Differences between Exchange 5.5 and Exchange Server 2003 Environments

Exchange version 5.5 worked well in smaller organizations. Exchange 5.5 deployments typically consisted of Exchange servers being at each remote location, and with no more than thirty users.

The main Exchange 5.5 design limitations are summarized here:

  • The degree of stability offered by Exchange 5.5 is open to discussion. Exchange 5.5 stability was typically realized through the following means:
    • Keeping public folders and message routing isolated from the mail-message services.
    • Keeping the size of the Databases small.
  • With Exchange 5.5, designs were limited around the site boundary. In fact, the Exchange 5.5 site was the boundary for both:
    • Message routing
    • Exchange administration.
  • Within an Exchange 5.5 site, each server communicated with all other servers, and replication takes place at 15 minute intervals in the site. Bandwidth usually becomes an issue where bandwidth supply is not unlimited in the organization.
  • The design model of Exchange 5.5 and Windows NT created the following shortfalls:
    • Centralized administration could not take place.
    • Distributed message routing could not occur either.
  • Exchange 5.5 only offered a small level of redundancy.
  • Another major issue of Exchange 5.5 is its lack of scalability. Organizations were limited in the size of the database because of the following influences:
    • Backup job time
    • Restore processes
    • Offline maintenance time

The improvements provided by Exchange Server 2003 for Exchange 5.5 are listed here:

  • Exchange Server2003 provides a separate administration and routing model. Exchange Server 2003 provides the following mechanisms to isolate administration and routing:
    • Administrative Groups
    • Routing Groups
  • However, to use Administrative Groups and Routing Groups, either the following activities have to be performed:
    • Exchange 5.5 servers have to be uninstalled from the organization.
    • Exchange 5.5 servers have to be upgraded to Exchange Server 2003
  • Exchange Server 2003 provides active-active clustering, which in turn provides improved redundancy and availability over that provided in the Exchange 5.5 version of Exchange. In the cluster, all active nodes are able to service user requests. The Exchange Server 2003 connectors can be redundant as well.
  • The degree of scalability offered by Exchange Server 2003 is better than that provided by Exchange 5.5 because of the following Exchange Server 2003 features:
    • Multiple mail and public folder databases are provided. This basically means that Exchange backup and restore time is kept at a minimum.
    • A database can be mounted and dismounted in isolation.
  • The Windows Server 2003 operating system, which forms the base of an Exchange Server 2003 installation, provides enhanced stability. The Exchange Server 2003 specific features that enhance Exchange stability as well are:
    • Redundant connector implementations.
    • Smaller database sizes.
    • Clustering

The different versions of Exchange 2003 are:

  • Exchange 2003 Standard Edition: This version of Exchange 2003 is suited for a small organization. It also works well as a utility server in a large environment and as a bridgehead server for an Exchange organization. The Exchange 2003 Standard Edition provides the basic message server version of the software, and supports one mailbox database of up to 16GB. Exchange 200 Standard Edition includes support for Web access, support for mobile access, and support for server recovery functionality.
  • Exchange 2003 Enterprise Edition: This version of Exchange 2003 is ideal for organizations that need more than a single 16GB Exchange messaging database, and for organizations that need to use the advanced capabilities and features of Exchange. Exchange 2003 Enterprise Edition can support a maximum of 20 Exchange messaging databases per server.

Preparing for Migration to Exchange Server 2003

To ensure a simpler migration from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003, it is recommended that you perform the following activities:

  • The Exchange 5.5 servers being upgraded to Exchange Server 2003 must have Service Pack 3 or higher applied. The recommended service pack installation for the Exchange 5.5 servers is Service Pack 4.
  • Consolidate the items in Exchange 5.5 and the organizations and sites so that fewer items need to be migrated Exchange Server 2003. For instance, you might not need to migrate the connector servers. You should also consider consolidating the Exchange 5.5 sites into a single site. You can use the Move Server Wizard to consolidate the organizations and sites of Exchange 5.5 before migrating to Exchange Server 2003.
  • With regard to foreign mail connectivity, Exchange Server 2003 does not include the PROFS/SNADS connector. To solve this issue, you can do either of the following:
    • Do not migrate one Exchange 5.5 site so that this site can deal with PROFS/SNADS connectivity. With this solution, the snag is that it delays the organization’s move From Mixed Mode to Exchange Server 2003 Native Mode.
    • Migrate the PROFS user to Exchange Server 2003
    • Use SMTP to connect the systems.

