This tutorial describes how to install Zimbra Collaboration Suite Open Source Edition on a CentOS/RHEL 7 VPS server.

Step 1: Create both A and MX records for Zimbra Mail Server. Create both A and MX records on the VPS to point to your Zimbra mail server

Step 2: Install System Packages for Zimbra

Login as a root account to install the following packages below:

# yum -y install unzip net-tools sysstat openssh-clients perl-core libaio nmap-ncat libstdc++.so.6

Next, disable SELinux in CentOS. Edit /etc/selinux/config file and run a command setenforce 0 to disable SELinux in CentOS

Install wget package:

# yum install wget

Set hostname on Zimbra host. # hostnamectl set-hostname mail

Disable unwanted services. Postfix mail service has already been installed and run on CentOS. We need to disable and remove the postfix service before installing Zimbra.

# systemctl stop postfix

# systemctl disable postfix

# yum remove postfix

Step 3: Install Zimbra Collaboration Suite Open Source Edition # wget https://files.zimbra.com/downloads/8.8.15_GA/zcs-8.8.15_GA_3869.RHEL7_64.20190918004220.tgz

After the download completes, use unzip command to extract the archive

# tar xfz zcs-8.8.15_GA_3953.RHEL8_64.20200629025823.tgz

# cd zcs-8.8.15_GA_3953.RHEL8_64.20200629025823/ # ls

Run the command install.sh to install Zimbra. After a series of system checks, click y in continue installation

# ./install.sh

Next, the installation process will prompt a couple of questions that we need to choose to configure Zimbra properly.

Finally, it will start the Zimbra installation process. The system will be modified.  Continue? [N] y

Allow Zimbra services on Linux Firewall.

Step 4: Zimba Initial Configuration. After the installation finishes, access the Zimbra administration page via a link https://mail.cisa2380.tk:7071 or https://172.105.5.143:7071

Step 5: Create 500 Zimbra test users:

#su – zimbra

$cd /opt/mail/backup

$touch usercreation.sh

$nano usercreation.sh

[zimbra@mail backup]$ more usercreation.sh

#!/bin/bash

# Generate user list

#cd /var/tmp

x=1

while [ $x -lt 501 ] do

echo “ca demo$x@cisa2380.tk ‘@zimbra@password’ cn ‘Demo User${x}’ givenName ‘Demo’ zimbraPrefFromDisplay ‘Demo User${x}'” >> userlist.zmp

x=`expr $x + 1` done

# run the script ./usercreation.sh

Next, use the command below to create 500 Zimbra users from the userlist.zmp file $zmprov -f userlist.zmp

List down all Zimbra accounts with zmprov command $zmprov -l gaa

Checking on Zimbra Administration.

Step 6: Evaluate Zimbra performance by simulating concurrent Zimbra user’s login.

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[root@li1978-114 tmp]# cat usersimulate.sh

#!/bin/bash

# Simulate user login

# x start from 1 and end with 500

#x=1

for x in {1..500}

do

    curl -v -k ‘https://mail.cisa2380.tk/’ -H ‘Cookie: ZM_TEST=true’ –data ‘loginOp=login&username=demo$x@cisa2380.tk&password=@zimbrapassword’

    sleep 1s done

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