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Hi,
I've got an environment running Exchange 2013 CU23 servers running on Windows Server 2012 R2 that I am going to be migrating to Exchange Online. As I have to keep an Exchange server around to manage the Exchange user properties (we will continue to us AD Connect), I was going to bring up a new Exchange 2019 server running on a new Windows Server 2019 server so that I can be running the latest Exchange and when done with the migration to Exchange online, decommission the Exchange 2013 servers.
My question is when should I consider adding the new Exchange 2019 server to my environment? Should I add the new Exchange 2019 server before I start the migration process to Exchange Online, or after the migration to Exchange Online is complete?
Any suggestions would be very helpful.
Thanks in advance,
Nick
Yes, everything but Step 5 if you no longer have mailboxes nor public folders on-prem
Otherwise, thats it!
Sorry to be so dense, but don't I need to have the Hybrid Wizard installed on Exchange 2019 server so that I can use the Exchange 2019 server to manage the user properties?
No, only if you want to share free/busy , move mailboxes etc... between mailboxes on-prem and in 365 really.
Ok got it thanks.
Thanks for all the information. Very helpful!
Both are ok.
But I would suggest you deploy Exchange 2019 coexist with Exchange 2013 first, then configure Exchange 2019 as Internet facing server, then begin to create hybrid and migrate to Exchange online. Because in this way, you will not need to change the Internet server and hybrid endpoint.
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After creating Exchange 2019, you don't need to migrate user mailboxes to Exchange 2019.
You could configure Exchange 2019 as an Internet facing server, then create hybrid with Exchange 2019. After that, you could migrate mailboxes from Exchange 2013 to Exchange online directly. In this way, you don't need to run HCW twice.
As said before, both methods are ok, they are similar, not much difference.
I personally would just move all the mailboxes to Exchange online first via 2013, then bring up the 2019 server afterwards and run the Hybrid Wizard against 2019 then..
That way , no issues that you will mess anything up :)
Thanks for both for your input.
The second option, installing the Exchange 2019 after I've done the migration to Exchange Online seems like the option I'd like to choose since I don't really want to mess with my existing Exchange 2013 setup to much - primarily since I'm not an Exchange wizard and things are working well now.
But if I run the Hybrid wizard against my Exchange 2013 server setup to do the migration to Exchange online, why would I need to run the Hybrid Wizard against the Exchange 2019 server?
I guess I assumed that once I had done the migration to Exchange Online, the Hybrid Wizard wouldn't be needed. My goal at the end is to have all our email in Exchange Online, and the Exchange 2019 only for administering the Exchange/User properties I can't manage thru Exchange Online.
Thanks
Nick
If you have any SMTP routing between on-prem and Exchange Online , then I would run the wizard again after installing 2019. If not, then no reason to if all the mailboxes are in 365 and any future ones will be as well.
Ok, thanks. Assuming I've done the migration successfully, there shouldn't be any mailboxes located on the on-prem Exchange 2013 servers and all mail should be flowing thru Exchange Online once I'm done.
So at that point I would install Exchange 2019 and decommission the Exchange 2013 servers. But won't I need to install the Hybrid Wizard on the Exchange 2019 server so that Exchange 2019 server can communicate with Exchange Online?
Correct. Once done, install 2019 ( and do all the pre-reqs)
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/plan-and-deploy/prerequisites?view=exchserver-2019
Then once installed, move all the arbitration mailboxes from 2013 to 2019. You will need those so Exchange will be happy.
get-mailbox -arbitration | new-moverequest -targetdatabase <New2019DB>
Then remove 2013 and you should be good!
Then set autodiscover to ExO:
https://practical365.com/stop-publishing-exchange-to-the-internet-after-migrating-to-exchange-online/
Then lock down (block inbound ports via your firewall ) Exchange from the outside and ensure it cant accessed remotely!
Finally, have a drink to celebrate.
Ok got it - I think. The ordering of the replies here makes it a little confusing to read correctly.
So to be clear, I still need to install the Hybrid Wizard on the Exchange 2019 correct?
Based on the answers I see these as the steps: