Resolved Is it possible to migrate mailbox passwords?

[RenWeb]

I am migrating a number of domains from one server (Onyx) to another (Obsidian). Several use WordPress-based websites that have 100's of WP users, which is no problem as the encrypted passwords can be transferred from one user database to another. However, this appears to not be as easy with the Plesk-based mailboxes.

According to all info I have been able to find, using the 'Mail Import' requires the use of each user's password on the source mailbox? Can this be true? We have to compromise, or temporarily change, every user's PW and get them to reset it afterwards?!! Why can the encrypted PW not just be copied over?

Help! We all have much better ways to spend our time!

 

[Kaspar]

Did you look into the Plesk Migrator? Very useful extension for migrating subscriptions, customers or resellers from one server to another. Without the need to reset passwords or have to manually import all mailboxes.

 

[RenWeb]

Yes, but only briefly as, in the case of one of the domains, we do not want to migrate the website itself. The DNS for the site has already been switched to a 'cleaned up' version that iuses a much later version of PHP. This site updates with user data constantly (there is no 'going back'). Similar with other domains. We only want to switch the mailboxes over.

 

[Kaspar]

I see. In that case you have some manual work a head of you migrating each mailbox separately. You can however retrieve all your current mailbox passwords using this script: /usr/local/psa/admin/bin/mail_auth_view. That will save you the trouble having to change the passwords for each mailbox.

 

[RenWeb]

That sounds like the kind of thing I was after! I will try that. Many thanks for that!

 

[RenWeb]

So, I've migrated a bunch of mailboxes with their login credentials from the 'Onyx' (old) server to the 'Obsidian' (new) one using the 'Mail Importing' facility on the new server. DNS records for 'mail.domain.com' etc (on a 3rd party domain ISP's nameserver) still point to the old server.

However, the mailboxes on the new server are all empty of messages. I was expecting that the migration process was intended to import them? Otherwise, how on earth to do it? Why is this so difficult?! :-/

 

[RenWeb]

So, when I update the DNS for 'mail.domain.com' etc and the users' local IMAP mail clients synchronise with the new versions of the mailboxes, what will happen? There is no indication in the 'docs'. Will the users find all messages are removed from their local version? Why is this not explained anywhere easy to find?

 

[Kaspar]

Does the status of migration show 'Imported' for each mailbox? As indicated in the example below?



If you doubt the messages of a mailbox are actually imported you'll have to login to webmail and look in the specific mailbox.

 

[RenWeb]

Hi. Back again.
Yes, the status of migration shows 'Imported' for each mailbox. However, 2 of the new mailboxes were configured as aliases on the old server and are now stand-alone. Sizes of all show as 4.00KB (apart from one as it is used constantly and fetched into G-Mail). See attached:
1. Mail of domain on old server
2. Import Mail screen of new server
3. Mail of domain on new server
4. Mail of domain on old server after 'migration' and DNS updated at domain ISP nameservers
5. Email Aliases of mailbox on old server
6. Logging into webmail on new server
7. Mailbox is empty on new server

I have one more domain to import with a mailbox containing 1000's of messages that I don't want to lose access to. Only way round this that I can see at the mo is to 'archive' all messages off the old server and put back into mailbox after migration? What a pain! :-/

 

[RenWeb]

Any ideas?

 

[Kaspar]

I am not really sure if fully understand the issue you are facing? You've migrated the mailboxes using the Plesk Mail Import tool, but the messages from the mailboxes on your (old) source server don't show up on the (new) mailboxes on the target server?

 

[RenWeb]

Hi. Yes, the mailboxes migrated over but they contained no messages.

I repeated the process with the last domain to be moved (my own). I created the domain and used the Plesk 'Mail Import' tool to migrate my own mailbox over. Before doing this, I made sure all mail was archived locally. This time, it seemed to work - I could see the 'count' of messages as they were imported. However, the messages were all dumped in the inbox, whereas they had been in various sub-folders on the old server.

Anyway, moving forward, I have decided not to use subfolders in the mailbox for 'storing' messages in future and have modified my local mail client filters to archive locally any messages I need to keep for reference. From there, I can sychronise using a 3rd party tool for access from different locations.

The old server is now abandoned and forgotten. Many thanks.