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Installation Overview

This guide provides a high-level overview of the Mailborder V6 installation process, helping you plan and prepare for a successful deployment.

Installation Process Summary

The Mailborder installation consists of several stages:

  1. Pre-Installation Planning (this document)
  2. System Preparation - Update OS, configure network, DNS
  3. Package Installation - Install Mailborder .deb package
  4. Initial Configuration - Database setup, admin account creation
  5. Integration - Connect to mail server, configure MX records
  6. Testing - Verify email flow, scanning, quarantine
  7. Go-Live - Update DNS, monitor closely
  8. Post-Installation - Tune policies, train users, ongoing maintenance

Typical installation time: 2-4 hours for experienced Linux administrators, 1-2 days for complete deployment including testing and go-live.

Pre-Installation Planning

Decision Points

Before beginning installation, determine:

1. Deployment Topology

How will Mailborder integrate with your infrastructure?

  • MX Record (Direct): Internet → Mailborder → Mail Server
  • Best for: New deployments, replacing existing gateway
  • Pros: Simplest, most effective

  • Cons: Single point of failure without HA

  • Smart Host (Behind Gateway): Internet → Gateway → Mailborder → Mail Server

  • Best for: Adding to existing infrastructure
  • Pros: Least disruptive, can run parallel

  • Cons: Gateway may interfere with headers/analysis

  • Outbound Only: Mail Server → Mailborder → Internet

  • Best for: Protecting internal users, compliance
  • Pros: Catch compromised accounts sending spam

  • Cons: No inbound protection

  • Bidirectional: Internet ⇄ Mailborder ⇄ Mail Server

  • Best for: Most deployments
  • Pros: Complete protection
  • Cons: More complex configuration

2. Server Type

Where will Mailborder run?

  • Physical server
  • Virtual machine (VMware, Proxmox, KVM, Hyper-V)
  • Cloud instance (AWS, Azure, GCP, DigitalOcean)

3. Resource Allocation

Based on your email volume:

Users Messages/Day CPU RAM Storage
<50 <5,000 2 cores 4 GB 40 GB
50-500 5,000-50,000 4 cores 8 GB 100 GB
500-2,000 50,000-200,000 8 cores 16 GB 250 GB
2,000+ 200,000+ 16+ cores 32+ GB 500+ GB

See System Requirements for detailed specifications.

4. Network Configuration

  • Static IP address (required)
  • Hostname (FQDN)
  • DNS A record
  • DNS PTR record (reverse DNS) - Critical for email delivery
  • Firewall rules (allow 25, 80, 443)

5. DNS Strategy

How will you cutover email flow?

  • Big Bang: Update MX records, immediate cutover
  • Fast but risky

  • Best for small deployments

  • Gradual: Parallel run, then MX change

  • Test with internal email first
  • Smart host mode for testing

  • Update MX records after validation

  • Split: Low-priority MX runs through Mailborder first

  • Add Mailborder as secondary MX
  • Monitor for days/weeks
  • Promote to primary MX

6. High Availability

Do you need redundancy?

  • Single server (most common)
  • Active/passive HA pair
  • Active/active cluster
  • Geographic redundancy (multi-site)

Note

HA and clustering can be added later. Most organizations start with single-server deployment.

Information Gathering

Collect this information before installation:

Network Details: - [ ] Server IP address: __ - [ ] Subnet mask: __ - [ ] Default gateway: __ - [ ] DNS servers: __ - [ ] Hostname: __ - [ ] Domain name: __

Mail Infrastructure: - [ ] Internal mail server IP/hostname: __ - [ ] Current MX record: __ - [ ] Mail server type (Exchange, Zimbra, etc.): __ - [ ] Estimated daily email volume: __ - [ ] Number of mailboxes: ____

Credentials: - [ ] Root password (or sudo user): __ - [ ] Desired admin email: __ - [ ] Desired admin password: ____

Optional: - [ ] License key (if purchased): __ - [ ] LDAP/AD server details (if using): __

Pre-Installation Checklist

Verify these items before proceeding:

System Requirements: - [ ] Debian 11+ or Ubuntu 20.04+ installed - [ ] System fully updated (apt update && apt upgrade) - [ ] Hardware meets recommended specifications - [ ] Adequate disk space (including growth)

Network Requirements: - [ ] Static IP configured - [ ] Hostname set (FQDN) - [ ] DNS A record created - [ ] DNS PTR record created (reverse DNS) - [ ] Port 25 outbound not blocked - [ ] Ports 25, 80, 443 allowed through firewall - [ ] Internet connectivity confirmed

System Configuration: - [ ] NTP time sync configured - [ ] Locale set to en_US.UTF-8 or compatible - [ ] Root/sudo access available - [ ] SSH access configured for remote management

Backups: - [ ] Backup of current mail server configuration - [ ] Backup plan for Mailborder after installation - [ ] Rollback plan if issues occur

Documentation: - [ ] Current mail flow documented - [ ] Current DNS records documented - [ ] Current firewall rules documented - [ ] Access to mail server documentation

Installation Methods

Add Mailborder repository and install via APT:

Advantages: - Easy updates (apt upgrade) - Automatic dependency resolution - Security updates pushed automatically

Prerequisites: - Internet connectivity - Repository credentials (provided at purchase)

Process: 1. Add Mailborder GPG key 2. Add repository to /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ 3. apt update 4. apt install mailborder

See Debian Package Installation for detailed steps.

