Attaching SmarterMail 16.x and Older Domains to New Builds

If you try to attach a domain from 16.x or older to a newer installation, you'll get a warning saying: "This domain is not valid for this version. To convert and attach the domain, stop the SmarterMail Service, add the domain path to the domains.json file, then restart. For more information, refer to the Online Help.” This warning occurs because the domain needs to go through a significant conversion process before it can be attached to the installation. During the conversion process, XML files will be converted to JSON format, mailboxes will be switched to use the new indexing system, and system files will be modified to help increase SmarterMail speed, reduce disk/CPU and, overall, make for a smoother experience.

If you have a domain from an older version that you want to add to a latest Build, follow these steps:

1. Before beginning, make a backup copy of the domains.json file and the domain folder you wish to attach. (The default install path of the domains.json file is C:\Program Files (x86)\SmarterTools\SmarterMail\Service\Settings\. The default install path for the domain folders is C:\Smartermail\Domains\.)
2. Ensure you've moved over the relevant certificates for the domain into your new build's certificates folder. (The default path is C:\Smartermail\Certificates on Windows machines and /var/lib/smartermail/Certificates on Linux machines.)
3. Place the domain folder where you would like it to reside.
4. Stop the SmarterMail Service.
5. Using Notepad or a similar text editor, open the domains.json file.
6. Add the domain path in the same format as the other domains. The domain path should be entered in the following format:

7. "domainName.com": { "data_path": "c:\\SmarterMail\\Domains\\domainName.com" }

8. Save the file. (NOTE: You may need to save it to the desktop, then manually replace the original due to Windows Security.)
9. Start the SmarterMail Service.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is imperative that the JSON validation remains valid. Failure to preserve the JSON validation will prevent the SmarterMail site from loading. You can verify the file integrity by running the file through an online JSON validator such as JSONLint. Simply copy the contents of one of those files and paste it in the online validator.

Depending on the size of the domain, it may anywhere from a few seconds or up to an hour for the domain conversion to complete. During this time, the SmarterMail server will be inaccessible. You can access the conversion status page at any time by going to https://your_mail_domain/interface/convert-status. You'll need to log in with a system admin username and password. As the domain conversion runs, you'll see a screen similar to the following:

Details of the conversion process can also be found in the conversion log which is stored by default at C:\SmarterMail\Logs\{date}-conversion.log.