Exchange 5.5 -> 2K migration. Looking for advice.

[wwwmario]

Hi everyone,

I think there's a lot skilled techies around that maybe have been through this already,
so I'm taking the chance to seek and ask for the (quickest/thinnest/best) way to do
the Exchange 5.5 -> 2K migration (and the related domain infrastructure changes).

...moreover, I got no IT buddy here to team with, that can lead to many pitfalls,
as my ideas don't face confrontation, so I rely on you guys...

This is the brief topology of our current Ms net infrastructure:

-1 master domain (users&groups) located in HQ offices, connected via VPN.
-At our branch office, 1 MSX 5.5 BDC in the master domain
-At our branch office, 1 AD mixed resource domain trusting the master, hosting computer accounts.

Since we'll be spinning off the IT infrastructure as the HQ will not likely invest in it,
I can (& want!); both deploy MSX2K and finally run a full blown AD.

I guess I'm lucky, as I can have a weekend of downtime window to perform the task
(our branch is 100 guys... no big Corp reality).

Some other details/info:
-Can build up to 2 temp servers to perform migration
-would like to keep the MSX2K inside on our internal LAN and have it
use another public mailserver we own running MDaemon (already in place).
-OWA will be server by the above external server.
-Synch with remaining 5.5 organization can be abandoned (if too complicated/"fragile" to mantain)

I'm trying to catch up with all migration scenarios/whitepapers, but they all targeted
at Corporations...

Given the above, has someone suggestion on the best/alternative ways to proceed for?

Thanks

/Mario

 

[jzakora]

Required Goals are:
A migration to native mode AD in your branch site.
A migration to Exchange 2K environment in your branch site.
OWA publicly accessible on a front end server.

Optional Goals:
Synchronization with your old 5.5 org.

Notes on the required goals:
The fastest/easiest way is to use a product like NetIQ's DMA and Exchange Migrator and migrate to your 2 Temp servers.
It's relatively cheap (per user cost) and, with good testing, will provide a painless migration to the new environment. If you don't use a tool then you are either scripting (which can be done and I'll leave that to the big boys) or doing a manual migration which is far more daunting that I'd care to contemplate. Go to the temp servers and then, when you are off build up your production servers, move the data and FSMO roles back. (That's the gist of it at least.)
You'll need to purchase a certificate for your OWA server if you go HTTPS, which you should. People will argue the point but it's far more secure that way. You can go HTTP between your OWA and EX2k inside, but the client to frontend should be HTTPS.

Notes on your optional goal:
Bidirectional synchronization of selected objects is a no brainer with NetIQ Exchange Migrator.

On the whole, if you plan and test well, and spend some time reading the documentation on their site, NetIQ will TEACH YOU how to migrate with ease.

Also, during your eval period (read during your planning phase ;o), NetIQ will provide you with FREE phone support from 8-6 Central time. No questions asked and I used them throughout my entire project without paying a penny for support.

These guys got me through a 500 user migration with ease and I'm taking the tool with me to move on to a 30000+ user Exchange 5.5 to 2000 migration coming up. Yeah 30000+ mail objects. This is going to be interesting.

I'm sure the experts will be here elaborating soon but this is the easiest way to go about it, I promise.

 

[wwwmario]

Hi Jzakora,

thanks for replying, but I'm missing some points
as maybe I didn't express everything clearly:

I don't think the FSMO step ftis in here, as my major concern is to get users/groups from the master domain
and import them into my AD, which can be then a "living"
one (user+computer accounts, not just computer as it's now
-which heavily limits GPOs).

For the OWA x.509 cert, I already have my own Root CA and
there's no need to pay for something that's not going commercial; moreover ASFAIK connection between frontend/mailbox Ex2K doesn't run on HTTP as you pointed.

I'll give a look at NetIQ's prods (let me say that this post was more looking an ad... ; but I really think that
my scope doesn't need the purchase of a 3rd party tool.

Thanks anyway,

/Mario