Mailbox move over WAN

[ShackDaddy]

Ok answer mans... Answer me this:

I've stood up another E2003 server at a new site that's connected to the original site via VPN. I need to migrate at least half the mailboxes on this server over to the other site's server. The current database is about 73gb, and I'd say I need to move at least 40gb of data.

While I have been moving some smaller boxes across for test purposes, moving the larger boxes (up to 4gb) is out of the question. So I've got a portage project on my hands. How would you do it?

Back up the IS and send the backup to the new site and restore the backup to an RSG at the new site, then delete the mailboxes on the original server and restore them at the new?

Export the boxes to .pst and overnight them for reimport?

Any other bright idears?

Dave Shackelford
ThirdTier.net

 

[Zelandakh]

Exmerge is your friend here I think Dave.

 

[58sniper]

But you may want to tickle the legacy DN for those users so that users can reply to older messages with them.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[58sniper]

Actually, I've thought about this a little more. I'd use Exmerge, but tell it to move content to the .pst (instead of copy). This should leave you with an empty mailbox. Then move the mailbox, and import the mail back in. My resolve any legacyDN issues you could have but just emerging and recreating the account.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[ShackDaddy]

Both servers are in the same Exchange org, so I'd only need to worry about LegacyExchangeDN if I use Exmerge? I was thinking I'd only need to worry about it if I changed the org.

If the mailboxes are basically empty when I "move" them via the console and then hook them up on the other end with their data again, there'd be no need to worry about LegacyExchangeDN, right?

Dave Shackelford
ThirdTier.net

 

[Zelandakh]

If they are in the same org, can't you do move mailbox and schedule it to run overnight a few at a time?

 

[ShackDaddy]

I'm sure I could do that for some of the small-to-midsized boxes, but the same WAN link is used heavily for VOIP and the company keeps late hours...

When I moved a 200mb test mailbox to verify OWA routing, it took about 8 minutes... So that might be 80 minutes for 2gb and 240 minutes for the big 6gb box. It might work.

Dave Shackelford
ThirdTier.net

 

[Zelandakh]

Does one at a time work?

 

[ShackDaddy]

Yep. I'm moving some now. The main database is at 74.6gb and I need to get data off this server as quick as I can.

Dave Shackelford
ThirdTier.net

 

[Zelandakh]

As long as you've got some white space in it, you'll be ok! Look for the big wins using ESM to see mailbox size. Anyone that can get deleted at all just to allow you to sleep soundly?