How to migrate Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019?

Exchange 2013 migration to 2019

Steps to migrate Exchange server 2013 to 2019

What you need to know about Exchange 2013 and 2019

Exchange server 2013 will reach its end of life on April 11, 2023 which means that Microsoft will no longer offer support to it after this date. If you continue to use Exchange 2013, your data is vulnerable to threats, server crashes, bugs and sluggish behavior. Exchange 2019 provides better features and is considered to be more stable than 2013. In Exchange 2019, the number of server roles is reduced to two : the Mailbox and the Edge Transport server roles. The Outlook on the web (OWA) is also updated and optimized in Exchange 2019. In addition to this, Exchange 2019, along with SharePoint Server 2019, enables file sharing collaboration between the teams. Exchange 2019 has If you are planning to transfer all your mailbox data to Exchange 2019, you must carefully plan, prepare for the move and consider the support dates for 2019 in advance.

Exchange 2013 to 2019 migration

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Migrate Exchange 2013 to Office 365 Exchange 2013 Public folder migration to Office 365 Migrate Exchange 2013 to 2016 Migrate Exchange 2016 to 2019 Migrate Exchange 2010 to Exchange 2019

Exchange 2013 and Exchange 2019 coexistence scenario

The good news is that, Exchange 2013 and 2019 can coexist in the same Active Directory forest if you have installed the Cumulative Update 21 (CU21). You can have both versions of Exchange installed and running in your organization at the same time, and users can access their mailbox using either version of Exchange.

To set up coexistence between Exchange 2013 and Exchange 2019, you will need to perform a few steps:

Install Exchange 2019 into your existing Exchange 2013 environment.
Configure the Exchange 2013 and Exchange 2019 servers to work together.
Migrate mailboxes from Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019.
Remove Exchange 2013 from your environment once all mailboxes have been migrated.

It's important to note that coexistence between Exchange 2013 and Exchange 2019 is supported only in a few specific scenarios, such as when you are in the process of upgrading from Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019. In addition, you must have Windows Server 2016 domain controllers, which works with both versions of Exchange. It is not generally recommended to run both versions of Exchange in a production environment, as it can create complexity and increase the risk of issues. If possible, it is usually best to upgrade all of your Exchange servers to the same version or perform a complete mailbox migration.

What is the best way to migrate from Exchange 2013 to 2019?

However, if you plan to manually migrate your data to 2019, you require technical knowledge on the migration operation. EdbMails Exchange migration tool can help you migrate mailboxes, public folders and upgrade Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019 in a few clicks. For instance, you can migrate all mailboxes, mail data, user folders, public folders, contacts, calendars, permissions, mail header data, tasks, journals, notes from the source Exchange 2013 to the target Exchange 2019 with complete data consistency. Furthermore, it supports migrating to Exchange 2019, 2016, Office 365, Live Exchange and Hosted Exchange server. In this Exchange 2013 to 2019 migration guide we describe the prerequisites, hardware requirements, the actual migration and post-migration tasks.

How to plan Exchange migration 2013 to 2019?

Planning is one of the prime requirements to ensure that you transfer all the data to the target server safely. Here is a general checklist of points and migration strategy that you can follow.

Take a complete backup of all your mailbox data at the source.
Ask your users to backup important files, attachments and contact entries.
Communicate the changes to all your users and stakeholders.
Estimate the cost required to upgrade your hardware, operating system and consider the maintenance factors.
Prepare the target environment and ensure you have the required bandwidth to migrate.
Make a note of the inventory of items such as Active Directory association, operating system, firewall, network configuration, port numbers installed programs, and list of users.
Install Exchange 2019 and create suitable mailboxes and Public folders
Perform a test migration to a few mailboxes and check if you are ready for a full migration.
Migrate Exchange 2013 to 2019 and configure the MX records to receive emails.
Create a new Outlook profile for all users and test if you are receiving emails correctly.
Decommission Exchange 2013 after you verify and inform the changes to all the end users.

I. Exchange 2013 to 2019 migration prerequisites

Step 1: Check that your system meets the Exchange 2019 setup requirements

Before you migrate your mailbox data to Exchange 2019, ensure that your current environment and hardware is compatible for the transfer. The following links will help you to know about the Exchange 2019 system requirements for hardware, network, .NET framework and operating system.

