Getting started with the Zimbra solution

Objective

With the Zimbra solution, OVHcloud offers an open-source collaborative messaging platform, with all the features you need for professional use. In this guide, you will find the information you need to get started configuring your Zimbra email accounts.

Find out how to get started with the Zimbra email solution.

Requirements

• An email account on our Zimbra OVHcloud email solution
• An OVHcloud domain name
• Access to the OVHcloud Control Panel

Instructions

Summary

• Access your service management
• Configure your Zimbra service
• Organizations
  • Create an organization
  • Filter by organization
• Domains
  • Add a domain name
  • Modify a domain name
• Email accounts
  • Create an email account
  • Change plan
• Check your email account
• Redirections
• Alias
• Automatic Replies

Access your service management

1. Log in to your OVHcloud Control Panel.
2. Open the Web Cloud section.
3. Click Zimbra Mail.

Configure your Zimbra service

Before you start configuring your Zimbra email accounts, take note of the three elements that structure your Zimbra service hierarchically:

• Organization: It enables domain names to be grouped together in order to associate them.
• Domain name: It is essential to create an email account. You will need to manage at least one domain name via the OVHcloud Control Panel, and add it to your Zimbra service.
• Email accounts: By using the domain names added to your Zimbra service, you can create an email address.

The diagram below summarizes the hierarchical link between the above-mentioned elements.

Organizations

If you are adding a large number of domain names to your Zimbra service, it may be useful to group them together by associating them with an "Organization". From your Zimbra service, click Organization.

Create an organization

To create an organization, click Add Organization. Define the Name of the organization and the Label of the organization, the latter being a short description of the organization allowing you to find your way when you filter the display of domain names and email accounts of your Zimbra service.

Filter by organization

From the Organization, Domain and Email accounts tabs, by clicking on an organization’s label, you can create a filter that will only display items related to that organization.

You can see that the filter is applied when the label appears next to the name of your Zimbra service.

To remove the filter, simply click on the cross of the filter.

Domains

In this tab, you will find all of the domain names added to your Zimbra service. They must be managed via the OVHcloud Control Panel in order to be added.

The domain name table gives you two pieces of information:

• Organization: It is determined when you add your domain name. You will automatically find its label in this column.
• Number of accounts: Here, you can find all of the accounts created under the domain name concerned.

Add a domain name

To add a domain name to your Zimbra service, click on the Domain tab, then click Add a domain.

Select an organization from the drop-down menu, and then select one of the following two options:

• Select a domain from the list (internal domain): In this list, you will find the domain names that you manage from the OVHcloud Control Panel.
• Enter a domain name that is not managed by your OVHcloud account (external domain): Enter a domain name that is not managed in your OVHcloud Control Panel, or that is registered with a different registrar and managed by you.

Select the tab that corresponds to your choice:

Modify a domain name

You can modify your domain name to change its organization or to check its associated DNS records.

In the Domain tab of your Zimbra service, click on the "⁝" icon to the right of the domain name concerned to display the options.

• Click Configure to modify the organization associated with your domain name.
• Click Diagnostics to display the diagnostic interface for the domain name DNS records. You will need to ensure that no alerts are displayed for each of the DNS records listed in the tabs. Follow the instructions detailed in each tab with an alert to configure the DNS records:
  • MX: Essential for receiving your emails.
  • SPF: Security record that is required by the majority of recipient email servers to legitimize OVHcloud email sending servers with your domain name.
  • DKIM: Provides a signature system for each email sent by your Zimbra service. The signature is verified by the recipient using the public key visible in your DNS zone.
  • SRV: Facilitates the configuration of your Zimbra account when you configure it on an email software (Outlook, Mail for Mac, Thunderbird, etc.).

Email accounts

You can manage your Zimbra service email addresses from the Email accounts tab. The table displays the list of email accounts on your service, as well as 3 pieces of information for each:

• Organization: If your email account domain name is linked to an organization, you will automatically find its label in this column.
• Offer: Since your Zimbra service can host several Zimbra solutions, you will find the solution associated with your email account in this column.
• Size: This column shows the total capacity of your email account and the space it currently occupies.

At the top of this page, you will also find a link to Webmail, so that you can log in directly to the content of your email account via your web browser.

Create an email account

To create an email account on your Zimbra service, click on the Email accounts tab, then Create an account.

Fill in the information displayed.

• Email account: Enter the account name that your email address will contain (your "first name.surname", for example), and select a domain name in the dropdown menu.

• First name: Enter a first name.
• Name: Enter a name.
• Full name: Enter the name that will appear as a sender when emails are sent from this address.
• Password: Set a strong password consisting of (at least) 9 characters, an upper-case letter, a lower-case letter and a number. For security reasons, do not use the same password twice. Choose one that has no relation to your personal information (for example, avoid your surname, first name and date of birth). Change it regularly.

Click Confirm to start creating the account.

Change plan

It is possible to upgrade or downgrade any Zimbra account.

1. Log in to your OVHcloud Control Panel.
2. Go to the Web Cloud section.
3. Click on Zimbra Mail.
4. Click on the Email account tab.
5. To the right of the email account for which you want to switch to a higher plan, click on ⁝.
6. Click on Change plan.

View your email account

To view your email account:

• Log in to webmail from a web browser and enter your email address and password. For further details, please refer to our page “Using Zimbra webmail”.
• Configure an email software on your computer, smartphone or tablet. Visit our page “Configuring your Zimbra email address in an email client”.

Redirections

To create a redirection for a Zimbra email address, log in to webmail.
You can create a redirection using inbox rules, called filters in webmail. These rules, which are applied when an email is received, can be used to forward or redirect an email.

To redirect emails from your Zimbra account to another email address, we will apply a transfer rule. Follow the tabs below to set up your redirection.

For more details on using Zimbra webmail, please read our guide on Using Zimbra webmail.

Alias

Alias addresses for your email account allow you to keep your account's email address private. You can disclose alias addresses to your contacts and emails sent to these addresses will then be redirected to your email account.

You can create an alias in the OVHcloud Control Panel. Click on the steps below:

Automatic replies

When you need to leave the office and cannot process your emails, you can set up an absence message. Follow the steps below:

• Click the ⚙ button in the top right-hand corner of your webmail window, then click Settings.

• Click on the Out of Office section in the settings window.
• Tick the box "Enable automatic reply during these dates (included)".
• Enter the absence start date before the “From” comment.
• Untick the “No end date” box if you want to determine an absence end date and determine it.
• In the box, enter your absence message.
• Click Save to finish setting up your absence message.

For more details, please read our guide on Using Zimbra webmail.

Go further

Configuring your Zimbra email address on an email client

Use Zimbra webmail

OVHcloud Zimbra FAQ

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