Server 2012r2 & Exchange 2016 upgrade to 2019 question

[mdrabble]

What is the best way to upgrade a 2012r2 server with Exchange 2016 to Server 2019 and Exchange 2019?

 

No mailboxes exist on the on prem exchange box - It is in a hybrid config and used purely to manage things. - trying to remove it altogether will probably cause a bigger headache than upgrading things.

 

Thinking the way to go would be by installing new Server 2019 and then installing Exchange 2019 and then moving roles over.

 

Anyone done this and willing to share any guides/notes/tip/gotchas?

 

Cheers

[3s-gtech]

New install of Windows. Exchange 2019 has utterly ludicrous system requirements, so spec accordingly! New install of Exchange. Make sure it's happily co-existing with your other Exchange server, then migrate roles, settings etc. No MBs makes this much quicker. Adjust IPs, DNS, etc accordingly. Then you should be able to turn off the old box to test.

 

Same process (roughly) as 2013 to 2016 http://markgossa.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/exchange-2013-to-2016-migration-part-1.html

[supportman]

Why does anyone need an onsite Exchange server these days? Genuinely interested!

 

We haven't had one for 6 years now.

[Primus]

It can make things easier to manage if you're syncronising AD with O365 but even then there are ways around that.

[3s-gtech]

Why does anyone need an onsite Exchange server these days? Genuinely interested!

We haven't had one for 6 years now.

We keep ours mainly because it seems to annoy other people that we keep it.

 

Our internet connection is variable, to say the least, and we use email constantly so having it onsite means it's accessible all day. Plus, I don't want to be too tied in to just one cloud services provider. So I'm tied in to none

[Primus]

We keep ours mainly because it seems to annoy other people that we keep it.

 

Our internet connection is variable, to say the least, and we use email constantly so having it onsite means it's accessible all day. Plus, I don't want to be too tied in to just one cloud services provider. So I'm tied in to none

 

I appreciate there can be issues beyond our control but in this day and age a stable Internet connection isn't just a nice to have, it's a necessity and if your current provider has issues then this ought to be addressed - this might involve moving to another provided if they cannot (I'm thinking of you Schools Broadband!).

[mdrabble]

Cheers for the replies.

 

I would happily remove it - when I looked at possibly removing it 2 years ago, I read somewhere that it was advisable to keep it for ease of management of accounts - especially as we also use Azure connect.

 

If I did go down the route of removing it, I presume Powershell would be the best way to make changes to O365 accounts?

 

Would also need to check with the people at Salamander about how they would go about create accounts etc.

[supportman]

If I did go down the route of removing it, I presume Powershell would be the best way to make changes to O365 accounts?

 

The only thing I've ever needed powershell for is mass deleting an email, everything else can be done in the excellent web GUI these days.

[Primus]

The only thing I've ever needed powershell for is mass deleting an email, everything else can be done in the excellent GUI these days.

 

Not if you sync your accounts and security groups from AD it can't!

[3s-gtech]

if your current provider has issues then this ought to be addressed - this might involve moving to another provided if they cannot

We're hard-locked into our LEA, for cost and access reasons. Simply not an option.

 

Exchange 2016 will be the last on-site email solution we provide though - Exchange 2019 is a firm 'no'.

[Primus]

We're hard-locked into our LEA, for cost and access reasons. Simply not an option.

 

Exchange 2016 will be the last on-site email solution we provide though - Exchange 2019 is a firm 'no'.

 

I see your location is Wales and I know things are a bit different there but surely if it's unreliable they're in breach of their SLA and there is action you can take?

 

I feel your pain on dealing with an LEA though - our old LEA IT services and broadband were far from fit for purpose!

[3s-gtech]

they're in breach of their SLA

I think, in my many years in this job, that there was once a brief, tiny window where they weren't in breach of their SLA. Heady times they were too.

 

On topic: what's the inclination to upgrade, OP? 2016 has many years of support left, and 2019's support ends at the same time. I can't see any good reason to upgrade.

[mdrabble]

Server OS is currently 2012r2 and was planning to update OS to 2019 to match the rest of the servers once I have finished swapping over to 2019.

 

I've read that in place 2012r2 to 2019 with Exchange installed is not a good idea, so I was thinking whilst I was installing/updating the OS, I may as well as update Exchange.

[3s-gtech]

Fair point. Yes, in-place is not a good idea - I don't think it'll actually let you if you try. Not supported, not advisable. Your new server/VM will need 64GB of RAM though. Which is a slight step up from 2016

[KevinB]

Your new server/VM will need 64GB of RAM though.

 

 

*spluttering noises* How flaming much? Wow, will be sticking to Exchange 2016 for as long as poss then, as I was thinking of migrating our W2012/E2016 box to 2019 as well!

[mdrabble]

Think I'll either leave the exchange box alone or if I do spin up a new Server 2019, I will be putting Exchange 2016 back on.

[3s-gtech]

It gets better. It's 128GB if you want it to actually hold any mailboxes.

 

You still have three years of 2012 R2 extended support, if that helps. Could happily leave it in the meantime.

Edited November 22, 2019 by 3s-gtech

[jtotheb]

Server OS is currently 2012r2 and was planning to update OS to 2019 to match the rest of the servers once I have finished swapping over to 2019.

 

I've read that in place 2012r2 to 2019 with Exchange installed is not a good idea, so I was thinking whilst I was installing/updating the OS, I may as well as update Exchange.

 

Upgrading the OS is explicitly ruled out. (That goes back to every version of Exchange I can remember)

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/Exchange/plan-and-deploy/prerequisites?view=exchserver-2016

 

You can't upgrade Windows from one version to another, or from Standard to Datacenter, when Exchange is installed on the server.

 

Exchange 2019 on Server 2019 is the first pairing to support an OS upgrade.

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/Exchange/plan-and-deploy/prerequisites?view=exchserver-2019

 

New to Exchange 2019 is the ability to upgrade your operating system to a newer version while Exchange is installed on Windows Server 2019 or later.

[mdrabble]

Well it turns out I had exchange 2013 installed on a 2012r2 server - why I thought I had installed 2016 I have no idea

 

Anyway....... Decided to move to Exchange 2016 and not 2019 due to the requirements of Exchange 2019.

 

Exchange 2016 isnt support on Server 2019 so had to install Server 2016.

 

Migration went very well - used this site https://www.kerneldatarecovery.com/blog/step-by-step-guide-for-migrating-exchange-server-2013-to-2016-part-1/

 

Also downloaded the latest version of IISCrypto and set to Best Practice - to make sure TLS and SSL set correctly and ran a SSL Labs test and scored an A

 

Once migration completed, I then re-ran the Hybrid Config and changed settings to the new Exchange 2016 server and all working fine.

 

Uninstalled Exchange 2013 to remove and left behind settings - Job Done!

 

Happy Days