New exchange server on new domain - how do I do it?

[sidewinder]

We currently run Exchange 2003 on a .local domain with a .org email domain.

 

We have a Classlink network which I will be getting rid of over the summer, rebuilding a Vanilla domain with 2008 R2 servers and Exchange 2010. The .local domain will be the same name though.

 

I have some experiance with Exchange, but have never done a migration, add to that this seems to be an unusual one in that not only are we upgrading, it will be a new domain with new users etc, but the same email domain.

 

My questions are:

 

1) How do I deal with incoming mail while the change is taking place? Since both servers will probably be offline for a day or so, how do I stop mail getting bounced back?

 

2) If I export the current mailboxes (to PST's?), then recreate users and email addresses on the new domain, will it be a fairly easy process attaching those mailboxes back to their accounts? Or will they need to manually copy mail from the .pst into their new mailbox? What about contacts?

 

3) Is there anything else I need to look out for??

 

I am reading as much as I can on both 2003 and 2010 and have got a virtual network that I will try the migration with first, but just thought some people might have some tips?

[glennda]

If you extract the mailboxes there is a tool for importing them.back in in bulk. @oxide54 did what you are doing a couple of years back.

[timzim]

If you're using the same domain names why don't you just do an upgrade rather than rebuilding the domain? That way you can keep your current setup, add in new 2008 domain controllers (demoting the old ones when complete), and migrate Exchange to 2010. This might help you Active Directory Domain Services and DNS Server Migration Guide

And this: Exchange 2003 - Planning Roadmap for Upgrade and Coexistence

Edited June 2, 2011 by timzim

[sukh]

1. How are you going to build the new domain? By this I assume you mean a new AD forest with a single domain or multiple?

2. Depends on how much infrastructure, you may not need downtime, i.e you can perform a inter migration. You havent mentioned how many servers you have.

3. If you're doing a inter migration then it seems like you will be creating a new Exch Org too.

4. Depends how you do your migration will effect how you deal with incoimg email. if your ISP support holding email that may be one option, depends on the MTA used by your ISP, ask them if they allow this. Most allow you to queue up.

5. Exporting mailboxing and importing is a pain, depends on the number of users you're talking about. If you're talking small numbers then maybe use exmerge and export out to PST them import back into mailboxes when on exch 2010. This will do all mailbox folders that you select including contacts.

6. I would create another exch Org and move the mailboxes across, however this will require some time as youb will need ot create user accounts etc...and do your migration properly.

7. Think about your PF too, if you're taking them over.

8. Look out for smarthost, db settings, rentensions periods, bakups, message limite, DL, QBDL, mailbox polices,EAP, accepted domains, relays apps, etccc basically, mirror your settings that you have on exch 2010, some will be obvious others will be in places you may not have seen before, i.e some taks you will have to do in the shell.

[sidewinder]

If you're using the same domain names why don't you just do an upgrade rather than rebuilding the domain? That way you can keep your current setup, add in new 2008 domain controllers (demoting the old ones when complete), and migrate Exchange to 2010. This might help you Active Directory Domain Services and DNS Server Migration Guide

And this: Exchange 2003 - Planning Roadmap for Upgrade and Coexistence

 

I'd love to do that, but we currently have a Viglen Classlink network and I've been advised that rebuilding from scratch would be a better option.

Upgrade would be far easier but there are possibilities for problems with the domain in general. I would prefer to have it all clean and fresh.

Edited June 2, 2011 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

sukh:

 

1. New forest, single domain.

2. How many Exchange servers? Just the one. We only have about 60 staff users/mailboxes

4. That is useful, thanks

5. 60 odd, so if it is a manual job it isnt too much hassle.

6. New domain with new users will be created offline, so it will just be the mailboxes which need migrating.

7. Don't think we have any.

8. Thanks, will have to pore through the settings and find everything

[oxide54]

If you extract the mailboxes there is a tool for importing them.back in in bulk. @oxide54 did what you are doing a couple of years back.

 

exmerge, won't work on 2010

[SYNACK]

exmerge, won't work on 2010

 

Yes, unfortunatly and the transporter suite stopped working at Exchange 2007. The only good transfer tools now from system to system are third party or for their cloud service (suprise, suprise).

 

Can you not use exmerge to export to PST and then import these, or upgrade the original domain to exchange 2010 and export to PST from that Exporting and Importing Mailboxes with Exchange Server 2010

 

I ended up using IMAPSYNC for one transfer between a linux server and an exchange one but I would not recommend it as it is rough as anything.

[cpjitservices]

I did this a few weeks back - Built A new 2008 R2 server and Installed Exchange 2010. I had both servers running side-by-side but on a different domain until I'd extracted all the mailboxes and left me enough time let everyone know that Exchange was going to be down for a bit. So I built my new DC and added it into the forest of the new Exchange Server so both servers are on the same domain - whilst still running the old server on another domain. Imported all the mailboxes onto the new server user the Powershell (Command can be found on the Internet for importing mailboxes), once it had completed I re-imaged A Works PC and added it to the new domain, Installed Office 2010 and Setup Outlook. I tested a test account to see if the mailbox had transferred and it had as it had a 150 MB Mailbox and all folders / emails where in the new mailbox - obviously had to create new user and new mailbox with the same alias as the mailbox being imported.

 

Sp it looked like all was well, so I left it until A free weekend when no one was in and changed the DNS Over from the old server to the new server, and Sure enough new emails started coming through on the new Exchange Server, when people arrived Monday morning i got them to backup the .pst files on their machine and setup the new account. This was about 3 weeks ago and never had a complaint yet.

[sidewinder]

Yup I did pretty much the same in the end, and touch wood, it has gone remarkably smoothly. Been having a few problems importing PSTs for the few staff who had excessively large mailboxes but overall it was a lot less hassle than I thought it would be

[sukh]

1. I take it this migration was all good?

2. For the large imports either do it via Outlook or import request, you may have to play with bad items count which may cause some imports to fail.

 

Sukh

[csoto23]

Can you point me in the direction of some sites you used to help with the migration? Need help with this subject.