Exchange server version	Coexistence scenario	Requirement	Migration
Exchange 2019	Exchange 2019 can coexist with 2013	You must Install CU21 or later on Exchange 2013	EdbMails Exchange migration software enables a direct Exchange server 2013 to 2019 migration

Note: If you have the Domain Controllers (DC) running on Windows Server 2008, ensure that you first transfer the roles to a Domain Controller running Windows 2012 R2 or higher before you decommission any of the earlier DC’s. Exchange 2019 requires Active Directory forest functional level of Windows Server 2012 R2 or higher. See the Exchange 2019 server supportability matrix.

Step 2: Prepare your system with the following Exchange server 2019 prerequisites
Complete the following prerequisites for Active Directory, Windows 2019 Mailbox server, and Windows 2019 Edge Transport servers before installing Exchange server 2019. Ensure you have .NET Framework 4.8 installed along with Visual C++ Redistributable Package for Visual Studio 2012.
1. Prerequisites for preparing Active Directory (AD)
2. Windows Server prerequisites for Exchange 2019

Step 3: Decide on the migration path from Exchange 2013 to 2019

Consider if you want to perform a staged, cutover or a Hybrid Exchange migration. EdbMails can help you with the following migrations without downtime or data loss. The advantage with it is that you can keep using your mailboxes during the migration without disconnecting your Exchange server.

Current environment and requirement	Ideal migration approach	Migration flow
You want to perform a full migration to Exchange 2019 in a single event and in a limited time frame.	Exchange 2013 to 2019 cutover migration	In this approach, you migrate your mailboxes and mail data in stages and transfer the most recent data first followed by the others.
You want to migrate Exchange 2013 mailboxes to a Hybrid 2019 and Office 365 environment	Migrate Exchange 2013 to 2019 Hybrid	In this approach, you migrate from the source server to a Hybrid Exchange and Office 365 environment.

Note: The migration path depends on the number of mailboxes you want to migrate, size of the data and your organizational requirements. Use the Exchange deployment assistant to help you decide on the path.

Step 4: Set up the target Exchange Server 2019 for migration
Given below is a list of key points for installing and preparing the Exchange 2019 server for migration.
Note: If you have already installed and configured Exchange 2019 in the target environment, skip to point 4 in this step.
1. Prepare the AD and domains
  1. Before installing Exchange Server 2019, prepare your Active Directory forest and its domains for the new version of Exchange.
  2. If you have a separate team to manage the Active Directory schema, must extend the active directory schema, else proceed to the next step to prepare the Active Directory.
  3. If you have multiple domains you need to additionally prepare the Active Directory domains.
2. Install Exchange server 2019
  Ensure that you meet the server system requirements and prerequisites as outlined previously. Next, install Exchange 2019 mailbox server and edge transport server using the setup wizard. Microsoft recommends installing Exchange 2019 on Windows Server core for best experience.
3. Prepare a clean Exchange 2019 target environment
  1. Install and upgrade Exchange to the latest cumulative update to keep your server up to date.
  2. Create and configure a Send connector to send mail outside the Exchange organization.
  3. By default, Exchange automatically creates receive connectors for inbound mail flow when the mailbox server is installed. However, if you want to configure custom receive connectors for certain mail flow scenarios, follow the steps in the link.
  4. Add accepted domains to allow recipients to send and receive email from another domain.
  5. Configure the default email address policy to add the accepted domain to every recipient in the organization.
  6. Configure external URLs (domains) on the virtual directories in the Client Access (frontend) services on the Mailbox server to allow clients to connect to your server from the internet (outside the organization’s network).
  7. Configure internal URLs on the virtual directories in the Client Access (frontend) services on the Mailbox server to allow clients to connect to your server from the internal network.
  8. Configure SSL certificates from a third-party certificate authority for services such as Outlook Anywhere and Exchange ActiveSync.
  9. Verify the Exchange server installation by running the command Get-ExchangeServer on the Exchange Management Shell (EMS)
4. Create mailboxes and Public folder on the target Exchange
  You must create mailboxes and mail enabled Public folders on the target for the migration. Also, assign suitable licenses to them.
  1. Steps to create mailboxes in Exchange server
  2. Steps to create Public folder in Exchange server
5. Install cumulative updates (CU) on Exchange server 2013
  For migrating Exchange server 2013 to Exchange 2019, it is required that you have installed the latest cumulative updates (CU) on the source server (2013).
6. Create trust relationship between forests (Optional)
  A forest trust is an authentication between two domains within the same Active Directory forest which creates a trust between two root domains for exchanging information. By creating a trust in advance, it is possible to address the trust issues during or after the migration.
  Note: This step applies to Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012. Creating a trust relationship is not required for SBS based environments.
7. Assign management roles to the admin account
  Ensure that you have set the following permissions to the admin account on the source (2013) and target server (2019)
  1. On the source
    1. ApplicationImpersonation
    2. View-Only Configuration - Run the cmdlet New-ManagementRoleAssignment using the Exchange Management Shell to assign the View-Only Configuration role to the admin.
    3. Organization Management role group. It is an elevated permission that is required to migrate Public folders.
  2. On the target
    1. ApplicationImpersonation
    2. View-Only Recipients
    3. View-Only Configuration
8. Verify the mailbox of the admin account
  Check to see if the admin account that has been assigned management roles has a valid and non-hidden mailbox on the Exchange 2013 server. This property also applies to all the other user mailboxes.
9. Configure the throttling and message-size limits
  You can manually change the EWS throttling and message size limits on the target Exchange 2019 server by following the steps outlined in the links below.
  1. Change the EWS throttling settings on Exchange server
  2. Change message size limits on target Exchange 2019

