Zimbra (ZaaS) — Deployment & Management Guide
CloudRaya Marketplace
This guide explains how to subscribe, access, and operate Zimbra (ZaaS – Zimbra as a Service) through CloudRaya Marketplace.
Zimbra is a Third-Party Solution delivered on CloudRaya-managed infrastructure and licensed through Zimbra editions. CloudRaya manages the subscription lifecycle and billing, while you manage domains, mailboxes, and email features inside the Zimbra admin portal.
Use this page as your operational reference. For vendor-specific technical features, refer to Zimbra official documentation.
Overview
Zimbra (ZaaS) provides a business email and collaboration platform including mail, calendars, contacts, and administrative controls.
It is designed for:
- Business email hosting
- Domain-based mail services
- Team collaboration and scheduling
- Enterprise email administration
Each subscription is managed as a service in your CloudRaya account and includes:
- A Zimbra Admin Portal
- A bound domain (one primary domain per subscription)
- A fixed mailbox and storage package
- Admin credentials
High-Level Lifecycle
All Zimbra subscriptions follow this lifecycle:
-
Discover
Browse Zimbra in the Marketplace catalog. -
Select Plan
Choose a service package and edition. -
Subscribe
Confirm subscription using CloudRaya credits or billing method. -
Provision
CloudRaya deploys the service and applies the license. -
Access
Receive admin portal URL and credentials. -
Operate
Configure DNS, create mailboxes, and manage users. -
Renew or Retire
Subscription renews monthly or is canceled via CloudRaya.
Deployment at a Glance
At a high level, deployment involves:
- Selecting Zimbra from the Marketplace
- Reviewing the service details
- Choosing a fixed package
- Subscribe
- Accessing the Zimbra portal from My Apps
- Configuring DNS and creating mailboxes
Step 1 — Discover Zimbra in Marketplace
- From the CloudRaya Control Panel home page navigate to Other Product→ Marketplace
- Use Search or Categories → Business App.
- Select Zimbra (ZaaS) and click Details.
Step 2 — Review the App Detail Page
On the Zimbra detail page, review:
- Service name and version
- Solution type: Third-party App
- Description and supported use cases
- Edition and package details
- Support and documentation links
Click Subscribe to continue.
Step 3 — Select Zimbra Plan & Domain
On the deployment screen:
Package Model
Each Zimbra package defines:
- Edition (Standard or Professional)
- Number of mailboxes
- Total storage allocation
- Monthly recurring price
Domain Binding
You must enter a domain name during subscription.
Adding additional domains requires contacting CloudRaya Support.
Step 4 — Subscribe and Payment
- Review the selected plan and pricing.
- Choose a payment method:
- Pay using CloudRaya credit balance, or
- Generate an invoice
- Click Subscribe to Zimbra.
Once confirmed, CloudRaya provisions the Zimbra service and applies the selected license.
Step 5 — Access the Zimbra Admin Portal
After provisioning:
- Go to My Apps.
- Click Zimbra.
- Open the Service Details page.
You will see:
- Admin portal URL
- Admin username
- Subscription status
- Package details (edition, mailboxes, storage)
- Billing information (start date, renewal date, monthly recurring price)
Use the admin URL to log in and begin configuring your email service.
Service Management Overview
Zimbra operations are split across two layers:
CloudRaya Control Layer
Managed in CloudRaya:
- Subscription status
- Billing and renewal
- Cancellation
- Support coordination
Zimbra Service Layer
Managed in Zimbra portal:
- Domain settings
- Mailboxes and users
- Quotas and policies
- Security and access controls
DNS & Domain Configuration
To activate email delivery, you must configure DNS records for your domain.
All required DNS values and record details are automatically generated and displayed on your Zimbra service page.
Required Records
-
A Record
Points your mail domain to the Zimbra server IP. -
MX Record
Routes email traffic to the Zimbra mail host.
Recommended Records
-
SPF (TXT)
Improves sender reputation. -
DKIM (TXT)
Enables message signing. -
DMARC (TXT)
Defines email handling and reporting policy.
DNS propagation may take several minutes to a few hours.
Billing & Renewal Model
Zimbra is billed as a monthly recurring subscription.
From the service detail page, you can see:
- Start Date
- Renewal Date (monthly cycle)
- Monthly Recurring Price
- Payment Method
Key Behavior
- Billing renews automatically on the renewal date
- Credits are deducted for the full monthly package
- Package changes (if approved by support) take effect on the next billing cycle unless stated otherwise
Data Retention & Cancellation
Before canceling:
- Export mailbox data
- Confirm compliance and retention needs
- Plan domain reconfiguration
Once canceled:
- Access to the admin portal is removed
- Mailboxes and stored messages may be permanently deleted
Responsibility Model (Accurate & Non-Misleading)
CloudRaya is responsible for:
- Infrastructure and service hosting
- Subscription lifecycle and billing
- License application and provisioning
- First-line support and escalation
Zimbra provides:
- Software platform and feature set
- Edition licensing model
- Vendor documentation and roadmap
You are responsible for:
- Domain ownership and DNS configuration
- Mailbox and user management
- Data retention and access policies
External Documentation
-
Zimbra Official Documentation
https://wiki.zimbra.com/ -
Zimbra Edition Comparison
https://www.zimbra.com/product/edition-comparison/
Next Steps
-
Subscribe to Zimbra
CloudRaya Console → Marketplace → Zimbra → Subscribe -
Learn advanced email administration and security policies
Zimbra Official Documentation -
View billing and service status
Marketplace → My Apps → Zimbra