Completely Restore Mailboxes from Crashed Zimbra Server
Published: October 23rd, 2024 • 6 Min Read
Are you also struggling to restore mailboxes from crashed Zimbra mail server? If yes, then stay tuned with us until the end of the blog. Today within this digital column we will explain the step-by-step guide to overcome your problem. To rebuild mailboxes from the crashed Zimbra server, backup existing data, reinstall the Zimbra server and replace the store and LDAP directories in the new Zimbra server. After that, change permissions, restart Zimbra services, and check the mailbox functionality. To have a complete structured tutorial, please follow the content overview mentioned below.
Common Causes of Zimbra Server Crashes
Power Supply Issues: Sudden power outages or failures can cause servers to shut down unexpectedly. Encountering such a problem by the server may lead to corruption in the Zimbra database file. Secondly, this will lead to the Zimbra mailbox being inaccessible to the user.
Operating System Failure: As most of us know Zimbra runs on a host Operating system. Any corruption in the underlying operating system file system can lead to the inaccessibility of Zimbra files. In such conditions, users can only rebuild Zimbra Mailboxes by retrieving databases from the server.
Zimbra Server Crash During Update: Another commonly faced problem by Zimbra users is server crash during update. In the newer versions old Zimbra mailboxes are not accessible to the users. Therefore, the only approach is to retrieve old Zimbra mailbox data from the server. Thereafter, restore the Zimbra Mailboxes using its indexes and mailbox files.
Unplanned Changes: Any sudden change in the server may also lead to the corruption of Zimbra database files. That may lead Zimbra not to working properly and make Zimbra mailbox inaccessible to the users.
Manually Restore Mailboxes from Crashed Zimbra Mail Server
Users can manually restore failed Zimbra server mailboxes in 3 quick phases. First, copy old Zimbra data to new Zimbra directories. Next, create a user list from old Zimbra data. Lastly, change owner permissions to overcome permissions issues. However, there are a few prerequisites to follow these steps, first, the users should have SSH access to the server, and the old Zimbra data should be intact. Lastly, you should have Zimbra Intact and configured.
Steps to Rebuild Mailboxes from Crashed Zimbra Server
Phase 1: Copy Old Zimbra Data to New Zimbra Directories
- First, open Putty and connect to your server using an IP address.
- Now, root login to your account using the appropriate password.
- Stop the Zimbra services using the “sudo su – zimbra” & “zm control stop” commands.
- Next, locate the old directory using the “cd /opt/zimbra/store/” command.
- After that, copy the old data to new Zimbra directories with “sudo cp -r /opt/zimbra/store/old_store_directory/* /opt/zimbra/store/0/” command.
Phase 2: Create a User List from Old Zimbra Data
- Initially, based on the command creates users from old Zimbra data.
"for dir in /opt/zimbra/store/0/*/; do
user_id=$(basename "$dir")
user_email=$(grep -h "^mail:" "$dir"/* | cut -d' ' -f2)
echo "$user_id: $user_email" >> user_list.txt
done"
- Next, create users based on the created user_list.txt file in the new Zimbra server by entering the command.
"while IFS=: read -r user_id user_email; do
zmprov createAccount "$user_email" password123
echo "Created user: $user_email"
done < user_list.txt"
Phase 3: Change Permissions and Verify Zimbra Status
- After that, change ownership permission of the data files to the new Zimbra server using the command. “sudo chown -R zimbra:zimbra /opt/zimbra/store/0/“.
- Next, start the Zimbra services and check Zimbra status using the command ” zmcontrol start ” & “zmcontrol status” commands.
- Finally, login & verify the Zimbra account and exit the SSH session using the “exit” command.
Common Challenges in Manual Technique
- The manual method to restore Zimbra mailboxes from a crashed Zimbra mail server is very time-consuming and has lots of prerequisites.
- Moreover, the DIY techniques also require lots of technical knowledge to rebuild Zimbra mailboxes in a hassle-free manner.
- The manual approach may not work with extreme cases of Zimbra server crashes and database corruption.
Rebuild Mailboxes from Crashed Zimbra Server with Expert Utility
Users can use BitRecover Zimbra Mailbox Recovery Tool to restore mailboxes from crashed Zimbra mail servers automatically, This expert utility is developed with such advanced algorithms so that it can easily be used in extreme cases of Zimbra server crashes. Secondly, this tool allows users to use advanced filter settings to selectively rebuild Zimbra mailboxes.
How to Restore Mailboxes from Crashed Zimbra Server Automatically?
- Initially, download and install the suggested utility on your PC.
- Add the Zimbra Mailbox data from the “Zimbra/store/” directory.
- Then, enter “Host Name” and click on Next to choose “Host Zimbra Mailboxes“.
- Choose the saving options as “Zimbra TGZ” and select the destination path.
- After that, for filtered data recovery use “Filter Options” accordingly.
- Finally, click on the “Convert” button and wait for the Zimbra Mailbox restore process to complete.
Better Approach Manual or Automated
| Criteria | Manual Approach | Automated Method |
| Ease of Use | Complex | Simple |
| Time Consumption | Very Time-Consuming | Fast Approach |
| Complexity | High | Low |
| Error Rate | High | Low |
| Technical Knowledge | Required | Not Required |
| Support and Documentation | Limited to Blogs and forums | 24*7 Live Support |
| Recovery in Extreme Cases | Difficult | Robust |
To Summarize
In conclusion of the blog, we have discussed in detail how to restore mailboxes from crashed Zimbra mail server. Secondly, we have discussed the common causes of Zimbra server crashes and the need to rebuild Zimbra mailboxes. Thereafter, we have disclosed the manual approach by simplifying it into 3 simple phases along with the required command to enter. Moreover, we have discussed some of the common drawbacks of using the DIY method along with the expert methodology. Lastly, we have uncovered the manual and automated methodology comparison table based on a few parameters.