What is the difference between stage 1 and stage 2? (4380385)

What is the difference between stage 1 and stage 2?

N/A

Even if the mailboxes or users already exist in the target, the archive linkage (the association between a user and their archive) isn’t automatically tied to the migrated data.

• Stage 1 (Copy/Sync phase):

  • AS copies archive data from the source archive (e.g., SourceOne, Enterprise Vault, etc.) into the target archive (e.g., Exchange Online, Enterprise Vault, etc.).

  • During this stage, users are still pointing to their source archive when they try to open archived items (e.g., Outlook shortcuts, stubs, compliance lookups).

  • The target system now has data, but users and apps don’t yet know to use it.

• Stage 2 (Switch phase):

  • This is the cutover. AS (with its agents, scripts, or connectors) updates the user-to-archive mapping in the target environment.

  • It flips shortcuts/stubs in mailboxes so they now resolve against the new target archive instead of the source.

  • It also updates permissions, search indexes, and sometimes policies in the target so the user’s Outlook/OWA experience now points only to the target.

  • After this point, the source archive can be decommissioned.

What’s Involved in Stage 2 Switch

Depending on the source and target systems, it may include:

1. Updating Archive Links

   • For systems like Enterprise Vault → Enterprise Vault migrations, AS will re-map user accounts to their new archive IDs.

2. Stub/Shortcut Re-linking

   • If stubs are migrated (instead of “shortcutless”), AS replaces the hidden message properties so the stubs open the item from the target archive.

3. Permissions Synchronization

   • Ensures any delegated/archive access rights are re-applied in the target.

4. Final Delta Sync

   • Copies any items that were ingested during the migration window (to ensure no data loss).

5. Switch Confirmation & Lockout of Source

   • Users are now expected to use the target archive only. Access to the source archive is blocked to avoid confusion.

✅ So even though the users exist in the target already, their archive pointers do not.
That’s why Stage 2 Switch is required — it’s the step that makes the target archive “live” for end-users and applications.