II. Migrate Microsoft Exchange 2013 to 2019

After you complete the pre-migration activities, use EdbMails to migrate to Exchange 2019 from Exchange 2013.

Tip: One of the benefits of using EdbMails is that you can perform direct migrations to the target server without requiring PowerShell scripts or technical knowledge.

Method 1: Direct Exchange 2013 to 2019 migration
- Step 1: Download and install EdbMails Exchange server migration software setup
  - Download EdbMails and install the application on the source Exchange 2013 server or any other computer. You can also perform the migration operation by installing EdbMails on a non-Exchange server computer.
  - Launch the application and click 'Login' or 'Start Your Free Trial'.
  See a detailed list of EdbMails system requirements for Exchange migration.
  
  Note: If the Standard folders (such as Inbox, Calendar, Contacts) on your source Exchange server mailboxes are initialized with a different language, follow the details in the link to migrate these folders to the respective system folders on the target (destination) server.
  For Instance: If your source Inbox folder is named 'Boîte de réception', which is in French language and you migrate this folder directly to the destination server, then by default it will not be mapped to the 'Inbox' folder on the target server. In order to map the folder with the french name to the respective folder, change the regional settings on the target server to match that of your source mailbox folder language (in this case, it is French).
  Steps to change the language and regional settings on Exchange server
- Step 2: Set the impersonation rights for the Global Admin
  Select the 'Live Exchange migration' option in EdbMails, which enables you to perform Exchange 2013 migration to Exchange 2019 and also supports mailbox export to PST. Ensure that you have already set the impersonation rights to the migrate mailboxes on behalf of other users.
- Step 3: Connect to Exchange server 2013 as Global Admin User
  In the Connect to Exchange server (Source) window, select 'Connect using Global Admin User'. You can also connect to the mailboxes by loading a CSV file. See how to use the different Exchange server connection methods supported by EdbMails.
  Note: With EdbMails, you can migrate mailboxes, archive mailboxes and Public folders from 2013 to 2019.
  See the steps if you want to perform cross forest mailbox migration from 2013 to 2019.
  Tip: EdbMails enables you to connect to Exchange with the Default connection where you specify the Exchange server name and Exchange version, or the Autodiscover Email option where you directly login with the user credentials.
- Step 4: Select the mailboxes and connect to Exchange 2019
  Select the mailboxes and folders from Exchange 2013 that you wish to migrate to Exchange 2019 server.
  Tip: If this is the first time you’re migrating with EdbMails, the migration is a full migration. On subsequent migrations from the same source to the target, the migration is incremental. If you have duplicate emails and mail items in your source mailboxes, you can remove duplicate messages in Exchange with EdbMails.
  Click 'Migrate to Live Exchange' to set up the connection with the target server.
- Step 5: Customize the migration from Exchange 2013 to 2019 (Optional)
  EdbMails provides the following additional options to help you customize the migration task. With the folder and email filter options, you can perform a staged migration to the target.
  1. Additional Include and Exclude Filter Options
  2. Filter emails by Date: Migrate selected emails to Exchange 2019 by applying the Date filter
  3. Filter emails by Size: Exclude emails from migration larger than a specified size.
- Step 6: Connect to target Exchange server 2019 as Global Admin User
  Connect to the target server by selecting the option 'Connect using Global Admin User' and the migration scenario as Mailboxes, Public folder or Archive Mailbox.
  Tip: EdbMails automatically maps the mailboxes and folders between the source and the target Exchange servers and saves time when you’re migrating a large number of mailboxes.
- Step 7: Start the 2013 mailbox migration to Exchange 2019
  Start and monitor the migration operation after you complete the mailbox mapping. Finally, verify the count of migrated emails, folders and mailbox items with EdbMails text-based log report. The application also enables you to pause and resume the migration anytime.
