Exchange Migration Knowledge Base › Category: Mailbox Migration Questions › What’s the best method to upgrade to Exchange 2013?
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Anonymous asked 10 years ago

Currently we run a 2003 Domain on one box and 2003 Exchange on a second box.

We want to upgrade to Server 2012 Domain and 2010 Exchange.

What is the best method to do this and eliminate downtime for the users?

Please confirm if this is the best approach.

1) Buy a new box and install Server 2012 and 2012 Exchange

2) Migrate mailboxes over to Exchange 2012.

3) Decommission the 2003 Exchange Server

4) Install Server 2010 on old Exchange Server Box and make new domain controller

5) Demote old 2003 domain controller

1 Answers
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Eriq VanBibber Staff answered 8 years ago

A good approach to such a migration is as follows:

  1. Build a new Windows 2012 server and install Exchange 2010 (or 2013) on it in a new Active Directory Forest.
  2. Create a windows trust between the 2 environments.
  3. Test and validate that the new exchange server is production ready (can send and receive mail locally and such)
  4. Migrate mailboxes from 2003 to the new version of exchange.
    1. Priasoft suite makes this process seamless to end users…they leave on Friday and return on Monday and go back to work!
    2. This will handle the necessary changes to Outlook profiles and will preserve many user experience features (like rules and OOF)
    3. Single-sign-on is supported – users logon to 2003 but access mail in the new server without a prompt.
  5. Change the MX records or mail-flow path to point to the new server.
  6. Wait a week or 2 to see if any mail is still originating in the old server (check mail queues)
    1. If the old server is quiet and show no activity, you can safely uninstall and remove exchange.
    2. If activity is found, you can chase the source (perhaps a printer or fax or something) and redirect it to the new Exchange
  7. Upgrade the 2003 DC to 2012 (if required)
    1. There is not a direct upgrade path for this; you’d have to upgrade first to 2008 Server, then again to 2012.
    2. The upgrade scenarios are explained in detail here:  https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/dn527667.aspx
  8. Alternatively, migrate users to the newer 2012 server hosting exchange
    1. The Microsoft ADMT (https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc974332(v=ws.10).aspx) is a great tool from Microsoft for this activity
    2. It handles both the migration of users and passwords as well as an option to migrate desktop user profiles.
    3. Then the original source DC can be decommissioned and possibly wiped and reinstalled with 2012 server as a second DC.

 
Note that the above strategy is very safety conscious.  This approach allows you to fully “bake” the new environment before using it.  If you mix versions of core software (like AD or Exchange) in the same environment, there’s a considerable risk that the new version will try to “take over” certain roles and responsibilities, before you are ready.  Also, adding to an existing environment has no rollback position.  You have to fix any issues immediately as they are discovered – by moving to a new “clean” environment, compatibility problems don’t exist and there is upfront knowledge that “it works” before end users are dropped into the environment.
 
Reach out to support@priasoft.com if you’d like to have a more in depth discussion about this.