Question Migration emails between two servers

[Erwan]

Hello,

We have a server with emails (Plesk Onyx). We must migrate all the accounts on a new server where is the website.
We use the imapsync soft.

The problem we have that we must activate "mail server" on Plesk Onyx on the domain on the new server.
And during the migration... emails generated by the website arrive on future accounts (on the new server).
And we want that emails generated by website continue to arrive on the server when the account are at this moment.

It seems that website don't read DNS information (MX) when mail server is on the domain.
When i disable mail server on the domain (always with Plesk Onyx)1), all is ok.

Is there a solution to avoid that?

 

[Erwan]

Anyone?

 

[virtubox]

Hello,

We have a server with emails (Plesk Onyx). We must migrate all the accounts on a new server where is the website.
We use the imapsync soft.

The problem we have that we must activate "mail server" on Plesk Onyx on the domain on the new server.
And during the migration... emails generated by the website arrive on future accounts (on the new server).
And we want that emails generated by website continue to arrive on the server when the account are at this moment.

It seems that website don't read DNS information (MX) when mail server is on the domain.
When i disable mail server on the domain (always with Plesk Onyx)1), all is ok.

Is there a solution to avoid that?

Hello,
yes, if you are sending mail using php mail() function, emails will be directly routed to the local mailbox instead of following MX records.
You have to use an external SMTP server to fix this issue.

How to send mail via PHP script using a mailbox located on another server

 

[Erwan]

But we don't manage the website concerned.
It will be difficult for us to ask to modify the functions of sending emails.
Thanks anyway.

 

[Checkout]

How do I migrate email between servers using IMAP? - Media Temple

 

[Erwan]

Thanks Checkout but the problem is with emails generated by the website during the transfer.

 

[MarkM]

Can you explain a bit more what you are trying to accomplish? Why are you not switching over the accounts to the new server once synced?

 

[Erwan]

Because we have more than 400 GB of emails.
Synchronization takes time and we want to test before the reel migration.
And can not afford that emails are lost, or erased by the production migration.

Finally we will put in maintenance the websites during the migration.

 

[MarkM]

Instead of using imapsync, you could try just doing an rsync on the /var/qmail/mailnames/ directory; you'll want to make sure the email accounts are setup identical between the two servers. This wouldn't require enabling mail. This idea may also flop horribly but worth a try. Just don't make it live until you make sure everything is functioning ok.

 

[Erwan]

It's the solution we have used for tests.... It works.

 

[MarkM]

I just proposed an alternate idea as you were not wanting to enable mail on the server. You'll be syncing the raw files versus making an imap connection.