General idea
The main idea is to move mailbox data from old AD/Exchange infrastructure to the new one using the steps below:
- re-create user accounts and mailboxes on new server
- export old mailbox data to pst files from old AD/Exchange infrastructure
- import mailbox data to new AD/Exchange infrastructure
Every step could be done manually or using some automation utility. We do not provide automated solution for the entire process. While it is possible to "big-bang" solution in theory, it is better to do it carefully, half-manually, step-by-step, organization-by-organization, with checkpoints after every step.
Steps to move users within one organization
- Inform users about time when they should not create new mailboxes and time when actual mailbox movement scheduled.
- Create new organization in DNP based on appropriate Hosting Plan/Hosting Space.
- Exchange-enable organization by creating and deleting test mailbox in it.
- Add organization's domains to newly created Organization
- Set organization's domains as Internal Relay Domains according to this http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124423.aspx article and create connector for messages to non-existing recipients in organization's domains to be forwarded to old Exchange system
- Test that mail to non-existing recipients in organization's domains successfully forwarded to old Exchange system. For this send test mail to recipient whose mailbox is on old Exchange system to new Exchange system with telnet. Read this http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb123686.aspx article about how to use telnet to test SMTP communication
- After successfull test change DNS MX record for organization's domains to new Exchange system.
- Create all mailboxes in DNP for that organization with the same e-mail address (addresses). Use simple standard password for all mailboxes. You can use Bulk Import Tool to automate this process.
- Create all Organization's Public Folders.
- Additionally inform users about time when actual mailbox movement scheduled and ask them not to use mailboxes at that time.
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Reset password for every organization's user on old system to prevent them from connecting there anymore.
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Use one of mailboxes to connect to organization's Public Folders and export them to pst files too.
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Make note what language is used in what mailbox. It can be done in pst file name. For example user_customer_en.pst
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Set Autodiscover/OWA redirect DNS records in organization's domains to make Outlook/OWA connection easier.
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Connect to every mailbox with OWA with appropriate default Internet Explorer language. This will create correct default folders in correct language.
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Import Public Folders using Outlook.
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Copy legacyExchangeDN attribute from
old AD to newly create X500 address for every user. You can use csvde utility to retrieve legacyExchangeDN attributes. This is needed to replies to
old internal mails works. Additional information could be found here
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555197/en-us.
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Disable users in old AD.
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Change organization's domains type back to default Accepted Domains.
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Instruct users how to connect to new server and how to change passwords.
Alternative way. Note that it was not tested in DNP lab.