February 7, 2025

Correct planning is step one for a profitable on-premises Trade Server to Microsoft 365 migration. On this article, we’ll focus on the best way to plan simply such a Microsoft 365 migration venture. We can even point out an EDB converter device that may assist easy the transition from on-premises to Microsoft 365.

On-premises Exchange Server to Microsoft 365 migration ought to be seamless for the enterprise, directors, and technical employees tasked with the migration, in addition to the customers of the e-mail, calendaring, messaging, and workplace job software program. The method ought to make sure that all data is migrated with full knowledge integrity.

Stock and preparation

Take inventory of all of the assets that are on the on-premises server. These embody mailboxes, distribution teams, shared mailboxes, archives, and public folders. Filter out the mailboxes which you wish to omit from the migration or convert to shared mailboxes.

Undergo the licence assignments in line with customers’ wants. The next Microsoft 365 licences can be found:

  • Microsoft 365 Enterprise Fundamental: 50 GB mailbox and 75 GB archive, 1 TB OneDrive.
  • Microsoft 365 Enterprise Customary: All of the Fundamental plan’s options, plus the Workplace bundle.
  • Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3: 100 GB mailbox, with limitless archive and the Workplace bundle, which can be used by way of Distant Desktop.

Migration technique

Customers ought to be knowledgeable concerning the venture beforehand and at each stage.

Be certain that the enterprise shouldn’t be disrupted when the cut-off is carried out. Ideally, that is accomplished on a weekend or when the enterprise shouldn’t be working. This ensures the required time for migration and entry to assets for fallback if one thing goes flawed. As soon as the date is ready, inform the customers and the venture sponsors.

Consumer coaching: It’s vital to have the customers on board and be comfy with the brand new system’s options. Microsoft 365 brings a number of new instruments which may enhance productiveness and provide a better variety of providers on customers’ mobiles.

It’s vital that the customers have coaching on the brand new platform. Near the migration date, have some customers check the purposes to make sure that the instruments and dealing surroundings are sensible of their respective work settings.

Through the migration course of, directors ought to make sure that all electronic mail addresses, domains, assets, and DNS adjustments have been accomplished to make sure the circulation of emails – inner and exterior – by way of the Microsoft 365 tenant. Any multifunction units, like scanners, ought to be reconfigured in order that their emails will probably be despatched and obtained via the Trade On-line occasion.

After migration, customers ought to be onboarded with up to date authentication strategies, together with on their cellular units, and have entry to assist ought to any points come up.

Put up migration, decommission the on-premises servers and clear up the Energetic Listing database. Test the weblog submit, How to Decommission Exchange Server after Migration to Office 365, for assist with the method, which covers the decommissioning of a single Trade Server.

Migration of information

When migrating from Trade Server to Workplace 365, you’ll be able to select from the next migration strategies:

  1. Cutover migration
  2. Staged migration
  3. Hybrid migration

Cutover migration is greatest for small organisations with few mailboxes, and the strategy includes transferring all mailboxes directly. Customers can proceed utilizing their mailboxes in the course of the course of, however some downtime might happen. Be aware, any Public folders can’t be migrated straight utilizing this methodology.

The staged migration methodology is greatest for organisations utilizing older Trade Server variations (2003 and 2007). This methodology permits migration in batches, making it extra systematic than a cutover migration. Nonetheless, it’s not beneficial for newer variations of on-premise Trade.

The hybrid migration methodology is greatest for giant organisations that want a gradual migration or a interval of coexistence, utilizing on-premises Trade and Workplace 365 concurrently. Nonetheless, this methodology will be prolonged and sophisticated, and Public folders would require separate migration scripts.

Different: Third-party migration instruments

You should use purposes like Stellar Converter for EDB to make the transition to the cloud smoother. The appliance can open stay or orphaned databases and granularly export EDB knowledge on to Microsoft 365 or one other Trade Server, mechanically mapping from supply to vacation spot.

Put up migration duties

After migration, take into account the cleanup of information on the unique Trade Server and an export of current knowledge for archiving. You could have to extract knowledge from a backup if any data was missed in the course of the migration. Stellar Converter for EDB may help extract such knowledge.

Conclusion

As you will have seen, there are a lot of technical and non-technical steps concerned to make sure a easy Microsoft 365 migration. It’s vital that each one the events concerned are up to date and on board with the venture. As Microsoft 365 presents a number of new enhancements and collaboration instruments, migrating holds worth for the enterprise. The method is complicated and requires technical experience, however software program like Stellar Converter for EDB can migrate knowledge with fewer issues and preserve the integrity of your corporation’s data.

(Picture supply: Unsplash)