 of the Incremental Migration Guide more times.
The only difference from the differential way is for the deleted items, in fact, all already imported items will be skipped to avoid duplication and to optimize the performances.
Be careful of one thing: never delete the map_* file in the backup path of the destination server, it is indispensable to map all the already imported items.

Good migration.
D0s0n

[pedroloborocha]

Hi, thanks for the prompt answer!

Well, we have the case where, full imports takes too long to complete, and we would not have a window to stop services in order to wait for it. In this scenario we would need to run one full import and then several incrementals/differentials. But deleted items on the source system should be also deleted on destination until we are ready to turn the key. How to achieve this?

Regards,
Pedro.