HOWTO - deploying a robust, production-ready Baikal/SabreDAV server in 10 minutes

[Engeue Cinraua]

Hej.

I put together a HOWTO deploy a Baïkal/SabreDAV server that's production, data center ready.  I found a pile of incomplete implementations (toy configurations or experimental ones), figured it wouldn't hurt to post the one that we're using in our production environment.

• The link:  https://ciurana.eu/entry/robust-calendar-service-deployment-howto
• The GitHub Dockerfile and support scripts:  https://github.com/pr3d4t0r/calendar

This is an evolving system (yes, I have to fix the SQLite permissions bit to make it more robust; figuring out a painless data container that can be backed up with ease).  Would love to hear from y'all how to improve it!

Cheers,

pr3d4t0r

[me]

This is a great guide! We really need to add the IMip plugin straight within baikal so changing files is not needed though!

This would make a great github pull request!

[Engeue Cinraua]

Yup, I was thinking that.  Also, there are a couple of PHP and Apache vulnerabilities that need to be addressed (little impact on Baïkal, but still).  Waiting for Evert to return and we'll figure out next steps.

Some thoughts

• Support for a Docker data volume is one thing I want to address.  That has further system administration implications regarding security and backups that aren't addressed in the current guide/write up.
• The right way to implement the IMip plug-in will be to use SMTP instead of the sendmail interface via the PHP mail() function.  I suspect that's the reason why the current IMip plug-in is optional.  Based on its documentation, the right way to do this is to extend it and add SMTP support.  That'd also have implications on the Baïkal configuration files (server name or IP address, port, and so on).
• I suspect that there might be a way to configure php.ini to use a real SMTP server, but I don't spend enough time coding or deploying PHP land to research that.
  
• Docker lets us configure and deploy a same-box Postfix server, but that's a bit kludgy.  Full SMTP support in SabreDAV/Baïkal is a better option.

Cheers!

pr3d

[Evert Pot]

On 2016-08-21 12:11 AM, Engeue Cinraua wrote:
> Yup, I was thinking that. Also, there are a couple of PHP and Apache
> vulnerabilities that need to be addressed (little impact on Baïkal, but
> still). Waiting for Evert to return and we'll figure out next steps.

Sorry, my username was misconfigured. me = actually Evert ;)

>
> _*Some thoughts*_
>
> * Support for a Docker data volume is one thing I want to address.

> That has further system administration implications regarding
> security and backups that aren't addressed in the current
> guide/write up.

> * The right way to implement the IMip plug-in will be to use SMTP

> instead of the sendmail interface via the PHP mail() function. I
> suspect that's the reason why the current IMip plug-in is optional.
> Based on its documentation, the right way to do this is to extend it
> and add SMTP support. That'd also have implications on the Baïkal
> configuration files (server name or IP address, port, and so on).

> o I suspect that there might be a way to configure php.ini to use

> a real SMTP server, but I don't spend enough time coding or
> deploying PHP land to research that.

PHP doesn't support SMTP out of the box, except on windows. One thing we
could do is provide SMTP support via SwiftMailer. I think this is a
feature that Baikal should provide though, not core sabre/dav. I think
it's good to keep sabre/dav fairly lean.

Evert

[Engeue Cinraua]

Hah!  Welcome back :)

I'll have a look at SwiftMailer and see what it does, etc.  Agree 100% that SMTP support is a Baïkal application level feature and we ought to leave it out of SabreDAV (or make it a 100% optional load).  The only other thing would be to clarify the current Baïkal documentation as to where to define the IMip plugin (if you recall, that was the main reason how this whole post started).

I'll be around IRC and monitoring this, so whatever works.

Cheers!

[Evert Pot]

On 2016-08-21 12:21 AM, Engeue Cinraua wrote:
> Hah! Welcome back :)
>
> I'll have a look at SwiftMailer and see what it does, etc. Agree 100%
> that SMTP support is a Baïkal application level feature and we ought to
> leave it out of SabreDAV (or make it a 100% optional load). The only
> other thing would be to clarify the current Baïkal documentation as to
> where to define the IMip plugin (if you recall, that was the main reason
> how this whole post started).
>
> I'll be around IRC and monitoring this, so whatever works.

Honestly I think the imip plugin should just be loaded by default. I
thought it was actually.

Evert