Best way to move exchange 2003 to another server?

[Rozzer]

Hello Folks,

 

I have a fun job of moving exchange 2003 from one server to another. But i have never done this before just wondering if someone could give me a walk through or put me in the right direction.

 

Ross

[tscnmuk]

I am likely to be in the same position soon so thanks for asking the question! :-)

[Rozzer]

I can see it being a lovely task :|

[tscnmuk]

Tell me about it. Not to keen on Exchange to be honest. Once fully set up etc I can use and administer it fairly well, just the set up that bothers me. Plus the LEA being a complete pain when wanting to do anything like this and changing DNS etc.

[gnarlyc]

It has been several years since I have migrated from one Exchange server to another, but here's how I did it.

 

1) Setup/install a new Exchange server

2) Move mailboxes from the current one to the new one

3) Decommision the old server

 

That's obviously an overview, but you get the idea.

 

Alan

[Rozzer]

What process did you go through with moving the mailboxes and public folders?

[SOSAGES]

gnarlyc wasnt to helpfull was he

 

its complicated but you do have plenty of options and plenty of white papers etc to help you through it.

 

Consider exmerge and consider just using google/ms website it has all the info u will need http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124429.aspx etc

 

just 1 tip on the new server make sure the default mailbox sizes are set to be bigger than the size of the mailboxes ur moving over otherwise it wont move all ur emails.

 

if you are feeling really brave then look at virtual server and avoid these problems in the future.

[Rozzer]

By the way i just found this handy.

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q155216/

 

Ross

[networkmanager]

I'm assuming you'll be de-commissioning the present exhange server, so here goes;

 

1) Install new Exchange server in the same site as the old one. Such that both servers appear in the Exchange System Manager (ESM) under the Administrative Group at the end of the install.

 

2) Open up the Active Directory Users and Computers, right click on a User and select Exchange Tasks...then select Move Mailbox - You should see both the old and new exchange servers here, so click to move the mailbox, the amount of time for the move will depend on the size of the mailbox.

 

3) Repeat Step 2 for all other Users.

 

At this point, users will not notice anything if you have done everything rightly as above. E-mails should still be sent and received as usual.

 

Now, it's over to the task of moving the following roles normally held by the first exchange server in an administrative group;

 

1) System folders, such as those holding calendar free/busy information.

2) The Recipient Update Service (RUS).

3) The Routing Group Master role.

4) Any Exchange connectors that are homed on, or have an endpoint on, the server to be decommissioned.

 

Because of time, I will continue this post later on, please let me know when you have performed the steps above.

[SpuffMonkey]

 

2) Open up the Active Directory Users and Computers, right click on a User and select Exchange Tasks...then select Move Mailbox - You should see both the old and new exchange servers here, so click to move the mailbox, the amount of time for the move will depend on the size of the mailbox.

 

3) Repeat Step 2 for all other Users.

 

 

This is pretty much what I did - though in the Advanced Find in ADUC - you can grab all the users and move them - it takes a flippin long time though (at least it did on our system...) - Here are my "crib" notes for when I did it -

 

Notes for Exchange Server Move

 

 

Note the IP/WINS info on the old server

 

Exchange Server Manager – note the SMTP details

 

Check & note the Recipient Policies – these act as the defaults for new users, the SMTP one should be @..sch.uk

 

Install Exchange on the new server

 

Move the mailboxes from old server to new server – easiest through ADUC – find the Exchange Mailbox objects and select and move – this will take some time – double check that they have transferred without error. Refind in ADUC – should see the location now set as new server

 

Don’t take the System and SMTP mailboxes

 

Old server is currently the “bridgehead server” – this is the equivalent of being the PDC. Need to move this role to new server – see KB 822931

 

Hope thats of some help 8O

[Oops_my_bad]

Not to keen on Exchange to be honest.

Same here. A bit overkill for schools but I think Domino roxx

[maniac]

I used the exchange migration wizard to move all my mailboxes in one go from one server to another last year. Worked like a charm for me, 250 mailboxes and hundreds of thousends of e-mails all moved in one go with no errors!

 

http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/Exchange-Migration-Wizard.html is a good guide to using it.

 

Mike.

 

EDIT: Just realised that tool is no use to you, as your new exchange server is on the same domain as the old. We built a new domain last year, which is why I used that tool as it migrates mailboxes across different domains.

[contink]

Now, it's over to the task of moving the following roles normally held by the first exchange server in an administrative group;

 

1) System folders, such as those holding calendar free/busy information.

2) The Recipient Update Service (RUS).

3) The Routing Group Master role.

4) Any Exchange connectors that are homed on, or have an endpoint on, the server to be decommissioned.

 

Ok... I'm at my wits end here because I can't figure out what I've missed...

 

moving the "routing group master role" sounds easy but I can't find anything that helps with this when I've got a 2007 setup and I'm trying to move it from a 2003 which has been coexisting for a while.

 

All mailboxes moved and all other RUS, folders, etc... seem to be moved ok... just lost on 3 and possibly 4.

 

Heeeeeellllpppp (in his best penelope pitstop impression)

[contink]

Odd, seems I was able to get there in the end after all but please don't ask what I did... I haven't a clue...

[zag]

Does exchange 2007 even need to have a primary mast role? I thought it just worked.

[john]

How about Acronis True Image to move it over? It has a tool to fix the HAL and Hardware issues so if its working fine just needs a new box, it makes an image, move it over, expands, fixes HALs and hardware drives and voilla its done.

[Jawloms]

If you migrate from one mail server to another, how does that affect the clients? Outlook on all the computers points to what will become the old server. Will they automatically pick up the new server name the next time they log in or does something more need to be done?

 

Thanks a lot

 

Stuart