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Moving from Exchange 2007 to 2016 questions

deathnote666deathnote666 Registered User regular
edited February 2017 in Help / Advice Forum
Will 2016 be able to import the 2007 database?

Do I need to install 2013 first to convert the 2007 database into the 2013 version first?

Is it true that I would need to remove my 2007 server from the forest before 2016 is installed?

I've seen some difficulties getting the 2007 database to be used by 2013. What are some common problems?

I'm going to be using this server as a DC as well. Would it be advisable to install the DC role first?

Server 2012 R2 will have exchange 2016. Server 2008 R2 has exchange 2007 and is a DC.

What would be the best order to install the DC role and exchange 2016 with minimal downtime while keeping exchange 2007 live as long as possible?

deathnote666 on

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    FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    edited February 2017
    Will 2016 be able to import the 2007 database? Do I need to install 2013 first to convert the 2007 database into the 2013 version first?

    Is it true that I would need to remove my 2007 server from the forest before 2016 is installed?

    Per https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms.exch.setupreadiness.e16e12coexistenceminversionrequirement(v=exchg.160).aspx there is no direct upgrade path for 2007 to 2016. You must go to Exchange 2010 or 2013 first.

    Also, you shouldn't attempt to upgrade the database from one version of Exchange to another. You can do that, but it's generally much easier to just spin up a new Exchange server, run them concurrently, and migrate everything over.

    Instead, your migration plan should look something like this:

    1) Spin up a separate Exchange 2010 or 2013 server and get it running.
    2) Configure the client access and hub transport roles on EX2010/2013.
    3) Migrate all mailboxes from EX2007 to EX2010/2013.
    4) Test EX2010/2013 while EX2007 has its network cable disconnected and make sure you can access your mailbox, send/receive internal and external mail, and (gag) access any public folders if you still have any.
    5) Plug the EX2007 network cable back in and uninstall Exchange. (Uninstalling Exchange from Control Panel also cleans up all of the Active Directory stuff.)
    6) Run your company on EX2010/2013 for a week or two to iron out any residual wrinkles.

    Then do it all again as you migrate from EX2010/2013 to 2016.


    I'm going to be using this server as a DC as well. Would it be advisable to install the DC role first?

    It is advisable that you don't do this.

    Microsoft will not support Exchange and ADS on the same server.

    You can make it work, but you're increasing the likelihood of weird flaky problems and just creating headaches for yourself in the long term.

    My recommendation if you're limited on server hardware is to use Hyper-V. I've done this in small environments before and it works fine. An example might look something like this:

    First Physical Server: HYPERV01
    VM: ADS01
    VM: EXCHANGE01
    VM: FILE01

    Second Physical Server: HYPERV02
    VM: ADS02
    VM: EXCHANGE02
    VM: FILE02

    Total cost: 6 licenses for Microsoft Server, 2 licenses for Exchange, 2 physical servers, plus however many CALs you need. You can do this for around $10k before CALs.

    If you can't quite swing that, you can also do:

    First Physical Server: HYPERV01
    VM: ADS01
    VM: EXCHANGE01

    Second Physical Server: HYPERV02
    VM: ADS02
    VM: FILE02

    You don't get redundancy on Exchange or file sharing, but you can easily migrate those VMs to another physical server if something crashes.

    Feral on
    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
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    FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    BTW, keep in mind that purchasing a license for any Microsoft product through volume licensing channels always provides downgrade rights. You should have downloads available in the volume licensing portal for Exchange 2010-2016.

    I'm assuming you got Exchange through volume licensing. AFAIK there's no other way to get it, but I might be wrong. YMMV.

    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
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    deathnote666deathnote666 Registered User regular
    Thanks for the responses!

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    Apothe0sisApothe0sis Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality? Registered User regular
    If you use Public Folders, bear in mind that the find public folder functionality is broken since 2010

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    FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    Microsoft has been trying to get rid of public folders, but public demand (no pun intended) keeps forcing MS to keep them.

    Public folders still work in 2016. There are differences in how they're stored and managed, but they're still around.

    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
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