Migrating froman Exchange Type Server to Office 365 is a Smart Move

Posted by Peter Drummond on February 10th, 2016

More companies of every size are moving from traditional email services to those in the cloud, and Office 365 migration is a popular choice for many.

The urge to get rid of the old, slow and ineffective Exchange Server for programs like Microsoft Office 365 is growing. Not only is it much easier to take care of but it rids companies of the cost in relation to running a server and the price of managing it as well. Though it can be a confusing process, Office 365 migration can be done with the right planning. Still, there is a chance that there can be problems so it’s best to align with some IT professionals at least for the switch, and possible quick training thereafter.

There are some other things professionals can do to have a smooth switch. Read up on them and consider the implementation, especially if trying it without expert help.

Step 1: Choose the Right Method 
Choosing the right way for Office 365 migration may be the most important. Don’t fall for the hype in regards to it being “easy” at all. The truth is only small businesses can do it in a simple way. There are three migration types; they are cutover, IMAP and hybrid migration.

Cutover: Easy and requires less than 1,000 mailboxes, migration must be done all at once.

IMAP: Mailboxes migrated from a non-Exchange system to 365. Cannot migrate anything outside of email messages. Sometimes, calendar items and tasks can be lost forever. Exchange 2000 and newer are supported.

Hybrid: Most flexible but very complicated. Establishment of coexistence between the local server and Office 365 for migration is necessary. Perfect for use by large corporations.

Get the Timing Right
Another thing that can be done to make sure the Office 365 migration goes smoothly is to estimate the time it will take as closely as possible. One should choose a hybrid migration so they can move their users in groups. Batches should be small enough so that they can be completed quite quickly.

There is a chart that’s available from Microsoft where the average throughput can be estimated for Office 365 migration. While there are some factors that can affect the timing, it should be about 10 to 14GB each hour. Throttling also makes a difference.

Migration Infrastructure

Anyone that is planning to take care of a staged migration on their own should know there is an infrastructure with requirements that they have to follow. It includes:

• A sever running Active Directory Federation Services
• A migration server to facilitate the process

The first handles identity management; it’s crucial that both be strong enough to hold the necessary workload at all times. To avoid performance issues its best to avoid running on virtual hardware unless the Office 365 migration is for a smaller organization.

Work in Stages

When moving mailboxes from a local server to Office 365, make sure to run a trial migration. If one wants to be extra careful they can run the entire process in stages. The first stage should be a test though, and could even create fake mailboxes with messages and calendar events as well as contacts and send them first for safety.

If that works, then migrate some of the “less crucial” mailboxes within the company. This will be a perfect second step to verify that the technique being used is successful as were the test mailboxes. Waiting a week or so between tests is also recommended by professionals in case any issues arise.

As anyone can see, Office 365 migration isn’t a simple process. Thought it can be done without professional help it is much easier and less stressful to employ an affordable IT technician. As a bonus, they will be there to help should anything fail down the road.

About us: With over 75 years of experience, Smile IT has been happily serving happy clients in the Brisbane, Australia area. With a team of thirteen professionals, they provide the best customer service possible. Smile IT specializes in the business and educations sectors but also help with cloud solutions. Superior and tailored solutions are offered, as well as combined technologies and infrastructure that provides any size enterprise technological services to enhance practices and improve business overall. They are committed to making sure clients have the latest in cutting-edge technology and certified services from technicians that are top-notch. A partnership with the top cloud providers ensures productivity. Learn more at http://www.smileit.com.au/