EDB Public folder to Exchange migration

Why to perform EDB Public folder to live Exchange migration?

There are several factors can lead to damage to the Public EDB or Pub1.edb file, with the most common causes outlined below:

1. Sudden power cuts or outages due to power supply issues can disrupt the proper functioning of the Exchange server Public folder.
2. Inadequate or incorrect shutdown procedures during mail restoration processes can negatively impact the Public folder EDB files.
3. Spontaneous hard disk sector errors may result in corruption of the Pub1.edb file.
4. Malware, viruses, or Trojans can attack the Exchange server, causing Public folder data corruption.

When any of these issues occur, the MS Exchange server may be unable to complete the standard shutdown procedure, leaving the database in a ‘dirty shutdown’ or inconsistent state. In such cases, the database cannot isolate itself from transaction log streams, affecting its consistency and integrity. If the server is restarted, it may display missing log files, and the loss of these logs can potentially corrupt the Exchange server.

Additionally, problems can stem from issues with the Jet Engine, commonly known as ‘Jet engine errors.’ These errors may result from hardware or software problems, affecting various levels of the server database, including the Information Store, Exchange Server file system, Jet Database Engine, and more. In such cases, the EDB files can become corrupted or damaged.

EdbMails EDB Public Folder Migration software addresses all the above challenges and ensures a smooth migration to live Exchange server.

Challenges in EDB Public folders migration

When migrating from one Exchange server to another, various factors like databases, co-existence, hardware, software, and compatibility must be taken into account. However, the major significant challenge often encountered is the migration of large databases, particularly in the case of high-volume Public Folders.

For instance, when migrating a substantial Public Folder of a few TBs from an Exchange Server 2013 to Exchange Server 2016, you may face compatibility issues. Exchange Server 2016 has introduced a limit of 100GB for Public folder mailbox size, which can pose a challenge when dealing with large-scale migrations.

Addressing these challenges requires a robust migration solution like EdbMails EDB Public Folder Migrator. This software is designed to overcome public folder migration limitations and ensure a smooth migration, even when dealing with massive Public Folders.

1. Prerequisites to migrate Public folder to live Exchange

   • Step 1: Check that your system meets the Exchange server setup requirements.

     The following links help you set up your target Exchange server. Learn more about the network, hardware, coexistence scenarios, and operating system requirements for installing Exchange.

     1. Exchange 2013 Server setup
     2. Network and directory requirement for Exchange 2016
     3. Network and directory requirement for Exchange 2019
     4. Hardware Requirements for Exchange 2016
     5. Hardware Requirements for Exchange 2019
     6. Supported operating systems for Exchange 2016
     7. Supported operating systems for Exchange 2019
   • Step 2: Prepare your system with the following prerequisites for Exchange

     Complete the following prerequisites for Active Directory, Windows Mailbox server, and Windows Edge Transport servers before installing the target Exchange server.

     1. Exchange 2019 prerequisites for preparing Active Directory (AD)
     2. Windows Server prerequisites for Exchange 2019
     3. Exchange 2016 prerequisites for preparing Active Directory (AD)
     4. Windows Server prerequisites for Exchange 2016

2. Set up the target Exchange server Public folder for migration

   Given below is a list of key points for installing and preparing the Exchange server for migration. If you have already installed and performed the set up operations, navigate to Step 4 in this section.

   1. Prepare AD and domains
      1. Before installing Exchange Server, you need to 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, you need to first 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 on your computer

      Ensure that you meet the server system requirements and prerequisites as outlined previously. Next, follow the link to install Exchange 2016 or install Exchange 2019 from the setup wizard based on which server you want to migrate to.

   3. Prepare a clean Exchange target environment
      1. Create and configure a Send connector to send mail outside the Exchange organization.
      2. By default, Exchange automatically creates receive connectors for inbound mail flow when the mailbox server is installed. If you need to configure receive connectors manually, follow the steps in the link.
      3. Add accepted domains to allow recipients to send and receive email from another domain.
      4. Configure the default email address policy to add the accepted domain to every recipient in the organization.
      5. 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).
      6. 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.
      7. Configure SSL certificates from a third-party certificate authority for services such as Outlook Anywhere and Exchange ActiveSync.
      8. Verify the Exchange server installation by running the command Get-ExchangeServer on the Exchange Management Shell (EMS).
   4. Create mailboxes and Public folders on the Exchange server

      Before you migrate your mail data, ensure that you create mailboxes on the target server and assign suitable licenses to them. For the Public folder migration, create mail-enabled Public folders.

