How to migrate Exchange Public folders to Office 365?

Public folder to Office 365 migration

Migrate Public folders from Exchange to Office 365

Migrating Public folders and their permissions from Exchange to Office 365 can be challenging without proper guidance and migration tools. EdbMails Exchange migration tool is one such application that reduces the Public folder migration time, workload and simplifies the transfer without requiring PowerShell scripts or manual procedures. You install EdbMails, connect to the source and target server and migrate your Public folder data with minimal user interaction. EdbMails has a user-friendly interface and enables you to select the folders you want to migrate along with features such as incremental migration, automatic mailbox mapping, include/exclude filters, migration log reports and so forth. The following sections describe the pre-migration requirements and steps to migrate the Exchange Public folder to Office 365 by using EdbMails.

Public folder to Office 365 migration

Planning a Public folder migration to Microsoft 365

Before you migrate the Public folder from Exchange Office 365 you need to consider the migration requirements and prerequisites. Following is a checklist of items to identify and prepare your environments.

Identify the type of your current migration environment (Hybrid or non-Hybrid)
Identify the size and number of Public folders you want to migrate
Determine whether you want to move everything at once or in stages.
Check your internet connection speed and network configuration.
Decide if you plan to move Public folders to Public folders, Primary mailboxes or Shared mailboxes on the target server.
Back up your existing Public folder mailboxes before you migrate.

Pre migration activities on Exchange server
1. Ensure that you install the cumulative update CU15 or later on Exchange Server 2013 and CU4 on Exchange Server 2016 before you migrate Public folders.
2. For Exchange server 2010, ensure that you install the Service Pack 3 (SP3) RU8 or later.
3. Assign the Server Management role group in the Exchange server.
4. Ensure that you set the ApplicationImpersonation permissions to the admin account on the source Exchange server and that the mailboxes and folders you migrate are not hidden from the address lists.
Pre migration activities on Office 365
1. Assign the Organization Management role group in Exchange online to the admin user
2. Before you migrate to Office 365, ensure that you create mailboxes for your users in your organization and assign suitable licenses to them.
  Add users and assign licenses to Office 365 users
  Assign Microsoft 365 licenses to user accounts
3. If you plan to migrate the source Public folders to Public folders on Office 365, ensure that you create and configure the Public folder mailboxes on the target server.
  Create Office 365 Public folder and assign mailbox user
  Note: If your Exchange mailboxes are in a Hybrid environment, it is not possible to migrate the Public folders directly to Office 365. Refer to this workaround solution to migrate Public folders in a hybrid environment.
4. Ensure that the admin account on the target Office 365 server has the impersonation rights to migrate mailboxes and Public folders.
5. 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.
  Steps to add custom domain to Office 365
  Note: For migrating Public folders to Office 365 with EdbMails, you do not require PowerShell scripts. The following steps describe the public migration method by using EdbMails graphical user interface (GUI).
Migrate Public folders from Exchange to Office 365
There are two methods for migrating Public folder by using EdbMails Exchange migration
1. Direct migration of Exchange Public folder to Office 365
2. Migrate Public folders using the PST import method
Steps to migrate Public folder to Office 365 by using the direct method
1. Step 1: Download and install EdbMails Exchange server migration software setup
  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.
  Launch the application and click \'Login\' or \'Start Your Free Trial\'.
  Select the migration method as Live Exchange migration
  
  Refer to the link for 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 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).
  Click here to know the steps to change the language and regional settings on Exchange server
2. Step 2: Connect to the Exchange server as Global Admin
  In the Connect to Exchange server (Source) window, select \'Connect using Global Admin User\'. You can also load the mailboxes using a CSV file. Refer to the link for instructions on how to use the different Exchange server connection methods supported by EdbMails.
  
  See the steps to connect to public folders on the source server in EdbMails
  See the steps if you want to exclude a public folder from migration.
3. Step 3: Select the Public folder and connect to Office 365
  Select the public folders from Exchange server that you want to migrate to Office 365.
  Click \'Migrate to Office 365\' to set up the connection with the target server
  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.
4. Step 4: Customize the Exchange to Office 365 migration operation
  EdbMails provides the following additional options to help you customize the migration task.
  Additional Include and Exclude Filter Options
  Filter emails by Date: Migrate to Office 365 by applying the Date filter
  Filter emails by Size: Exclude emails from migration larger than a specified size.
5. Step 5: Connect to target Office 365 as Global Admin User
  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 or Public folder.
  
  Connect to Office 365 server using secure modern authentication
6. Step 6: Map the folders between the source and the target
  The mapping activity in EdbMails can automatically match and map the mailboxes and folders between the two Exchange servers and saves time when you’re migrating a large number of public folders.
7. Step 7: Start the migration to Office 365 from Exchange server
  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.
Public folder migration using the PST migration method
If you have a PST file exported from Exchange server, EdbMails can assist you in migrating Public folders from the PST to Office 365. Download and run EdbMails if you haven’t installed it on your system. The following steps outline the migration operation.
1. Step 1: Select the migration method as Office 365 migration
  On the EdbMails migration selection popup, select the migration method as Office 365 migration.
2. Step 2: Add PST files in bulk to migrate to Office 365
  To add the PST files, close the Connect to Office 365 (Source) connection window and click migrate \'PST to Office 365\' at the bottom.
3. Step 3: Connect to target Office 365 as Global Admin User
  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 or Public folder.
  Connect to Office 365 server using secure modern authentication
4. Step 4: Map and migrate Public folders to the Shared mailbox
  The mapping activity in EdbMails can automatically match and map the mailboxes and folders from the PST file to Office 365. This activity saves time when you’re migrating a large number of Public folders. After you complete the migration, verify the count of the migrated items and folders with the help of EdbMails log report. You can also log into your Office 365 tenant and verify the migrated folders and items.
Exchange migration troubleshooting
Refer to the Exchange migration troubleshooting guide and Public folder troubleshooting for possible solutions related to migration errors. For more information on EdbMails Exchange migration refer to the frequently asked questions ( FAQs ).
See the link if you are not able to migrate Public folders due to insufficient permissions.

Benefits of using EdbMails for Public folder migration to Office 365

EdbMails Exchange migration automates the migration of Public folders to the target Office 365 tenant. Unlike manual methods, EdbMails displays the complex Public folder hierarchy in a tree view, enabling you to migrate specific folders and mail items. The tool saves time and money because it does not require technical knowledge or manual work to perform the migration.

EdbMails replicates all your folder data on the target exactly as on the source during the Exchange Public folder to O365 migration.
You can perform direct and one-to-one migration with no intermediate hops.
Its incremental migration feature ensures no duplicate items during subsequent migrations to the same target.
EdbMails Exchange migration also does not use any PowerShell cmdlets and provides some automated features such as mailbox/folder mapping, which reduces administrator’s manual efforts.
You can migrate Public folders without downtime or data loss, regardless of folder size.
EdbMails is highly secure and uses modern authentication with TLS encryption for Office 365 migration.

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Public folder to Office 365 migration

Migrate Public folders from Exchange to Office 365

Planning a Public folder migration to Microsoft 365

Pre migration activities on Exchange server

Pre migration activities on Office 365

Migrate Public folders from Exchange to Office 365

Steps to migrate Public folder to Office 365 by using the direct method

Public folder migration using the PST migration method

Exchange migration troubleshooting

Benefits of using EdbMails for Public folder migration to Office 365