I have configured my server for private hosting on VPS instances, and overall, happy with the tweaks I've done with Virtualmin and would like to replicate the same system. I have WHMCS to deploy to the next server when it's full. I have Roundcube installed as a centralized webmail client that works for the main server, but how would I extend access to the additional servers, so that all new servers/users are able to access Webmail by accessing a single URL? And also, access the Virtualmin Control Panel from a single URL?
For example, everyone is able to access mail at:
https://hosting.com/webmail and can access Virtualmin/Webmin with https://hosting.com:10000
Can I accomplish this with the user clustering, or would I use LDAP/NFS? Can you explain conceptually what I need to implement and configure this to work?
Thanks.
Comments
Submitted by kindnation on Thu, 06/05/2014 - 05:52 Comment #1
I want to add, I don't want all the users' home directories hosted from a single server. Their home directories should still be hosted on the server that they were assigned. I only want email and webmin users to have to access a single URL.
I am thinking that I have to install NFS server on the subsequent servers to share their respective users' mail directory to the main server, that's also running the LDAP server. The main server is running NFS client and mounting the additional servers. Is that correct, or am I off base here?
Submitted by JamieCameron on Thu, 06/05/2014 - 19:11 Comment #2
Perhaps what you really need is a way for users to have a single login URL, which then redirects them to the correct Virtualmin system for their account? This would be simpler than sharing files via NFS.
Submitted by kindnation on Fri, 06/06/2014 - 23:32 Comment #3
Hi Jamie,
Can you clarify how the solution would work? I think that solution is adequate for Virtualmin access. Could that be accomplished by clustering Users and Groups module? However, I would like to have only one Roundcube client installed on the main server.
I have setup Roundcube globally using http://www.virtualmin.com/documentation/id,webmail_and_virtualmin/#insta... as a guideline. I am using Nginx and set up all hosted domains to forward /webmail to forward to my domain, chumsai.net/webmail
Could I just use LDAP and point where the accounts store their email? I only want one instance of Roundcube that runs off the main server.
Appreciate your insight on how this would be done. Thanks.
Submitted by JamieCameron on Sat, 06/07/2014 - 01:04 Comment #4
For the Virtualmin login on port 10000, we have a module that can redirect users to the correct server - however, it has to be installed in conjunction with our Cloudmin product.
For roundcube webmail, I don't know of any easy way to setup a single URL that can fetch mail from multiple servers unless all users are shared via LDAP and home dirs via NFS. It may be easier for customers to instead be told to access http://www.theirdomain.com/roundcube so that they are always directed to the right server.
Submitted by kindnation on Sat, 06/07/2014 - 03:35 Comment #5
I wanted a single Roundcube install, because of SSL and also I have additional Roundcube plugins and didn't want each customer to need to install it, so http://theirdomain.com/webmail is automatically forwarded via Nginx directives to a single URL. It all works well running on 1 server. I'd like additional servers added to the cluster to continue to work the same way. So looks like I'll give LDAP and NFS a try.