       See how to create mailboxes in Exchange server

       Steps to create Public folder in Exchange server

   5. Assign management roles to the admin account

      Set the following permissions to the admin account on the target Exchange server to migrate mailboxes on behalf of other users in your organization.

      1. ApplicationImpersonation
      2. View-Only Recipients
      3. View-Only Configuration

      Also assign the Organization Management role group to the admin user. It is an elevated permission that is required for mailbox and Public folder migration.

   6. 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 server.

   7. Configure the throttling and message-size limits

      Change the EWS throttling and message size limits manually on the Exchange server by following the steps in the link.

      1. Change the EWS throttling settings on Exchange server
      2. Change message size limits on Exchange

3. Steps to migrate Public folders from EDB to Exchange Server using EdbMails

   • Step 1: Download EdbMails EDB to Exchange software setup

     • Download EdbMails and install the application on your computer. Follow the instructions that appear on screen to complete the installation.

        See a detailed list of EdbMails system requirements for EDB recovery and migration.

       

     • Launch the application and click 'Login' or 'Start Your Free Trial'.

       

     • Select the recovery technique as 'EDB to PST, EDB to Office 365 and EDB to Exchange'.

       

   • Step 2: Select the offline EDB file for recovery and migration

     Before you start the Public folder migration, take a copy of the EDB file as a backup. Browse and select the offline EDB file from your computer that contains the Public folder. You can also access EDB file on the Network with read and write permissions. EdbMails does not require an Active Directory (AD) association and enables you to directly migrate mailboxes and folders from an offline EDB file to live Exchange server.

     

      Tip: EdbMails supports mailbox.edb, pub.edb, priv.edb and STM files from legacy Exchange servers. If you are using Exchange 2003 then EdbMails will automatically look for the corresponding STM file in the same location. For Exchange 2007 or above, the STM file is no longer used.

   • Step 3: Preview and select the Public folders for migration

     EdbMails first performs a recovery operation and fully restores the EDB file in case it is corrupted. You can view the Public folders and preview the mail items such as emails, contacts, folders, notes, tasks, calendars from the application’s preview pane.

      Tip: EdbMails can recover and migrate deleted Exchange mail items to another Exchange server.

     1. Click the 'Show All the folders' check box which is present above the Tree view as shown.
     2. Expand the mailbox and navigate to the 'Recoverable Items' folder.
     3. Click the 'Deletions' folder to view the deleted mails.

      Click here for more details to recover deleted Exchange mailbox

     

     Select the required mailboxes / folders and click the 'Migrate to Live Exchange' button to continue. Alternatively, you can right click on the selected mailboxes / folders and select the option 'Migrate Selected Mailboxes / Folders to Exchange Server'.

     

      Tip: EdbMails provides the following additional options to help you customize the mailbox migration to Exchange server based on the Date, From Address, To Address, etc.

     1. Additional Include and Exclude Filter Options.
     2. Filter emails by Date: Import emails to live Exchange by applying the Date filter
     3. Filter emails by Size: Exclude emails and attachments from migration, which are larger than a specified size.
     4. Filter emails by domain name: Extract emails sent to and received from a particular domain.

     

   • Step 4: Connect to target Exchange server

     Connect to the target server by selecting the required connection option and ‘Connect to Public Folder’

       See the instructions on how to use the different Exchange server connection methods supported by EdbMails. You can perform the following migration with the application.

     • Source Public folder to the target Public folder
     • Source Public folder to the target mailbox
     • Source Public folder to Shared mailbox

     Note: When migrating standard folders (e.g., Inbox, Calendar, Contacts) from your source Exchange 2010 mailboxes that are initialized with a different language (e.g French, where the ‘Inbox’ folder is named 'Boîte de réception'), a direct migration to the destination server may not automatically map to the 'Inbox' folder. Click here to ensure the proper mapping with the corresponding folders.

      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

   • Step 5: Map the mailboxes between the source and the target

     The mapping activity in EdbMails can automatically match and map the mailboxes and folders between the source and target and saves time when you’re migrating a large number of mailboxes.

     

     Add a suitable label to the job for identification. This enables you to quickly load the application’s settings for future migration operations. You can view all the labels by clicking ‘View Log’ that contains all the details of the previous operation.

   • Step 6: Migrate the Public folders to live Exchange server

     That's it! During the migration, you can view the progress as shown where you can also pause and resume the operation. An appropriate message will be displayed on completion. Finally, verify the count of migrated emails, folders and mailbox items with EdbMails text-based log report.

     

 Related Links

1. Steps to convert Exchange EDB to PST
2. Steps to migrate EDB to Office 365
3. Steps to export Exchange Public folders to PST
4. Steps to migrate Public folders to Office 365