How to migrate Exchange 2013 to Microsoft 365?

What you need to know about Exchange 2013 and Office 365

Microsoft has announced that Exchange Server 2013 will reach the end of support on April 11, 2023. This means that after this date, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates, non-security hotfixes, or online technical content updates for Exchange Server 2013. It is important to note that the end of support for Exchange Server 2013 does not mean that the server will stop functioning. However, without security updates, the server may become more vulnerable to security threats and other issues. In addition to the Exchange server, you must also consider the SharePoint server 2013, Project, Lync server and Office 2013 client upgrade.

Exchange 2013 to Office 365 migration

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Hosted Exchange migration to Office 365 Public folder to Shared mailbox migration Migrate mailbox from Exchange 2010 to Office 365 Migrate to Office 365 from Exchange 2016

If your organization plans to use Exchange Server 2013 after the end of support date, it is highly recommended to upgrade to a newer version of Exchange Server or to Exchange Online, which is a part of the Office 365 suite. Upgrading to Exchange Online can help you take advantage of the new features and functionality, as well as ensure that the messaging and collaboration platform is secure and up-to-date.

Compared to Exchange server 2013, Office 365 offers a number of advantages including the convenience of a cloud-based service, scalability, automatic updates, a comprehensive suite of productivity tools, and a more cost-effective pricing model. Before you decide on the migration, it is best to weigh the pros and cons and then compare the Microsoft 365 plans based on your requirements and the current setup.

In this guide, we describe the pre-migration activities, the different migration paths from Exchange 2013 to Office 365 and the post migration activities.

What is the best way to migrate Exchange 2013 to 365?

EdbMails Exchange server migration software can help you perform Exchange 2013 to Office 365 migration without requiring technical expertise. By using EdbMails, you can migrate selected or entire mailboxes, contacts, notes, tasks, folders, attachments, emails, archive and shared mailboxes from the source to the target. It simplifies the operation and enables you to complete the migration without affecting the users.

Furthermore, it supports secure modern authentication for Office 365 migration and maintains complete data consistency between the source and target servers. You can use EdbMails to migrate on-premises Exchange to Office 365, Hosted Exchange to Office 365, from one Exchange server to another, between two different forests and domains and so on.

Exchange 2013 to Office 365 migration checklist

Before you migrate from Exchange 2013 to Office 365 you must carefully plan the approach based on your current environment and migration requirements. Following is a checklist of items to identify and prepare your environments.

Identify the type of your current migration environment (Hybrid or non-Hybrid)
Take a complete backup of all your Exchange 2013 mailbox data.
Determine whether you want to move everything at once or in stages.
Prepare the end users for migration and communicate any changes to stakeholders.
Provide training to your users to ensure that they are familiar with the new Office 365 environment.
Ascertain how much data and mailboxes you plan to migrate.
Check your internet connection speed and network configuration.
Decide if you want to move Shared mailboxes and Public folders.
Add and prepare the domains for migrating to Office 365 from Exchange 2013
Update email clients such as Outlook to the latest compatible version that you are using to connect to your email.
Create mailboxes and choose the appropriate Office 365 license plan.
Perform a test migration and verify if you are ready for a full migration.
Start the actual Exchange 2013 to Office 365 migration and add the MX records on the target.
Create Outlook profiles and decommission Exchange 2013 when everything is working fine.

I. Exchange 2013 to Office 365 migration prerequisites

Step 1: Decide on the Exchange to Office 365 migration approach

The first step is to plan how you want to migrate to Office 365 from Exchange 2013. The following migration paths are available depending on your source and target environment.

Current environment and migration requirement	Ideal migration approach	Migration flow
You want to move all of your email, calendar, and contacts from Exchange Server 2013 to Exchange Online in a single batch.	Exchange cutover migration	In this approach, you set up your target Office 365 tenant and migrate everything to the cloud in a single sitting. Suited for large mailbox migration
You want to move mailboxes from Exchange Server 2013 to Exchange Online in smaller batches or over the weekends	Staged Exchange 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 move to Office 365 gradually and you have specific requirements on-premise that are not supported in Exchange Online.	Hybrid migration	In this approach, you migrate from Exchange 2013 to a Hybrid deployment of both the Exchange Server and Office 365.
You want to retain on-premises Exchange due to regulatory requirements	Exchange migration	Migrate from Exchange 2013 to 2019 Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2016 migration

Use the Microsoft 365 mail migration advisor to determine the best migration path for your organization based on your specific needs and requirements.

