The Priasoft PF Toolbox is a full, end-to-end synchronization and migration solution for Microsoft Exchange Public Folders. The solution has support for the following features of public folders:
- Folder hierarchy
- Entire Tree
- Single Folders
- Specific Subtrees
- Any mixture of the above
- Contents
- All content types are supported
- Data is synchronized using MAPI, not EWS
- Permissions
- Depends upon legacyExchangeDN (X500) mapping
- Orphaned permissions are inherently ignored. No cleanup necessary
- Mail-Enabled Public Folders
- Analysis features to identify bogus, bad, and unused folders
- Migration of all settings of mail-public-folders such as: Send-As permissions, email addresses, X500, etc.
As a synchronization solution and not simply a migration product, the PF Toolbox (PFSync) is able to track differences in the hierarchy as well as with items. Each execution of a sync is inherently a “delta sync” with the first sync being a case where the “deltas” are all cases of “new in the source” and are copied to the target. At any time through the project single folders, subtrees, or the entire hierarchy can be synchronized if needed. Furthermore, each sync job allows for explicit control of data flow. One-way or two-way synchronization of contents is possible and can be mixed between jobs.
The solution also has several helper features for reporting, clean up, and management tasks that are either difficult or impossible to perform using Microsoft default tools (PowerShell) such as moving folders to different locations in bulk, bulk deletion of items by criteria, and reporting on group permissions and public folder favorites.
This document serves as a general pattern and process flow for public folder migrations. Some details are left out that are expressly scenario-specific, unique, or complicated to describe. Priasoft’s support team engages with each customer to provide training and guidance for all public folder migrations.
The process steps provided and the order in which they appear are based on many years of experience working with both small and very large deployments of public folders, some with over 20TB of data. The process should not deviate from the order provided and should not run with any overlap. Failing to do so will lead to progress blocking events due to the architecture of Modern Public Folders.
It is recommended to scan through each step first to become familiar with the concepts of each and to fully read the current step being performed its following step as progress is made. For example, read completely Step Zero and 1 and after step Zero is completed, read steps 1 and 2, then 2 and 3, and so on.
The quantity of content and detail provided is likely too much to absorb fully in one reading and a full read is not necessary in order to start…but you are welcome to memorize the entire document if you like!
