New Howto: Install Zimbra on Proxmox VE

[tom]

Hi all,

Martin just created a wiki page describing how to install Zimbra on Proxmox VE. Zimbra is a client and server platform for next-generation messaging and collaboration - a very interesting alternative to MS Exchange.

For details see: http://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Proxmox_VE_News

 

[tog]

Nice, thanks for that. I had never heard of it before but it looks really slick and you make it so easy to install it and play around with it.

 

[alphadog]

Do you really need 3GB to run Zimbra in an OpenVZ container?

And, if you put it in a Debian 5 container, I doubt it, but does anything change?

 

[tom]

Do you really need 3GB to run Zimbra in an OpenVZ container?

And, if you put it in a Debian 5 container, I doubt it, but does anything change?

Yes, Zimbra needs a lot of memory, see attached a screenshot from a default installation (no user accessing it, zero load).

This is independent if you run on Proxmox VE or on any other platform.

The OpenVZ/Proxmox VE difference: you need to define a lot RAM/SWAP as described, as the system has no possibility to swap to disk. E.g. if you install it on native hardware with 512 ram the OS will swap to the disk.

Lenny:
Due to my knowledge and due to the Zimbra web site Lenny is not supported. I you do no want to choose Etch as it would be outdated soon, you should go for Ubuntu Hardy 8.04. This is a longterm supported OS and Zimbra supports it well - Just download the Ubuntu template via "VM Manager/Appliance templates - Download".

If you plan to put high load on Zimbra, you should think of installing on 64-bit Ubuntu (grab this: ftp://pve.proxmox.com/appliances/system/ubuntu-8.0-standard_8.04-1_amd64.tar.gz)

 

[alphadog]

Wow. That is some serious memory usage. I thought you were just been cautious.

I may have to reconsider Zimbra.

I have been running Alt-N MDaemon on a Windows box, and memory usage is maybe 0.8 GB tops (OS+mail, nothing else) while in use with 20 users!

Thanks for the sharing of experience.

 

[tom]

Wow. That is some serious memory usage. I thought you were just been cautious.

I may have to reconsider Zimbra.

I have been running Alt-N MDaemon on a Windows box, and memory usage is maybe 0.8 GB tops (OS+mail, nothing else) while in use with 20 users!

Thanks for the sharing of experience.

Pls note, Linux is doing a lot of caching and optimizing memory, so you should still give Zimbra a try - it offer quite good performance and features - means it is not just using the Ram without your benefit. Maybe you should try a Exchange 2007 and you will jump back very fast to Zimbra .

For me, Zimbra is the very best OS groupware - the biggest Linux company in USA moved to Zimbra for internal use so you could not be that wrong.

Not open source (only parts), but also known to work on Proxmox VE - Zarafa. but personally I also like it.

Choosing the right groupware is not that easy and depends on your needs - so evaluate in deep.

 

[alphadog]

Maybe you should try a Exchange 2007 and you will jump back very fast to Zimbra .

:: shudder ::

Exchange is always a TOC hog... I'm looking to break myself of the bad habit of the Sharepoint-Exchange stack...

Choosing the right groupware is not that easy and depends on your needs - so evaluate in deep.

Correct. I haven't discounted it. My current short-list is Zimbra, Scalix and Unison. I have heard of Zarafa, that it recently went open-source, so you add to reasons to look at it.

I'd be interested if you know of any quick differentiators between any of the above, since you seem to have done some of your own looking...

Thanks.

 

[tom]

:: shudder ::

Exchange is always a TOC hog... I'm looking to break myself of the bad habit of the Sharepoint-Exchange stack...



Correct. I haven't discounted it. My current short-list is Zimbra, Scalix and Unison. I have heard of Zarafa, that it recently went open-source, so you add to reasons to look at it.

I'd be interested if you know of any quick differentiators between any of the above, since you seem to have done some of your own looking...

Thanks.

One year ago I tested Scalix and tried to move my mail box (around 50.000 messages, 3 gb) for testing. I was unable to do it, also the Outlook plugin works like early alpha - very slow and crashing. Maybe I did something wrong, but I tried several times.

Unison: I do not know this - do you have a link?

 

[alphadog]

Unison: I do not know this - do you have a link?

Scalix is low on the list. From what I have heard, once you start using it in earnest, licensing can potentially exceed Exchange pricing.

As for Unison, it is as simple as: http://www.unison.com/
The interesting thing is its SIP integration, and it's no-cost approach based on advertising. The latter seems like a risky move, but I will be testing it to see what it's all about.

 

[tom]

Scalix is low on the list. From what I have heard, once you start using it in earnest, licensing can potentially exceed Exchange pricing.

As for Unison, it is as simple as: http://www.unison.com/
The interesting thing is its SIP integration, and it's no-cost approach based on advertising. The latter seems like a risky move, but I will be testing it to see what it's all about.

thanks for the link - I was just to blind. the features looks great and they have a Virtuozzo appliance - you should push them to make a Proxmox VE one!

Looks that they just have small user base compared to Zimbra and Zarafa (see the forum), but I would be happy if you share your experiences.

 

[alphadog]

thanks for the link - I was just to blind. the features looks great and they have a Virtuozzo appliance - you should push them to make a Proxmox VE one!

Looks that they just have small user base compared to Zimbra and Zarafa (see the forum), but I would be happy if you share your experiences.

Yes, the apparently small community size does concern me, but I will be testing the company's presence therein by posting any issue I have, even if I resolve it myself. Today, I resolved to test it first; will likely begin tonight...

I did not notice the Virtuozzo appliance. I will see if I can pester them for PVE template help.

Thanks for the discussion.