Migration Manager for Exchange 8.15 - Source and Target Exchange 2003 Environment Preparation

Changing the Default Agent Host Account

The default Agents Host Account (initially displayed on the Default Agent Host page of the Exchange server Properties) is set when you add source or target organization to migration project (see the Registering Source and Target Organizations section of the Migration Manager for Exchange User Guide for details).

If necessary, you can change the default Agent Host Account by clicking Modify on the General | Default Agent Host page of the corresponding server properties in the Migration Manager for Exchange Console.

To go on using the default Agent Host Account for Exchange migration, grant the permissions required for Exchange migration to this account.

Granting Membership in the Local Administrators Group on the License Server

The Agent Host Account should be a member of the local Administrators group on the license server (unless alternative credentials are used for the license server).

To add the Agents Host Account to the local Administrators group on the license server perform the following:

1. Open the Computer Management snap-in (Click Start | Run, enter compmgmt.msc and then click OK).
2. In the left pane click System Tools | Local Users and Groups | Groups.
3. Right-click the Administrators group and click Add to Group.
4. Click Add and select the Agent Host Account.
5. Close the dialog boxes by clicking OK.

Preparing the Exchange Environment for Exchange Migration

Perform the steps described in the related subtopics to ensure that your Exchange environment is ready for migration:

• Backing up Exchange
• Create Aelita EMW Recycle Bin Public Folder (Optional)
• Creating Mailboxes for Public Folder and Free/Busy Synchronization
• Creating Administrator Mailboxes for Mailbox and Calendar Synchronization (Optional)
• Configuring the NSPI Connection Limit

Backing up Exchange

Backing up Exchange

Before implementing Migration Manager in your production environment, back up your Exchange infrastructure. We recommend that Active Directory data be backed up at least twice a day during migration.

Transaction Log File Cleanup

When Migration Manager for Exchange synchronizes mail and public folders, for every megabyte of data migrated from the source to the target, a transaction log file of equal size is generated on the target Exchange server. Exchange-aware backup applications purge the transaction logs after the backup completes. By the time the backup finishes, all logged transactions have already been applied to the store and backed up to tape, making log cleaning safe.

Large transaction logs that are generated during mailbox migration quickly occupy free disk space. To work around this problem, perform one of the following:

• If a full backup strategy is implemented in the organization or there is no backup strategy at all, then circular logging may be enabled for unattended log deletion.
• If an incremental or differential backup strategy is already implemented in the organization, then make sure that logs are cleared automatically. Do not enable circular logging in this case.

Note also that Microsoft recommends turning OFF circular logging on the Exchange server. For more information, refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base article 147524, “XDAM: How Circular Logging Affects the Use of Transaction Logs.”