Jun 10
TechEd: Exchange 2007 Migration
Tim Allison
After graduating in 1989 I worked as a consultant, then off to Herman Miller as a Network Admin, and finally landed at C/D/H. So ultimately 23 years! Wow!
I enjoy making life better: at home, at play and at work. Technology happens to be one of those areas, and helping those around me become better only results in a better place for us all.
Family is important to me. I am finding my granddaughter (yes, I have three grandchildren) is always on the top of my “love to spend time with” list.
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Working with Exchange 2007 is fairly new. In fact, most people surveyed at TechEd said they had not yet migrated to Exchange 2007. Most folks were still using Exchange 2000/2003, and only a brave few had moved into the Exchange 2007 world.
While Exchange 2007 is a completely new architecture, migrating from Exchange 2000/2003 is fairly straightforward. The issues are not centered on the build of the new server and server architecture, rather the back-end directories and the information they provide. If you are migrating to a new Exchange 2007 server within your existing Exchange 2003 environment life is good; however, if you are trying to migrate from one or more separate organizations (a.k.a. inter-org) the attention needs to be placed on the directory. This will require the use of a tool like the Microsoft ILM to synchronize identities and attributes between organizations.
Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2007 migrations also require consideration to the currently deployed Outlook client. Outlook 2003 and earlier necessitate the use of Public Folders, Schedule+ and Offline Address Book support. Also, keep in mind that removing Exchange 2003 from your newly created/migrated Exchange 2007 environment will prevent you from ever re-introducing Exchange 2003 (should the need arise).
Successful Lotus Domino migrations require a bit more attention but are still possible. In fact, the only coexistence/migration tool provided with the Exchange 2007 product is for Lotus Domino (similar third party tools are available for GroupWise and other migrations). Truth be told, Microsoft Consulting Services presented their demo and ran into several issues. As you can see, the Domino migration should not be taken lightly, even the experts have issues.
There is no reason to wait for Exchange 2007; it is stable and a very mature product. If you have a complex scenario (e.g. GroupWise, Lotus Domino or an inter-org migration) now is the time to plan and test your environment. It will make your life much easier and keep your email users happy.