There are basically different approaches which you can take to migrate from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003:

  • Single site migration: Here, a single Administrative Group with a single Routing Group is formed when the migration occurs. Users can be moved between Exchange servers in the site. Additional Routing Groups can be added. When operating in Exchange Server 2003 Native Mode, you can move the servers in the Administrative Group to your additional Routing Groups. Servers cannot though be moved between Administrative Groups. You can add more Administrative Groups to the organization only if you install a new Exchange Server 2003.
  • Multi-site migration: Here, an Exchange Server 2003 system must be created in each Exchange 5.5 site. Users mailboxes have to be moved to Exchange Server 2003. The end result will be an organization that has multiple Administrative Groups with one Routing Group. Servers cannot be moved between Administrative Groups.
  • Multi-organization migration: When it comes to multi-organization Exchange environments, the following options exist for migrating to Exchange Server 2003:
    • Do not migrate any Exchange 5.5 organizations to Exchange Server 2003, but instead, use a clean Exchange Server 2003 organization installation. You can then use the ExMerge utility to migrate user data from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003 organization.
    • Choose only one server to move to Exchange Server 2003. Then, for the users of the other organization, you will need to create Exchange Server 2003 mailboxes. The ExMerge utility can be used to move user data from the organization to Exchange Server 2003.
    • You can merge one Exchange 5.5 organization to the other Exchange 5.5 organization, and migrate to Exchange Server 2003 using the Move Server Wizard.

The Active Directory forest and domain also has to be prepared for Exchange Server 2003. One of the first steps that you need to perform for an Exchange Server 2003 environment is to extend the Active Directory schema. The Active Directory schema defines what types of objects can be stored in Active Directory. It also defines what the attributes of these objects are. When you install Exchange Server 2003, the Active Directory schema is extended to contain Exchange Server 2003 specific classes and attributes. To extend the Active Directory schema, you will need to run ForestPrep. ForestPrep updates the Active Directory schema so that the necessary Exchange 2003 classes and attributes are added.

Before proceeding with extending the Active Directory schema, consider the points listed below:

  • You have to extend the Active Directory schema on the server assuming the Schema Master Flexible Single Master Operations (FSMOs role.
  • To extend the schema, the service account being used must be a member of the Schema Admins group and a member of the Enterprise Admins group.
  • When you extend the Active Directory schema, a full replication occurs for the Active Directory domain databases and Global catalog information.

You also have to prepare the Windows Server 2003 domain that will be used to host the Exchange 2003 servers. The account which you utilize to prepare you domains by running DomainPrep, must be a member of the Domain Admins group in the specific domain. DomainPrep creates the necessary Active Directory groups and permissions that Exchange Server 2003 will change.

The changes made to the domain when DomainPrep is run are listed here:

  • The global security group, Exchange Domain Servers, is created.
  • The domain local security group, Enterprise Exchange Servers, is created.
  • The Exchange Domain Servers group is added to the Enterprise Exchange Servers group.
  • For the domain controller being used for the Recipient Update Service, the necessary permissions are assigned.

DomainPrep must be run in the following domains:

  • Forest root domain.
  • In each domain which will host Exchange Server 2003.
  • In each domain that will host Exchange mailbox-enabled objects. Whether the domain hosts an Exchange Server 2003 server is irrelevant.

The permissions are needed to install Exchange Server 2003 are listed here

  • To initially run ForestPrep in a forest to update/extend the Active Directory schema – Member of the Schema Admins group and Enterprise Admins group.
  • To run ForestPrep in a forest after the initial instance – Exchange Administrator permissions at the Exchange organization level.
  • To run DomainPrep to prepare for Exchange Server 2003 installation – Member of the Domain Admins group in the specific domain.
  • To install the initial server in the domain – Exchange Administrator permissions at the Exchange organization level.
  • To install any additional servers in the domain – Exchange Administrator permissions at the administrative group level. The machine account must be included in the Exchange Domain Servers group.
  • To install a server with Site Replication Service (SRS) – Exchange Administrator permissions at the Exchange organization level.