Method 2: Downloaded .deb Package

Download .deb file and install locally:

Advantages: - No repository configuration needed - Works in air-gapped environments - Full control over update timing

Prerequisites: - .deb file downloaded from customer portal - May need to manually install dependencies

Process: 1. Download mailborder_6.x.x_amd64.deb 2. Transfer to server 3. apt install ./mailborder_6.x.x_amd64.deb

Method 3: Offline Installation

For air-gapped environments without Internet access:

Advantages: - Works in secure/isolated networks - No external connectivity required

Prerequisites: - .deb file plus all dependencies - Offline license activation

Process: 1. On Internet-connected system, download .deb and dependencies 2. Transfer all packages to target server 3. Install dependencies first, then Mailborder 4. Offline license activation

See Offline Installation Guide for details.

Post-Installation Tasks

After package installation completes:

  1. Initial Configuration Script
  2. Creates database and schema
  3. Generates encryption keys
  4. Creates admin account

  5. Configures services

  6. Access Web Interface

  7. Navigate to https://your-server-ip/
  8. Accept self-signed certificate (or install your own)

  9. Log in with admin credentials

  10. Complete Setup Wizard

  11. Configure relay host (your internal mail server)
  12. Set spam/virus thresholds
  13. Configure quarantine settings

  14. Test email flow

  15. Testing Phase

  16. Send test emails through Mailborder
  17. Verify spam detection
  18. Check virus scanning
  19. Test quarantine and release

  20. Review logs

  21. Integration

  22. Update MX records (or smart host config)
  23. Monitor email flow closely
  24. Watch for delivery issues

  25. Adjust policies as needed

  26. User Training

  27. Train users on quarantine access
  28. Explain new email policies
  29. Provide support contacts
  30. Create user documentation

Common Installation Scenarios

Scenario 1: Small Office (50 Users)

Environment: - Exchange Server on-premises - Single location - ~5,000 emails/day

Approach: 1. Deploy Mailborder on VM (4 cores, 8 GB RAM) 2. Configure smart host to Exchange 3. Update Exchange to relay outbound through Mailborder 4. Test for 1 week with internal email 5. Update MX records to point to Mailborder 6. Monitor for issues, adjust spam thresholds

Timeline: 1 day installation, 1 week testing, go-live

Scenario 2: Medium Business (500 Users)

Environment: - Office 365 for email - Multiple offices - ~50,000 emails/day

Approach: 1. Deploy Mailborder on cloud instance (AWS c5.xlarge) 2. Configure Mailborder to deliver to Office 365 MX records 3. Create Office 365 connector to accept from Mailborder IP 4. Add Mailborder as low-priority MX (backup) 5. Monitor backup MX for 2 weeks 6. Switch Mailborder to primary MX 7. Keep Office 365 MX as backup

Timeline: 2 days deployment, 2 weeks parallel run, go-live

Scenario 3: Enterprise (5,000 Users)

Environment: - Zimbra Collaboration Suite - Multi-site deployment - ~200,000 emails/day - High availability required

Approach: 1. Deploy 2× Mailborder servers (active/passive HA) 2. Shared storage for quarantine (NFS or SAN) 3. Virtual IP with keepalived 4. Configure both nodes to relay to Zimbra 5. Smart host testing from Zimbra to Mailborder VIP 6. Load test with production-like volume 7. Update MX to point to Mailborder VIP 8. Monitor HA failover, tune performance

Timeline: 1 week deployment, 2 weeks testing, phased go-live

Scenario 4: Service Provider (Multi-Tenant)

Environment: - Hosting provider offering email security - Hundreds of customer domains - Variable email volume per customer

Approach: 1. Deploy Mailborder cluster (1 master, 3 child nodes) 2. API integration for customer provisioning 3. White-label branding 4. Per-customer policy configuration 5. Usage tracking and billing integration 6. Gradual customer migration

Timeline: 2-4 weeks initial deployment, ongoing customer migrations

Troubleshooting Installation Issues

Package Installation Fails

Issue: APT returns dependency errors

Solution: 

# Update package lists
apt update

# Fix broken dependencies
apt --fix-broken install

# Retry installation
apt install mailborder

Database Creation Fails

Issue: MariaDB connection errors during setup

Solution: - Verify MariaDB is running: systemctl status mariadb - Check MariaDB logs: journalctl -u mariadb -n 50 - Reset root password if needed - Re-run setup: /usr/sbin/mb-setup

Service Won't Start

Issue: mb-rpcd or other service fails to start

Solution: 

# Check service status
systemctl status mb-rpcd

# View detailed logs
journalctl -u mb-rpcd -n 50

# Check permissions on sockets
ls -la /run/mailborder/

# Verify configuration
mb-config --verify

Web Interface Not Accessible

Issue: Cannot access https://server-ip/

Solution: - Verify Nginx is running: systemctl status nginx - Check firewall: iptables -L -n or ufw status - Test locally: curl -k https://localhost/ - Check Nginx error log: /var/log/nginx/error.log

See Troubleshooting for more solutions.

Getting Help During Installation

If you encounter issues:

  1. Check Logs
  2. Installation log: /var/log/mailborder/install.log

  3. Service logs: journalctl -u mb-* -n 100

  4. Review Documentation

  5. Debian Installation

  6. Troubleshooting Guide

  7. Contact Support

  8. Email: support@mailborder.com
  9. Include: OS version, error messages, relevant logs
  10. See Getting Support

Next Steps

Ready to proceed? Continue to: