How to Migrate Domain in SmarterMail

Introduction

When you move your email services from one server to another, you need to properly migrate the domain data. This ensures that all user accounts, mailboxes, and settings are preserved.

This guide will walk you through the process of transferring a domain name and its email accounts from one SmarterMail server to another. Even if you are new to mail servers, you can follow these steps easily.

Prerequisites

• Both old and new servers should have SmarterMail installed.
• Ensure that you have administrative access to both servers.
• Stop SmarterMail services during file copying to avoid conflicts.

Steps to Migrate Domain in SmarterMail

Step 1: Copy Domain Folder

1. On your old mail server, navigate to the SmarterMail domains folder.
   Default path: C:\SmarterMail\Domains\
2. Locate the folder that matches your email domain name (for example: example.com).
3. Copy the entire domain folder.
4. Paste it into the same path on your new mail server.

   If both servers are running the same SmarterMail edition and file structure, this step ensures all emails and user data are transferred.

Step 2: Update Domain List

1. On the new server, go to: C:\Program Files (x86)\SmarterTools\SmarterMail\Service\
2. Locate the file named domainlist.xml.
3. Open it with a text editor (e.g., Notepad).
4. Add a new line for your migrated domain. It should look like this:

<domain name="example.com" path="C:\SmarterMail\Domains\example.com\"/>

5. Save and close the file.

This step officially registers your transferred domain name with the new server.

Step 3: Clean Up Configuration Files

1. Inside your copied domain folder (e.g., C:\SmarterMail\Domains\example.com\), locate all files with the .cfg extension.
2. Delete those .cfg files.

Don’t worry — SmarterMail will automatically regenerate fresh configuration files when the service restarts.

Step 4: Restart SmarterMail Service

1. On your new server, open Services from the Windows Control Panel.
2. Locate SmarterMail Service in the list.
3. Right-click and choose Restart.

Once restarted, SmarterMail will:

• Detect the newly copied domain.
• Rebuild configuration files.
• Display the new domain and all its users in the admin console.

Step 5: Verify Migration

1. Log in to the SmarterMail web interface as an administrator.
2. Check if your migrated domain appears in the list.
3. Verify that user accounts and mailboxes are accessible.
4. Send a test email to confirm functionality.

Conclusion

By following this guide, you have successfully:

• Transferred a domain from one SmarterMail server to another.
• Completed a smooth domain migration as part of your web hosting migration process.
• Ensured all users and data remain intact after the transfer domain name operation.

With these steps, your email system should now run seamlessly on the new server.