Migration Manager for Exchange 8.15 - Target Exchange 2013 Environment Preparation

Backing Up Exchange

Before implementing Migration Manager for Exchange 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, 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 when backup process is finished. 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: XADM: How Circular Logging Affects the Use of Transaction Logs.

Creating Aelita EMW Recycle Bin Public Folder (Optional)

If you plan to perform public folder synchronization using Migration Manager Public Folder agents, you should create a special public folder called Aelita EMW Recycle Bin.

This folder will help prevent data loss in case of accidental public folder deletion. When a public folder is deleted in one of the environments, the public folder synchronization agents move the corresponding folder in the other environment to the Aelita EMW Recycle Bin folder, if it exists, instead of permanently deleting the folder. You can use this folder to check whether important information has been deleted, and restore any data deleted by mistake.

Installing the Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects 1.2.1

Installing the Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects 1.2.1

Migration Manager needs version 6.5.8353.0 or later of Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects 1.2.1 to be installed on the computers where Migration Manager agents will run (that is, Exchange 2007 and 2010 Servers and agent hosts only).

Since the MAPI CDO setup package is not available for distribution, you should download it from the Microsoft Web site. At the moment of the last document update, the download link is http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42040.

After installing the API, restart the computer.

Configuring Administrator Mailboxes for Public Folder Synchronization

Public folder migration administrator mailboxes should be created on all Exchange 2013 servers involved in public folder synchronization. These mailboxes will be used to access the public folder tree when creating public folder synchronization jobs.

After you created public folder migration administrator mailboxes, take the following steps:

1. Ensure that the Exchange 2013 organization has primary hierarchy mailbox (which is the first created public folder mailbox in organization). If there are no public folder mailboxes yet, create one. It will automatically become primary hierarchy mailbox.
2. After that associate public folder migration administrator mailbox specified for the public folder synchronization with the primary hierarchy mailbox. To do this, run the following cmdlet in Exchange Management Shell:

Set-Mailbox –Identity <Public_Folder_Migration_Administrator_Mailboxes> -DefaultPublicFolderMailbox <Primary_Hierarchy_Mailbox>