Creating new mailboxes on new Exchange 2000 server

[coffeedogz]

Okay, I know the mailbox doesn't really exist until it gets its first email. But how do you send it an email when you have another Exchange 5.5 server online? I'm trying to setup the new mailboxes to prepare for the EXMerge, and it doesn't think there are any users yet because the email goes to the old mailbox. Does that make sense? It's kind of which came first, the chicken or the egg?

I had hoped to do this move over the weekend. What was I thinking?

 

[RoryJMcKenna]

You need to change the MX record in your DNS host file to have the mail sent to the new box...

Does that help?
--Rory--

 

[coffeedogz]

No, it's not the DNS. I'm talking about creating mailboxes on Exchange 2000 and importing existing email with EXMerge. The mailbox doesn't show up until it has an email, but it won't have an email until I import the existing email and turn off the 5.5 server.

 

[PScottC]

Exchange 2000 should generate the mailbox in the database as soon as there is data to put in it. If you were to open a user's mailbox and import the .pst file through the outlook client, the result would be the same as receiving a mail.

Is your Exchange 5.5 a different organization from the Exchange 2000? If they are the same, just move the mailboxes across. If different, I'd use the Exchange migration utility that comes with Exchange 2000, and automatically create mailbox and user at the same time.


PSC

 

[coffeedogz]

Thanks PScottC. The 5.5 and 2000 are the same organization. I can us EXMerge to create the .pst file from 5.5, but it errors out trying to load into 2000. It says it can't read the list of recipients. I've given the administrator every right known to man.

The clients can't see the 2000 server, either. Well, the client can see the server itself, but not connect to Exchange.

I'm beginning to narrow the problem down to a handful of issues, so your input is most appreciated.

coffeedogz

 

[PScottC]

Try this MS article on doing an Exchange upgrade... It details moving mailboxes from 5.5 to 2000. You might find it easier than using ExMerge...

Also... Did you use the NTDSAtrb.exe utility to separate out your resource mailboxes, and run a DS/IS consistency adjustment before beginning the migration?

PSC

 

[de1458]

service account need to have 'receive as' and 'send as' for the mailbox you are going to import, in case you skip the exmerge doc. check the link below, good luck, as you stated 5.5 and 2k are in the same org. I will prefer mailbox move, beside the benefit of not disrupting all the users except the one you are moving it, it will catch some corrupted message if there are any.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;

[LN];262054

 

[coffeedogz]

Well, it turned out to be an internal DNS issue on the old server. The new server registered in the domain but not the Exchange organization. Very weird. It said it was part of the same organization, but the two never communicated on the Exchange level.

We'll at least have to demote the server and reinstall active directory to try to fix it. There's some speculation we might have to start from the ground up, and maybe even rebuild the old server.

I'm not sure management is going to go for all that. They may just scratch the old server and move everything to the new server. Of course, that puts us back in the boat of no backup server.

At least I'm glad it's not something stupid I did.

coffeedogz

 

[PScottC]

Sorry.... Just realized that I didn't include the link for a swing upgrade.... See

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;264879

PSC