Migration process question

[DeKroy]

Hi all,
currently I have single win 2000 server with AD2000 and exchange 5.5 installed on it. serving about 40 users.

I want to upgrade to AD 2003 and EXCHANGE 2003/2007.

I have some questions:

Is having AD2003 and EXCH 2007 on same computer supported?
Is my plan OK:

1. Install win2003 on new 64 bit server
2. Install DC and upgrade domain to 2003
3. Install EXCH 2003/2007 on it
4. Move mailboxes
5. Check DNS and stuff
6. Remove exch 5.5 and old computer..

Is my plan OK?

Thanks in advance,
Alex.

 

[Davetoo]

Don't install Exchange on a DC.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!

 

[cajuntank]

There technically is no migration path from Exchange 5.5 to 2007. You'd have to migrate to Exchange 2003 first, update your Exchange organizational level to native mode, then do another migration from 2003 to 2007. All that being said, were talking about multiple boxes since 2003 only supports 32 bit load and 2007 only supports a 64 bit load of the OS. Can you have Exchange loaded and running on a DC, the answer is yes. Is it recommended, NO. You can do your own search in this forum alone and find many valuable point and references to why it's not.

 

[cajuntank]

Oh, forgot to mention, before you switch your Exchange organizational mode to native, you'd have to properly decommission the Exchange 5.5 system out of the network and any Active Directory Connectors deleted.

 

[58sniper]

Don't install Exchange on a DC.

Couldn't say it any better myself.

For 40 users, it might just be easier to export the mail to .pst files (assuming the mailboxes are smaller than 1.92GB each), rip Exchange out, install 2007, and import the mail.

Or, you could virtualize a 2003 server, migrate to that, decommission 5.5, build 2007, and migrate to that.

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/

 

[Zelandakh]

PST would be easier and safer though.