Installing Zimbra 5.0.21 on openSUSE 11.2 32 bit – Part 2

Previous tutorial : Installing Zimbra 5.0.21 on openSUSE 11.2 32 bit – Part 1, Base installation setup.

CONFIGURING LOCAL DNS SERVER

Zimbra need an A & MX records that pointing to it’s IP Address. We could use/modify existing DNS records to meet with our requirement but I would prefer to installing local DNS server for it’s flexibility. If you’re currently using an existing & running mail server and need to replace it with Zimbra, you should not change any MX entry before completing and testing the configuration. Incomplete configuration on production mail server may impact to  bounce mail, so, we need a local DNS server to prevent the impact and to do a full test before activating mail server for production use.

Setting up a DNS server on openSUSE for Zimbra requirement should be easy by using YAST. Below is a step by step, please change the IP and host name to meet with your environment on previous tutorial.

1. Install DNS server package. Click YAST | Software | Software Management, choose Patterns on Filter option and then find & install the DHCP & DNS Server pattern. You could also installing the pattern by using zypper : zypper in -t pattern dhcp_dns_server. If you wish to install the DNS without DHCP package, just choose & install bind, bind-doc and yast2-dns-server
   

   YAST software Management

2. Go to YAST | Network Services | DNS Server
3. Click Next on first configuration wizard : Forwarder List
   

   DNS Server wizard : Initial Windows

4. Add a new Zone. Write your domain on Zone name, choose type of zone (Master) and then click Add
   

   Add DNS Zone

5. Click Edit to modify dns zone
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6. Just leave the first tab (Basics) as is. Click the second tab : NS Records
7. Write ns1 on Name Server to Add option and then click Add. YAST should be enough clever to give the records a fully qualified domain name and autocompleting the entry
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8. Move to the third tab, MX Records. Write the Zimbra host name (see your configuration on first tutorial) on Address option, Give it a priority number (lower means highest priority) and then click Add. YAST will autocompleting the entry
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9. Leave the fourth tab as is, except you need to modify to SOA option
10. Move to final tab. Write ns1 on Record key, choose A (Address Records) as records type and write Zimbra IP on records value. Click Add.Still on final tab (Records), make a second Address Records for Zimbra hostname. Write mail on Record key, choose A (Address Records) as records type and write Zimbra IP on records value and then click Add
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11. Click OK
12. Click Next
13. Choose On : Start up now and When Booting and then click Finish. The last option will ensure the DNS service will be active on boot process
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14. Testing the DNS records using nslookup : nslookup ns1.domain.tld and nslookup mail.domain.tld. DNS Server should be response with the Zimbra IP.
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Continue to the third part of tutorial : Installing Zimbra 5.0.21 on openSUSE 11.2 32 bit – Part 3, Installing Additional Package and Library