Lesson 3: Migrating from Other Messaging Systems | MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-284): Implementing and Managing MicrosoftВ® Exchange Server 2003 (Pro-Certification)

While it is necessary to be able to migrate from previous versions of Exchange Server to Exchange Server 2003, it is equally important to be able to migrate from other messaging systems to Exchange Server 2003. There are a number of reasons why you would want to migrate from one product to another. One of the most common situations for migrating from one messaging system to another is a company merger or acquisition, and it is necessary to standardize on one platform rather than run two separate messaging platforms. Exchange Server 2003 makes it relatively easy to migrate from a number of other messaging systems.

After this lesson, you will be able to

Use the Migration Wizard to migrate from other messaging systems to Exchange Server 2003

Estimated lesson time: 45 minutes

Using the Migration Wizard to Migrate from Other Messaging Systems

In Lesson 1, you used the Migration Wizard to migrate an Exchange Server 5.5 organization to Exchange Server 2003. You can also use the Migration Wizard to migrate a number of other messaging systems. In fact, the Migration Wizard offers the following options:

Import From Migration Files Use this option to import migration files created when you select Extract Migration Files only during migration.
Migrate From Microsoft Mail for PC Networks Use this option to migrate Microsoft Mail for PC Networks users, mail, and schedule data directly from your Microsoft Mail post office.
Migrate From Microsoft Exchange Use this option to migrate mailboxes from an Exchange 2000 Server or later organization or from an Exchange Server 5.5 site to an Exchange 2003 organization.
Migrate From Lotus cc:Mail Use this option to migrate Lotus cc:Mail user mailboxes, messages, message drafts, attachments, folders, personal mail lists, and bulletin boards directly from your cc:Mail post office.
Migrate From Lotus Notes Use this option to migrate users, mail, and schedule information from a Lotus Notes or Domino server.
Migrate From Novell GroupWise 4.x Use this option to migrate users, mail, and schedule information from your Novell GroupWise 4.x post office.
Migrate From Novell GroupWise 5.x Use this option to migrate users, mail, and schedule information from your Novell GroupWise 5.x post office.
Migrate From Internet Directory (LDAP through ADSI) Use this option to migrate mail account information from an LDAP-compliant Internet directory to Active Directory.
Migrate From Internet Mail (IMAP4) Use this option to migrate messages from an IMAP4-compliant messaging system to users' Exchange mailboxes.

Using the Migration Wizard to migrate any messaging system follows the same basic principles used when migrating Exchange Server 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003. You must adequately plan for the migration by ensuring that the account being used to perform the migration has administrative permissions in both the source and target domains, that DNS is configured properly so all servers involved can effectively communicate, and that you have mapped out the target containers for the account migration in advance.

When migrating user accounts, it is important to plan for how they will be handled in the target domain. When migrating from a Windows NT 4 or Active Directory domain to another Active Directory domain, you can plan to migrate user accounts, existing passwords, and SIDs. This simplifies the mailbox portion of the migration. When you migrate entirely through the Migration Wizard, you must plan for how you will configure passwords in the target domain, since passwords cannot be migrated through the Migration Wizard.

Probably the most important aspect of any migration is preparing the user community and setting expectations. A migration can be performed flawlessly from a technical standpoint, but if you fail to adequately communicate with the user community, you will have problems afterward with frustrated users who can't access their e-mail the way they expect to. Therefore, you will want to ensure that your migration project plan includes provisions for preparing users for the downtime and for handling concerns that may arise.

Most of the migration process is planning, but once you are ready to make the switch from one messaging system to another, use the Migration Wizard to walk through the process. Do a test run first, which allows you to see if the migration will work correctly without errors, and if errors do occur, you can correct the problems before performing the real migration. Once the test migration is running without errors, schedule the migration for a time when it will least affect users, and complete the migration to Exchange Server 2003.

Lesson Review

The following questions are intended to reinforce key information presented in this lesson. If you are unable to answer a question, review the lesson materials and then try the question again. You can find answers to the questions in the "Questions and Answers" section at the end of this chapter.

Which of the following messaging systems is not supported by the Migration Wizard?
1. Lotus cc:Mail
2. SendMail
3. Microsoft Mail
4. Internet Mail
You are trying to migrate a Lotus Notes server in the domain adatum.com to an Exchange Server 2003 organization in the fabrikam.com domain. You are performing a test migration using the Migration Wizard, and the wizard asks you to specify the name of your Lotus Notes server. After you do, you receive an error that the server cannot be contacted. You verify that the Notes server is running, and users in the adatum.com domain are not complaining about being unable to access e-mail. How would you troubleshoot this problem?
You are involved in a migration of mail systems between two companies. Litware, Inc., which runs Exchange Server 2003, has acquired Contoso, which runs Novell GroupWise on the NetWare operating system. What type of information will you be able to migrate to Exchange Server 2003, and how will user accounts be handled?

Lesson Summary

The Migration Wizard can be used to migrate from a number of third-party messaging systems.
Whatever the supported platform you are migrating to, use the Migration Wizard and follow the same basic procedures for identifying the type of system to migrate, the destination server, and the source accounts, and for defining how accounts and messages will be handled in the target domain, for excluding or limiting migrated content, and for selecting the target location for the migrated accounts.
You should perform a test migration using the Migration Wizard prior to performing a live migration.