Step 2: Check the bandwidth and network requirements
Ensure that you meet the network and bandwidth requirements for the migration. This factor depends on the size and the amount of data that you want to migrate.
As a general rule, you should allow for at least 1.5 times the size of your mailbox data to account for overhead.
For example, if your mailbox data is 50 GB in size, you should allow for at least 75 GB of bandwidth to handle the data transfer. Keep in mind that this is just a general guideline and your specific requirements may be different based on the size and complexity of your organization.
If you have a firewall or proxy server in place, ensure that it is configured to allow the necessary traffic between your Exchange Server 2013 environment and Office 365. You can also test your existing network with Microsoft tools.
See network and migration planning, performance factors and best practices for Microsoft 365 migration.
Step 3: Determine the Microsoft 365 license plan suited to your needs
Microsoft 365 is available as a cloud-based subscription service or as a one-time purchase of a perpetual license. Office 365 has business and enterprise plans, each suited to different user requirements. Compare Office 365 business plans and compare Office 365 enterprise plans from these links. You can choose an Office 365 licensing plan specific to your needs or sign up for a 30 day free trial and decide to go with a suitable one later.
Step 4: Set up your target Office 365 tenant for the migration
Plan for your tenant implementation and deploy your tenant. See tenant roadmap for Microsoft 365. If you plan to install Office apps on your computer, see system requirements for Microsoft 365 and Office configuration support matrix. Because Office 365 is a cloud based solution, it is important to learn where your Microsoft 365 customer data is stored.
Step 5: Add and verify the custom domain on Office 365
If you have a custom email domain from your hosting provider to which you want to migrate and receive emails, you must add and verify the domain on Office 365. This will enable you to use your own domain name (such as example.com) for your email addresses and other Office 365 services.
To set up your custom domain, follow these steps:
1. Verify that you own the domain by adding a TXT record to your DNS configuration.
2. Add a new domain to your Office 365 tenant.
3. Update your DNS records to point to Office 365.
Steps to add a custom domain to Office 365 and steps to add DNS records to connect your domain.
Step 6: Create mailboxes and mail-enabled Public folders
Before you migrate to Office 365, ensure that you create mailboxes for your users in your organization and assign suitable licenses to them. If you need to create multiple user accounts at once, you can use the "Bulk add users" option to create user accounts in bulk using a CSV file.
For Exchange 2013 to Office 365 Public folder migration, ensure that you create and configure the Public folder mailboxes and make them mail enabled on the target server.
1. Create Office 365 Public folder and assign mailbox user
2. Enable In-Place Archive mailboxes in Office 365
Step 7: Set the impersonation role on the source to the admin user
Ensure that you set the following permissions to the admin account on the source and target server and that the mailboxes you migrate are not hidden from the address lists.
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.
2. On the target
  1. ApplicationImpersonation
Setting impersonation rights in Office 365 is a simple process that can be done quickly and easily using the Admin Center. Assign the Organization Management role group to the admin user in Exchange online. It is an elevated permission that is required to migrate Public folders.
Step 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. See how to configure user mailbox properties for the users from the Exchange admin center (EAC).
Step 9: Configure Office 365 to send and receive large messages
Follow the steps to increase the message size on Office 365 to 150MB.

II. Migrate Exchange 2013 to Office 365

After you complete the pre-migration activities, use EdbMails Exchange migration tool to migrate your mailboxes to Office 365.

Tip: EdbMails simplifies the process of migrating data from an Exchange Server to another Exchange Server, Office 365, or other email systems. It supports various migration scenarios, including cutover, staged, IMAP, and hybrid migration, and allows you to migrate in a single hop.