Method 2: Exchange 2013 to 2019 Hybrid migration
The Hybrid migration involves migrating your mailboxes from Exchange 2013 to a Hybrid 2019 and Office 365 environment. See the prerequisites for a Hybrid deployment and ensure that you meet the following requirements.
1. Install the latest cumulative updates (CU) on the source Exchange
2. Set up and configure the target Office 365 tenant
3. Install at least one instance of Mailbox and Client Access server roles for Exchange 2013
4. Update any Edge Transport servers to the latest CU.
5. Register any custom domains you want to use in the Hybrid with Office 365
6. Deploy the Azure Active Directory Connect to enable Azure AD synchronization.
After you have completed the necessary prerequisites, use the Hybrid Configuration Wizard (HCW) to configure the hybrid deployment.
See steps for Hybrid Exchange migration to Office 365 with EdbMails. If your Exchange 2013 is in a Hybrid environment, you can simply perform Exchange to Office 365 hybrid migration by setting up the respective target server.
Note: If you want to migrate Public folders within the Hybrid environment, it is not possible to migrate the Public folders directly to Office 365. See this workaround solution for migrating Exchange hybrid public folders on premises
Method 3: Migration from Exchange 2013 to 2019 with an EDB file
If you have an EDB file from Exchange 2013, you can use EdbMails to migrate EDB to Exchange. This feature enables you to easily perform the Exchange 2013 to 2019 migration from a corrupted database file or during an Exchange server crash without affecting your users data.
- Step 1: Select the migration technique as EDB to Exchange
  After you download and install EdbMails, select the migration technique as 'EDB to Office 365, EDB to Exchange' as shown.
- Step 2: Select the Exchange 2013 offline EDB file for migration
  Select the EDB file from your computer containing the mailboxes. If the EDB file is corrupted, EdbMails can repair the Exchange 2013 database after Dirty Shutdown and completely recover all your mailbox data and Public folders without data loss.
- Step 3: Select the mailboxes from 2013 to migrate to Exchange 2019
  After the EDB file repair operation, EdbMails enables you to preview specific emails, tasks, notes, calendar items in the preview pane. Select the mailboxes for migration and click 'Migrate to Live Exchange' to define the target server connection.
- Step 4: Start the migration from EDB to Exchange 2019 server
  Match the folders and verify the mapping operation between the source and the target. EdbMails can automatically perform the mapping, which saves time when you are migrating large mailboxes. Finally, start the Exchange migration and verify the migrated items with the log report.
Method 4: Migrate Exchange 2013 to 2019 with PST files
If you have your Exchange 2013 mailboxes exported as PST, you can directly bulk migrate the PST files to Exchange 2019 with EdbMails. The following steps outline the migration from PST to Exchange.
- Step 1: Download and set up EdbMails Exchange migration
  Download EdbMails and follow the on-screen steps for installing it on your computer. Start the application and select the migration technique as ‘Exchange migration’.
- Step 2: Add the PST files to migrate mailboxes to Exchange 2019
  To add the PST files in bulk, close the Connect to Exchange (Source) connection window and click 'Migrate PST to Live Exchange' as shown. Continue with the operation after adding the PST files.
- Step 3: Connect to Exchange 2013 server as Global Admin
  Select a suitable Exchange connection option from the source connection window. You can also connect to a specific user account, load mailboxes with a CSV file or migrate to a Hosted Exchange server.
- Step 4: Perform mailbox mapping and start the Exchange 2019 migration
  In this step, you can map the folders and mailboxes between the PST file and the target Exchange server. You can also allow the application to automatically map the mailboxes for you. Finally verify the mapping and start the mailbox migration to Exchange 2019. After the migration is complete, you can verify the count of emails, folders and mail items in the target with the Log Report.
  Note: It is highly recommended to create the mailboxes and Public folders on the target server in advance. Ensure that you are able to send and receive emails and that the Public folders are mail enabled.

