How to Migrate exchange 5.5 to another server on another domain

[carleveall]

Exchange server 5.5 has been running on an NT server with our company for a few years now and now is the time for us to change to a Windows 2000 server. I have installed Exchange 5.5 and service pack 3 on the Windows 2000 server and now want to migrate the data from the NT server to the Windows 2000 server without losing all the employee details, logons, private and public folders etc...

The problem is that the two servers have different domains ie we will call the NT server domain1 and the Windows 2000 server domain2.

What can i do to:
1:Replicate the information from one server to another and 2:Change domains from domain1 to domain2 when this is done

Would i be best to reinstall the exchange 5.5 software on the Windows 2000 server and connect to en existing domain ie domain1 that already exists? Would this copy the information over or would i be best to install the software again and choosing the create a new domain and put in domain2 as the new domain?

Can you give me step by step instructions as i am not that well up on exchange!

 

[jatkinson]

I am looking to do a similar and I have been told to look at either an in place upgrade which apparantly involves copying Exch5.5 to another server with same name then upgrading to W2K or buy using ExMerge facility to copy mailboxes from Exch5.5 in domain A to Exch2K in domain B. ExMerge has been explained to me as an automated method of backing up every mailbox to PST files and then importing them into a Exch2k, I have been told that as long as the users on the Exch2K box have the same alias name as the user accounts on the Exch5.5 box everything should work although ExMerge isn't always 100%

I am investigating these options and have also been pointed in the direction of:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...familyid=2a4b05fb-bc5b-4383-9746-e79905491315

which may be relevant to your case.

Cheers and good luck

 

[Guava7]

I have just completed this successfully.

NOTE: This solution is to recreate your current 5.5 installation on a different server with the same name, but in a different domain.

Scenario: 2 x Exch5.5 servers (1 for bridgehead/IMC, 1 for mailbox/OWA)in 1 exchange site on domain A, as part of a global Exch Enterprise.

Objective: Move mailbox server to new hardware in domain B

Solution: You need to follow Fuego007's excellent post @ thread10-466339 (3rd entry in the post)

Make sure you have ALL required details recorded of the current Exch server (MS KB article 155216 - link below - gives a good list of everything you will need)

Install your w2k member server into the AD domain, then install Exch 5.5 with the /r option. Using Fuego007's method, COPY the old data into the new server. This info is an extract of Microsoft KB article 155216:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;155216

If you also have a bridgehead server in the same site on old domain, you may need to reboot it so that it will reconnect the IMC with the new server.

Depending on the size of your private info store, this process can take some time.

We are considering this action a temporary solution before we bite the bullet and upgrade our entire 5.5 organisation (140,000+ mailboxes, 200+ servers) and integrate it into the AD (we are dreading runing /domainprep and /forestprep on the AD!!!)

 

[Guava7]

A few other points to note:

Several things depend on correct access:

* All exch servers in an exchange site must use the same service account, indeed, the site itself uses this account (Site Configuration properties-Service Account Password tab)

* If the users are members of the AD domain the new server is in, then make sure that all mailboxes are associated with the appropriate users of that domain. If the users are a member of another domain, then a trust will need to be established between the domains

* Also take notes of GaviD's post re: Exch 5.5 on a W2k server: thread10-666519

 

[hAkron]

Have you considered using exmerge?

 

[Marcs41]

See also faq858-3483

Marc
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