Exchange 2013 to 2019 migration

Pre-migration activities

Before migration ensure source and destination Exchange environments are ready and you meet the system requirements.

• Step 1: Prepare a clean destination Exchange environment

  Based on your Destination Exchange server version, click on the below link accordingly

  • Exchange 2013 Server setup
  • Exchange 2016 Server setup
  • Exchange 2019 Server setup
• Step 2: Create a forest trust (optional)

  Know how to create a forest trust on Windows Server 2008

  This process will most likely reveal if there are any issues, otherwise you have to fix during migration.

  Note: Creating a trust relationship is not required for SBS based environments.

• Step 3: Configure send and receive connectors
  • Create an SMTP Connector to Route Mail to a Specific Host
  • Managing Connectors in Exchange Server 2010 SP3, Exchange Server 2010 SP2
  • Create a Send connector for email - Exchange 2013
  • Receive connectors for email - Exchange 2013
  • Create a Send connector for email - Exchange 2016 / 2019
  • Receive connectors for email - Exchange 2016 / 2019

  Note: During the Exchange server installation process default receive connector will be created

• Step 4: Create domain and mailboxes on the target server

  Note: Before migration mailbox-enabled user accounts for each user which are included in the migration should be created on your target server.

  • You can migrate domain accounts between the Active Directory forests automatically using Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) or you can do it manually by creating the accounts on the target forest.
  • You can create mailboxes and the corresponding users automatically mapped during the mailbox mapping.
• Step 5: Ensure that the admin account used to connect to the source server belongs to the appropriate Active Directory group and its mailbox is configured.
  • Ensure that selected account belongs to the Domain Admins group.
  • Ensure that this account has a valid, non-hidden mailbox on the source Exchange server.
• Step 6: Confirm the Admin account configuration and rights that will be used to connect to the Source and target server
  1. Make sure the following roles are assigned to the target admin account
     • ApplicationImpersonation rights
     • View-Only Recipients rights
     • View-Only Configuration rights
     • Assigned mailboxes to the Public Folders
  2. Verify the access to the Exchange server's service using IP or Domain Name

     https://[Exchange_IP]/EWS/Exchange.asmx or

     https://[Exchange_Name]/EWS/Exchange.asmx

  3. If a client connects from outside the local network then that client required to have external URL configured correctly:
     • Open the Exchange Management Shell on the target or source server and verify if the ExternalUrl is defined:
       Command: Copy & Paste it on PowerShell

       Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory | fl

     • If there's no address in the ExternalUrl line it needs to be defined. Execute the following script:
       Command: Copy & Paste it on PowerShell

       Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory | Set-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -ExternalUrl https://[Target server's internet name]/EWS/Exchange.asmx

• Step 7: Configure the maximum size limit of sent mail and throttling settings
  • To speed up the migration process, change the throttling settings on target Exchange.
  • To allow migration of big items, change message size limits on target Exchange.
• Step 8: Install EdbMails Exchange Migration

  a. Download and install EdbMails on your computer.   Download

  b. Double click the EdbMails setup (EdbMailsSetup.exe) to install the application.

  c. Follow the instructions that appear to complete the installation.

  

• Step 9: 'Login' or 'Start Your Free Trial' to access the application

  Click the 'Login' or 'Start Your Free Trial' button.

  

Upgrade Exchange 2013 to 2019

The following steps will guide you through the configuration of EdbMails Exchange Migration. The same steps however apply, if you are looking to upgrade Exchange 2013 to 2016. You just need to connect to the respective source and target mailboxes from the EdbMails interface and start the migration.

• Step 1: Select 'Exchange Migration'

  Select the option 'Exchange Migration' and click the 'Continue'.

  

• Step 2: Connect to the source server
  Click here to Connect Source Exchange Server
• Step 3: Select mailboxes you want to migrate and define target connection

  Select the mailboxes for migration

  Select the mailboxes that you wish to migrate.

  Choose the migration type as 'Full migration' or 'Incremental migration'.

  

  Click the 'Migrate to Destination Exchange [Incremental]' button to continue.

  

  Login to Destination Live Exchange

  Login to the target Exchange server. Click here for the detailed steps on Exchange server login using EdbMails

  On successful login, you will be displayed with the list of mailboxes.

  Load Mailboxes from CSV

  After successful login, if the automatic mailbox listing has failed to retrieve all the mailboxes name then you can load all the mailboxes name using .csv file. However, if the listing is successful then you can ignore this step and continue to next step.

  Click here for the detailed steps on listing mailboxes using '.CSV' file

  Click the 'Continue' button.

  

• Step 4: Match source and target mailboxes

  Map Source and Target Mailboxes

  Map the source mailboxes to target Exchange server mailboxes. Click here for the details.

• Step 5: Start the migration

  Start the Migration Operation

  Click the 'Continue' button to start the migration operation.

  

  That's it! During migration operation, you can view the progress as shown below.

  

  Appropriate message will be displayed on completion of the migration operation.

  Click the 'View Log' button to view the migration operation log.

  Login to your Exchange server to verify migrated items such as emails, calendars, contacts etc.

Post-migration Activities

• Step 1: Update MX records, Autodiscover URL

  To enable email to work with a new server, you need to update the MX records. In addition, you need to setup Autodiscover record.

• Step 2: Decommission your source Exchange server (Optional)

  Follow the instructions provided in this article on Microsoft's website to learn how to uninstall Exchange Server 2013.

• Step 3: Outlook profiles

  If your Outlook has problems connecting to the new Exchange server, you need to create a new Outlook profile for each user in your domain.