There are several methods to migrate Exchange 2013 to Microsoft 365

Migrate mailboxes to Office 365 using the Cutover method
Hybrid Exchange 2013 migration to Office 365
Exchange 2013 mailbox migration with EDB file
Import Exchange mailboxes to Office 365 with PST files

Method 1: Migrate Exchange 2013 to Office 365 using the cutover method
This method involves moving all of your mailboxes from Exchange Server 2013 to Office 365 in a single migration event. When you use EdbMails for cutover migration, you do not have to worry about the mailbox or data size limitations.
- Step 1: Download and install EdbMails on your Exchange 2013 server.
  Download EdbMails and install the application on any computer that is connected to the source and target environment. You can also perform the migration operation by installing EdbMails on a non-Exchange server computer such as Windows 7, 8 10 or 11.
  See a detailed list of EdbMails system requirements for Exchange migration.
  Launch the application and click 'Login' or 'Start Your Free Trial'.
- Step 2: Run EdbMails and click the Live Exchange migration option
  This migration option enables you to perform Microsoft Exchange to Office 365 migration
  
  Note: If you are migrating a folder with a non-English name, such as "Boîte de réception" in French, from the source server to the target server, it may not be automatically mapped to the corresponding folder on the target server.
  For Instance: The French "Boîte de réception" folder may not be mapped to the English "Inbox" folder on the target server.
  To fix this issue, change the regional settings on the target server to match the language of the source mailbox folder. For example, if the source mailbox folder is in French, you will need to change the regional settings on the target Office 365 server to French. This ensures that the folder is properly mapped to the corresponding folder on the target server.
- Step 3: Connect to the source Exchange 2013 server admin account
  In the Connect to Exchange server (Source) window, select the 'Connect using Global Admin User' option. With EdbMails, you can migrate mailboxes, public folders, and archive mailboxes from Exchange to Office 365.
  You can also load the mailboxes using a CSV file. See instructions on how to use the different Exchange server connection methods supported by EdbMails.
  
  Tip: For the Exchange to Office 365 migration, you can use the autodiscover feature in EdbMails if you do not remember the Exchange server name or IP address. With autodiscover, you can directly specify your username and password and connect to your Exchange server account without the need for manual configuration.
- Step 4: Select the Exchange mailboxes to migrate to Office 365
  Select the mailboxes and folders from the Exchange server that you want to migrate to Office 365.
  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 items such as emails, contacts, calendars in your Exchange 2013 mailboxes, you can use EdbMails duplicate email remover to scan and remove them before the migration.
  Click 'Migrate to Office 365' to setup the connection with the target server
  Tip: EdbMails has a range of filter options to help you customize your migration task.
  1. Additional Include and Exclude Filter Options: You can use these options to specify which items should be included or excluded from the migration process. For example, you can exclude certain emails or folders from the migration based on their content.
  2. Filter emails by Date: This option enables you to migrate only emails that fall within a specified date range, which can be useful if you only want to migrate recent emails or emails from a specific period of time.
  3. Filter emails by Size: This option enables you to exclude emails from the migration if they are larger than a specified size, which is useful if you want to exclude large emails and attachments from the migration process.
- Step 5: Sign in to your Office 365 account as Global Admin
  EdbMails supports both modern and classic authentication methods and provides a range of options for connecting to the target server, which can be useful for different migration scenarios and requirements.
  - Select the Auto registration for modern authentication
  - Choose the connection method that you want to use, such as Mailboxes, Public folder, or Archive Mailbox.
  Connect to Office 365 server using secure modern authentication
  
