How to Safely Migrate Zimbra to Another Server?

Rollins Duke
Published: June 17th, 2026 • 7 Min Read

Summary: To migrate Zimbra to another server means transferring all user & admin mailboxes along with contacts, calendar and journals from your current source ZCS machine to a new server or a new VM. BitRecover automated solution is a more reliable way for exact replication of Zimbra TGZ or ZDB files without any validation error, data loss & technical complexities. In case you are looking for a free-manual solution, the Rsync (Direct Server Clone) method is also discussed here.

Why Migrate Zimbra to Another Server?

Zimbra is an open-source email collaboration platform (email, calendar, contacts, tasks, briefcase) via on-premise server setup or cloud-based services. Many a times user need to move Zimbra to New Server due to the following reasons:

To upgrade system hardware, OS change or version update can all be reasons for Zimbra to Zimbra Migration.
Users may move ZCS to another server (cloud or on-premise) like Exchange, Google Workspace or Zimbra cloud for cost efficiency, compliance, improved accessibility, and enhanced security.

Prerequisite: Before You Begin the Zimbra Migration to New Server

User, admin & shared mailboxes must be set up on the new server.
You have a CSV file of all the user accounts along with credentials – on the destination server for easy mapping.
IMAP must be enabled on the destination server.
Server credentials – such as IMAP host and port number must be verified & stored.
The Zimbra servers (destination & source) must be running the same version.

Note: One mail ID can exist at two different servers as different mailboxes simultaneously with different IPs. Which mailbox receives emails depends upon MX record.

How to Migrate Zimbra Accounts to Another Server?

You should install Zimbra Converter Software on your computer. This Zimbra to Another Server Migration Tool is a fully dedicated toolkit to migrate Zimbra from one server to another server including emails, contacts, calendars, briefcases, and more. You can confidently use the suggested toolkit for solving your problem.

The software comes with amazing and advanced features, that make the software powerful and unique from other brands’ software. working steps and phenomenal features are mentioned below in detail:

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Steps to Migrate Zimbra Mailbox to New Server

Easiest steps to migrate Zimbra to another server directly:

Launch Zimbra Mail Server Migration Tool.
Insert TGZ files using the Select Files or Select Folders button.
Users can choose specific or all folders and press Next.
Choose IMAP as a saving option from the Select Saving Option icon.
Enter new server credentials in specific fields.
Click on the Next button to start Zimbra migrate to new server.

Lastly, go to your new server and preview the imported TGZ file data.

Attention Please

Zimbra ZDB Converter – You should use this mentioned software if in case you don’t have Zimbra exported TGZ files. Zimbra also creates ZDB (Zimbra Database) files to store its data at the default storage location. Therefore, it is helpful software to migrate Zimbra to another server without having TGZ files.
Email Backup Wizard – It is advisable to use the recommended software if you are using Zimbra cloud-hosted server. This software will ask only for Zimbra cloud account credentials for the completion of the task. It also works without Zimbra TGZ files.

Zimbra Mail Server Migration Tool Features

Migrate the Zimbra mailbox along with emails, contacts, calendars, briefcases, and all details.
The tool maintains the original folder hierarchy structure when migrating Zimbra to another server.
It holds all email message items and components such as To, Cc, Bcc, From, Date, Time, Year, Signature, Subject, Inline Images, etc.
This application shows all folders in Windows File Explorer view so that users can check only the required folders for migration.
The Zimbra server migration tool is compatible with TGZ files of Zimbra Desktop, Web Client, and Collaboration Suite, including the latest Zimbra 9 and 10.
The tool automatically creates a log report of migrated data. Even users can also check the option to create a log for messages not converted.
Users can migrate unlimited and selected mailboxes to another server in bulk without having any file size limitations.

Free-Manual Way to Move Zimbra to New Server

Although the manual way (official) to migrate Zimbra from one server to another exists it can be extremely complicated. It is only for users who have existing Linux, LDAP, MySQL, mail stores, and DNS knowledge. Additionally the process will only work for Linux machines – not suitable for virtual machines.

For Zimbra migration to a new server using a manual way you need to stop the mail flow. Hence the downtime is significantly higher. Additionally it requires server-level (Linux) administrative access.

Steps to Migrate Zimbra to Another Server Via Rsync Migration

On the Old Mail Server:

Admin logs into the old Zimbra server machine.
Open Terminal on the linux machine.
Run: su - zimbra then zmcontrol stop then $ exit.
Create the copy of /opt/zimbra directory to another backup location.
Finally run the rsync command: rsync -e ssh -axvzKHS /opt/zimbra/IP-of-New-Server:/tmp/zimbra to migrate Zimbra to another server.
Now turn off the old server – shutdown -h now.

On the New Server:

You must install the Zimbra Collaboration Server on the linux operating system.
When preparing the new server to move ZCS to another server make sure you change the hostname, network settings (e.g. DNS) as the old one.
In the terminal type in ./install.sh -s to install the same version of Zimbra Collaboration Suite.
Enter rm -rf /opt/zimbra to remove the newly created Zimbra directory on the new server.
Run command: mv /tmp/zimbra /opt/zimbra to move the data transferred via rsync to the final Zimbra installation directory from the temporary location.
Enable the file permission /opt/zimbra/libexec/zmfixperms -e -v
Finally, run the installer again: ./install.sh.
Follow the prompted steps to migrate zimbra from one server to another.

Need Help With Zimbra Migration to New Server?

Get in touch with BitRecover experts available 24/7 globally for assisted migration, any queries associated with automated solution or customisation feature via the red Live Chat icon.

Manual vs. Professional Way to Migrate Zimbra to a New Server

Factor	Manual Method (Rsync)	BitRecover Specialised Tool
Technical Knowledge Required	High – Linux, LDAP, DNS, MySQL	Easy-to-Use Tool for All Technical & Non-Technical Users
OS Requirement	Linux Only	Windows (Any Version)
Works on Virtual Machines	No	Yes
Server Downtime Required	Higher	No Downtime
Zimbra Version Must Match	Yes, Source and Destination Must Be Identical	No, Works Across Versions
Risk of Data Loss	Moderate – Rsync Errors Can Corrupt Data (Issues with Folder Hierarchy)	Complete Data Safety
Migration Log/Report	No Built-In Log	Auto-Generated Log Report
Cost	Free	Free Trial / Paid License

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Zimbra mail data stored?

This is the location, where Zimbra stored its data: /opt/zimbra/store

What is the server’s name for the Zimbra email?

Because Zimbra is a self-hosted mail server, the incoming and outgoing server names depend on your organization’s specific domain (for example: mail.yourdomain.com). You must contact your IT administrator or hosting provider to get your exact IMAP/SMTP server hostnames.

What is the default admin port for Zimbra?

By default, the Zimbra admin console port is 7071. However, on newer modern proxy installations (Zimbra 9/10), it may be accessed via port 9071.

Does the software allow exporting of only contacts from Zimbra Server?

Yes, the Zimbra to another server migration tool allows users to export contacts separately in any format.

Is there a need for an internet connection?

Yes, if you are migrating Zimbra to another server, then an internet connection is required. But while saving the Zimbra mailbox to any standard format, then there is no need for an internet connection.

Final Words

After reading the above available information, computer users can easily migrate Zimbra to another server without the loss of old valuable data. This is the easiest technique that does not require any technical expertise when migrating Zimbra from one server to another. The best thing about using this software is that it successfully handles email attachments and other crucial components while finishing the task.