III. Post-migration tasks

The following post-migration activities help you with the proper mail flow so that your users correctly receive emails.

Step 1: Update the MX records to point to Exchange 2019 server
To receive messages on the Exchange server 2019, change the DNS records known as MX records to enable email to work with the new server you have migrated to. In addition, configure the Autodiscover record to allow Outlook to connect to the migrated mailboxes.
Step 2: Create a new Outlook profile for users in the new domain
Exchange 2019 is compatible with Outlook 2013 and later. Uninstall any earlier versions and ensure that you have the latest client installed to prevent conflicts. Next, configure the Outlook profile for each user in your domain if Outlook has problems connecting to the new Exchange server.
Step 3: Test email connectivity and monitor the server performance
Test email connectivity from various clients and devices to ensure that all users can send and receive email. Monitor the performance of the new servers and make sure that they are running smoothly.
Step 4: Update the documentation and create a backup of the mailboxes
Make sure to update any internal documentation to reflect the changes made during the migration. This can include updating server names, IP addresses, and other details. After the migration, it's a good idea to review and update your backup and disaster recovery plans to ensure that they are up to date and reflect the new Exchange 2019 environment.
Step 5: Decommission Exchange 2013 after the 2019 migration
1. Backup your Exchange data: It is important to backup all your Exchange data before you start the operation. This includes mailbox data, public folders, and any custom settings or configurations.
2. Remove the Exchange server from the organization: After you have backed up your Exchange data, remove the Exchange server from the organization by using the Exchange Management Console or PowerShell.
3. Uninstall Exchange 2013: After the server has been removed from the organization, uninstall Exchange from the computer.
  - Open the Control Panel and select 'Uninstall a program'.
  - Find 'Microsoft Exchange Server 2013' in the list of installed programs
  - Select 'Uninstall'.
4. Remove the server from Active Directory: Finally, remove the server from Active Directory. To do this, open the Active Directory Users and Computers console, locate the server in the list of computers, and delete it.

Note: Before you start the decommission, it is important to ensure that all Exchange services have been stopped and that there are no active connections to the server. This will prevent any data loss or disruption to your organization during the decommission process. Follow the instructions provided on Microsoft's website to learn how to decommission Exchange Server 2013

Exchange migration troubleshooting

See Exchange migration troubleshooting guide for possible solutions related to migration errors. For more information on EdbMails Exchange migration see frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Advantages of using EdbMails for Exchange 2013 migration

EdbMails provides compelling benefits if you are planning to upgrade or migrate Exchange 2013 to a new server

Provision for granular brick level migration of specific items
Versatile tool with support for Exchange 2013 migration to Exchange 2016, 2019 and Office 365.
You can export Exchange mailboxes to PST or create a highly secure encrypted Exchange mailbox backup with a single tool.
Facility to migrate Exchange Public folders and Shared Mailbox
Direct mapping of mailboxes between the source and the target
Direct migration from any Exchange version (2007-2019) without coexistence issues.
Enables you to migrate Hosted Exchange to Office 365 such as from GoDaddy, Rackspace directly to Microsoft servers.

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Exchange 2013 migration to 2019

Steps to migrate Exchange server 2013 to 2019

What you need to know about Exchange 2013 and 2019

Exchange 2013 and Exchange 2019 coexistence scenario

What is the best way to migrate from Exchange 2013 to 2019?

How to plan Exchange migration 2013 to 2019?

I. Exchange 2013 to 2019 migration prerequisites

II. Migrate Microsoft Exchange 2013 to 2019

Method 1: Direct Exchange 2013 to 2019 migration

Method 2: Exchange 2013 to 2019 Hybrid migration

Method 3: Migration from Exchange 2013 to 2019 with an EDB file

Method 4: Migrate Exchange 2013 to 2019 with PST files

III. Post-migration tasks

Exchange migration troubleshooting

Advantages of using EdbMails for Exchange 2013 migration