Installing Kerio Connect on Amazon Linux

Overview

You may want to deploy Kerio Connect on Amazon Linux but not sure how to do it. This article provides a step-by-step guide to installing Kerio Connect on an Amazon Linux instance within AWS EC2.

Prerequisites

• An active AWS account
• An Amazon Linux instance deployed in your desired subnet.
• A key pair (.pem file) associated with your instance for SSH access.
• Another EC2 instance within the same subnet to facilitate SSH access if direct SSH is not available.

Solution

1. Deploy an Amazon Linux Instance:
   • Log in to the AWS Management Console.
   • Navigate to the EC2 dashboard and launch a new instance.
   • Select the Amazon Linux AMI.
   • Configure instance details, ensuring it resides in the desired subnet.
   • Assign a security group with the necessary inbound and outbound rules.
   • Launch the instance and associate it with your key pair.
2. Access the Amazon Linux Instance via SSH:
   • If direct SSH access is available, open your terminal and use the following command to connect: ssh -i /path/to/your-key.pem ec2-user@<instance-public-ip>
   • If direct SSH access is not available, use another EC2 instance within the same subnet to SSH into the target instance:
     • SSH into the intermediary instance.
     • From the intermediary instance, SSH into the target instance:
       ssh -i /path/to/your-key.pem ec2-user@<target-instance-private-ip>

   Note: You may ssh using root as root has been enabled already

3. Download the Kerio Connect RPM Package:

   • Once connected to the Amazon Linux instance, execute:
     wget https://cdn.kerio.com/dwn/connect/connect-10.0.6-8603/kerio-connect-10.0.6-8603-p3-linux-x86_64.rpm

4. Install Kerio Connect:
   • Run the installer using the dnf package manager:
     sudo dnf install ./kerio-connect-10.0.6-8603-p3-linux-x86_64.rpm
   • Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
5. Configure Firewall and Security Group Settings:
   • Security Group Configuration:
     • In the AWS Management Console, navigate to the EC2 dashboard.
     • Select the security group associated with your Amazon Linux instance.
     • Add the following inbound rules to allow necessary ports:
       • For administrative access:
         Type: Custom TCP Rule
         Port Range: 4040
         Source: [Your IP or 0.0.0.0/0 for global access]
       • For email services:
         Type: Custom TCP Rule
         Port Range: 25, 80, 110, 143, 443, 465, 587, 993, 995
         Source: [As per your requirements]
     • Instance Firewall Configuration: on the Amazon Linux instance, execute the following commands to allow the necessary email services ports through the firewall in the Instance Security group (as needed):
       sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=25/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=80/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=110/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=143/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=443/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=465/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=587/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=993/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=995/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=4040/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload
6. Access the Kerio Connect Administration Interface:
   • Access the Kerio Connect Administration Interface: open a web browser and navigate to https://<instance-public-ip>:4040/admin
   • If you encounter a security warning, proceed by adding an exception or clicking "Advanced" and then "Proceed."
   • Follow the setup wizard to complete the initial configuration of Kerio Connect.
     Note: Ensure that your instance's security group and firewall settings are configured to allow traffic on the necessary ports. Additionally, always follow security best practices when configuring your server and network settings.