Retiring Exchange 5.5 sites with Exchange 2003 SP1 Tools

Retiring Exchange 5.5 sites with Exchange 2003 SP1 Tools

Besides migrating public folders to the new Exchange 2003 servers you also will need to ?rehome? directory objects like custom recipients\contacts and distribution list\groups from an Exchange 5.5 server to a 2003 server.  The ExDeploy.exe tool can be used to rehome these objects.  This tool can be run via CLI or from the Exchange Deployment Wizard, under Consolidate Sites in Exchange Mixed Mode ? Phase 2, see Figure 2 below.

Figure  2

Once you have all mailboxes migrated off of the 5.5 servers you need to will then need to go though several steps to retire the 5.5 sites. See the KB3243 for more details.

Here?s the entire process in order:
• The details for setting up Exchange and the ADC are not included
1. Install ADC from the Exchange 2003 SP1 or SP2 CD
2. Configure the ADC to replicate objects between the Exchange 5.5 and Active Directory
   • This can take some time since you have to deal with user accounts that own multiple mailboxes, mailboxes that have a group as their Primary NT account, and mailboxes that have no primary NT account
   • This is the most complex part in the migration to Exchange 5.5.
3. Install the first Exchange 2003 server in an existing 5.5 site
   • This server will be needed until the last 5.5 server is retired. Therefore, it should be installed in a 5.5 site that can remain until all mailboxes and public folders have been migrated.
   • Don?t forget to install SP1 or SP2.
   • This will be come the Site Replication Server (SRS) that is responsible for replicated Exchange 2003 admin group data to the Exchange 5.5 servers.
4. Create any new Exchange 2003 sites\admin group, if needed
   • This step can be skipped if all users will be migrated to existing 5.5 sites. If you plan on creating new admin groups for new Exchange 2003 servers you will need to pre-create the admin groups before you attempt to install the servers, you can only join existing admin groups during install.
5. Re-Run the ADC wizard to create CA(s) for new Exchange 2003 admin group(s), if needed
   • This step can be skipped if all users will be migrated to existing 5.5 sites that are being upgraded to Exchange 2003.
6. Install Exchange 2003 in any additional 5.5 sites that are going to be ?upgrade? to Exchange 2003
   • Don?t forget to install SP1 or SP2
7. Install hotfix 836489 on all Exchange 5.5 servers
8. Run the consistency checker on all 5.5 servers
9. Migrate public folders to the Exchange 2003 server(s) using pfMigrate
10. Launch ADU&C and right click on the user who?s mailbox you want to move to another site and choose Exchange Tasks\Migrate mailbox to migrate the user?s mailbox
11. Run EXPROFRE on the user?s computer, while logged in as the user, or via a login script
12. Repeat steps 10 & 11 until all users are migrated to Exchange 2003 servers
13. Use Exdeploy to rehome objects to Exchange 2003 servers using exdeploy
14. Remove public folder replicas from 5.5 server using pfMigrate
15. Retire Exchange 5.5 servers and sites
16. Switch Exchange 2003 to native mode

Retiring Exchange 5.5 sites with Exchange 2003 SP1 Tools