  Tip: The mailbox mapping feature can match and map the mailboxes and folders between Exchange and Office 365, which saves time and effort when migrating a large number of mailboxes.
- Step 6: Start the migration from Exchange 2013 to O365
  After you have completed the mailbox mapping process, start and monitor the migration. When the operation is complete, you can use the EdbMails text-based log report to verify the count of migrated emails, folders, and mailbox items.
Method 2: Exchange 2013 Hybrid migration to Office 365
Hybrid migration is a method in which Exchange and Office 365 mailboxes coexist in the same Active Directory (AD) environment. This approach involves setting up a hybrid deployment, which enables you to move some of your mailboxes to Office 365 while keeping others on-premises.
See the Hybrid migration prerequisites and follow these steps to prepare for a hybrid migration from Exchange Server 2013 to Office 365.
- Install the latest version of the Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update on your on-premises servers.
- Set up and install Exchange 2016 or 2019 in the target environment.
- Install and use the Azure AD Connect tool in the target on-premises environment to set up the hybrid deployment. The Azure AD Connect enables you to set up a connection between your on-premises Exchange Server environment and Office 365.
- Install at least one instance of Mailbox and Client Access server roles installed on Exchange 2013,
- Update any Edge Transport servers to the latest CU.
- Register any custom domains you want to use in the Hybrid with Office 365
After you have completed the necessary prerequisites, use the Hybrid Configuration Wizard (HCW) to configure the hybrid deployment.
Tip: By using EdbMails, you can completely migrate Exchange 2013 mailboxes and Public folders to an Office 365 Hybrid environment.
See the planning strategy and steps to perform Exchange 2013 migration to Office 365 hybrid.
Method 3: Migrate Exchange 2013 to Exchange online with EDB file
Another way to migrate data from Exchange 2013 to Office 365 is with an EDB file. If you have an EDB file from Exchange Server 2013, you can use EdbMails to migrate the EDB file to Office 365. This method can be useful if your Exchange server is inaccessible or if you have a corrupted EDB file that you want to migrate without using PowerShell cmdlets.
- Step 1: Select the migration technique as EDB to Office 365
  Install EdbMails on your computer and start the application. On the main screen, select the migration technique as 'EDB to Office 365, EDB to Exchange, EDB Public folder'.
- Step 2: Add the Exchange 2013 EDB file to migrate to Office 365
  EdbMails can recover an Exchange 2013 from disaster and as well as recover any deleted emails and other mail items from the EDB file. It also enables you to preview various types of mail items. Click 'Browse for EDB' and select the file from your computer that contains the mailboxes.
- Step 3: Select the mailboxes and click Migrate to Office 365
  Select the desired folders, mail items, and mailboxes to migrate the target and choose the Office 365 migration option as shown.
  - Select the Auto Registration to connect to the target Office 365 server.
  - Choose one of the mailbox migration methods.
  - Map the folders and mailboxes between the source and target.
- Step 4: Start the Exchange 2013 to Office 365 mailbox migration
  Finally, start the migration and verify the count of migrated items, folders, emails with the EdbMails comprehensive log report. The application also enables you to pause and resume the migration anytime.
Method 4: Exchange 2013 to Office 365 migration with PST files
This method involves exporting your Exchange 2013 mailbox data to PST files and then importing the PST files into Office 365 with EdbMails. Download and run EdbMails if it hasn't already been installed on your system. The following steps outline how to migrate PST files from Exchange to Office 365.
- Step 1: Select the Office 365 migration technique
  On the EdbMails migration selection popup, select the migration method as 'Office 365 migration (Tenant to tenant migration & more…)'
- Step 2: Add the Exchange 2013 PST files to migrate to Office 365
  To add the PST files, close the Connect to Office 365 (Source) connection window and follow the steps from 1 to 3 in the screenshot to migrate the PST file to Office 365.
- Step 3: Connect to the target Office 365 tenant as Global Admin
  EdbMails supports both modern and classic authentication. Connect to the target server by selecting Auto or Manual registration for modern authentication and the connection method as Mailboxes, Public folder or Archive Mailbox.
  Connect to Office 365 server using secure modern authentication
- Step 4: Migrate the mailboxes from the PST files to Office 365
  EdbMails can automatically match the mailboxes and folders. Start and monitor the Office 365 migration progress. Finally, verify the count of migrated emails, folders, and mailbox items with EdbMails text-based log report.

III. Exchange 2013 post-migration tasks

Here are some post-migration tasks that you may want to consider after migrating Exchange 2013 to Office 365

Step 1: Verify the migration
After the migration is complete, it is important to verify that all of the mailbox data has been successfully migrated to Office 365. You can use the EdbMails log report to check the count of migrated emails, folders, and mailbox items.
Step 2: Update the MX records to point to Office 365
If you have not performed this step previously, change the DNS records known as MX records to to receive messages on Office 365 and 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 3: Create a new Outlook profile for users in the new domain
Ensure you have the latest version of Outlook installed to avoid compatibility issues. If you are using an email client such as Thunderbird, update the settings to point to the Office 365 mail servers. Configure the Outlook profile for each user in your domain if Outlook has problems connecting to Office 365 mailboxes.
Step 4: Test email connectivity and perform a backup
It is important to test the email connectivity after the migration to ensure that you are able to send and receive emails correctly. Take a complete backup of your Office 365 mailbox data to ensure that you have a copy in case of any unexpected issues.
Step 5: Decommission and uninstall Exchange server 2013
Wait a few days and check to see if you are receiving emails correctly and that everything is working as expected. Finally, decommission the source Exchange server.
1. Remove the Exchange server from the load balancer: If your Exchange 2013 server is part of a load-balanced environment, you must remove it from the load balancer to prevent it from receiving new connections.
2. Remove the Exchange server from the Exchange organization: After you remove the Exchange server from the load balancer, remove it from the Exchange organization. To do this, use the Exchange Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell.
3. Uninstall Exchange 2013: Next, uninstall the Exchange server from the Add/Remove Programs feature in Windows or the Exchange Setup program.
4. Remove the server from Active Directory: Finally, remove the server from Active Directory to completely decommission it. To do this, you can use the Active Directory Users and Computers tool or the Active Directory Sites and Services tool.
Follow the instructions provided on Microsoft's website to learn how to decommission Exchange Server 2013. See the list of post migration tasks after you finish the Office 365 migration.

IV. Exchange migration troubleshooting

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

Advantages of EdbMails for Exchange to Office 365 migration

One of the key benefits of using EdbMails is that it is user-friendly and does not require technical knowledge of PowerShell scripts, which can save time and effort.

Simple solution to migrate Exchange server to Office 365
If you plan to migrate to Office 365 on your own, there will be challenges and technical roadblocks. EdbMails removes the complexity and technicalities of Exchange and Office 365 migration and enables you to complete the mailbox transfer in a few clicks.
Single hop migration from Exchange 2013 to Office 365 and Exchange
EdbMails is a tailor-made solution to accomplish direct migration from Exchange 2007, 2010, 2013 to Office 365. Furthermore, it can also transfer mailboxes to Office 365 from Exchange 2019, 2016, Hosted and Live Exchange server. This eliminates the need for intermediate migration hops maintaining perfect data consistency on both the source and the target.
Incremental Exchange to Office 365 Migration
EdbMails supports incremental migration wherein it migrates the new and updated items avoiding duplicates on subsequent migrations to the same target mailbox. The incremental migration is valid for all Office 365 mailboxes, Public folder, Shared mailbox, and Archive mailboxes.
Migrate Exchange Public folders to Office 365
EdbMails can not only migrate user mailboxes, but it can also migrate Public Folders to Office 365. It supports Shared mailbox and In-Place Archive to Office 365 migration in addition to Public folders.
Facility to include and exclude email items and folders
During the Exchange 2013 migration to Office 365, you can use filter options in EdbMails settings to include or exclude mail items based on Date, Subject, Sender, and Recipient Address. You can also exclude emails and attachments if their size exceeds a specified limit.
Batch or individual Exchange mailbox migration
EdbMails allows you to migrate a single Exchange mailbox or multiple mailboxes in batches. You can migrate folders, specific attachments, contacts and calendars from On-Premises or Hosted Exchange to Office 365.
Automatic handling of Office 365 throttling
EdbMails Exchange migration is a fully automated tool that is capable of automatically handling Office 365 throttling and connection interruption during the migration. You can pause and resume the migration anytime without data loss.

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Exchange 2013 to Office 365 migration

Migrate mailboxes from Exchange 2013 to Office 365 tenant

What you need to know about Exchange 2013 and Office 365

What is the best way to migrate Exchange 2013 to 365?

Exchange 2013 to Office 365 migration checklist

I. Exchange 2013 to Office 365 migration prerequisites

II. Migrate Exchange 2013 to Office 365

Method 1: Migrate Exchange 2013 to Office 365 using the cutover method

Method 2: Exchange 2013 Hybrid migration to Office 365

Method 3: Migrate Exchange 2013 to Exchange online with EDB file

Method 4: Exchange 2013 to Office 365 migration with PST files

III. Exchange 2013 post-migration tasks

IV. Exchange migration troubleshooting

Advantages of EdbMails for Exchange to Office 365 migration