The Role of the Active Directory Connector (ADC)

When migrating from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003, the Active Directory Connector (ADC) must be installed so that the connection agreements (CAs) it contains can be utilized to synchronize directory entries between the different Exchange systems. You can install the Exchange Server 2003 ADC on a member server as well.

The Exchange Server ADC includes capabilities for replicating configuration and routing information. It updates the Active Directory schema on the first installation. When the user accounts are migrated to Active Directory, directory synchronization has to occur between the Global Catalog and the Exchange directory service. The Windows user accounts have to be synchronized with the proper mailbox information. This is done through the ADC connectio agreement.

The Exchange Server 2003 Active Directory Connector (ADC) tools can be used to create the connection agreements that you need to perform the migration from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003. You can use the ADC MMC snap-in on the domain controller running the ADC to manually configure any connection agreement.

To create the required connection agreements, the following ADC tools are used:

  • Resource Mailbox Wizard; used to determine which users have more than one mailbox, and then address this prior to Exchange Server 2003 migration.
  • Connection Agreement Wizard; used to guide Exchange administrators through creating the necessary connection agreements for migration to Exchange Server 2003.

To use the ADC MMC snap-in to manually configure a connection agreement:

  1. Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft Exchange, and then Active Directory Connector.
  2. Right-click the Active Directory Connector service for the server and select New and then select Recipient Connection Agreement from the shortcut menu.
  3. On the General tab, provide the following information:
    • Direction for the new connection agreement.
    • ADC server for the connection agreement.
  4. On the Connections tab, provide the following information:
    • User name and associated password for accessing, reading, and writing to Active Directory.
    • Server name for the Exchange 5.5 server.
    • LDAP port number for the Exchange 5.5 server.
    • User name and associated password for accessing, reading, and writing to the Exchange 5.5 directory.
  5. On the Schedule tab, provide the following information:
    • Specify the schedule for directory synchronization.
    • Select the Replicate the Entire Directory the Next Time checkbox so that a full directory synchronization is initially performed.
  6. On the From Exchange tab, provide the following information:
    • Specify which of the Exchange 5.5 site recipients should synchronize with Active Directory.
    • Specify where in Active Directory matching accounts should be looked for and new accounts should be created.
    • Specify which object types should be replicated.
  7. On the From Windows tab, provide the following information:
    • Specify which Active Directory organizational units (OUs) should be utilized to obtain objects.
    • Specify where the objects should be located.
    • Leave the Replicate Secured Active Directory Objects to the Exchange Directory checkbox unselected.
    • Leave the Create Objects in Location Specified by Exchange 5.5 DN checkbox unselected as well.
  8. On the Deletion tab, provide the following information:
    • Specify which deletion strategy suits your needs. This is where you define whether deletions should be processed.
  9. On the Advanced tab, you should only change the default settings under the following conditions:
    • The Exchange Server 2003 ADC has to replicate between Exchange organizations.
    • There is more than one connection agreement.

To use the ADC MMC snap-in to configure a public folder connection agreement:

  1. Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft Exchange, and then Active Directory Connector.
  2. Right-click the Active Directory Connector service for the server and select New and then select Public Connection Agreement from the shortcut menu.
  3. On the General tab, provide the following information:
  • Direction for the new connection agreement.
  • ADC server for the connection agreement.
  1. On the Connections tab, provide the following information:
  • User name and associated password for accessing, and reading and writing to Active Directory.
  • Server name for the Exchange 5.5 server.
  • LDAP port number for the Exchange 5.5 server.
  • User name and associated password for accessing, reading, and writing to the Exchange 5.5 directory.
  1. On the Schedule tab, provide the following information:
  • Specify the schedule for directory synchronization.
  • Select the Replicate the Entire Directory the Next Time checkbox so that a full directory synchronization is initially performed.
  1. On the From Exchange tab, provide the following information:
  • Specify which of the Exchange 5.5 site recipients should be synchronized with Active Directory.
  • Specify where in Active Directory matching accounts should be looked for and new accounts should be created.
  • Specify which object types should be replicated.
  1. On the From Windows tab, leave the Replicate Secured Active Directory Objects to the Exchange Directory checkbox unselected.
  2. You next have to force the connection agreement to replicate.
  3. Right-click the connection agreement which should be replicated, and select Replicate Now from the shortcut menu.

Exchange Migration Wizard Overview

You can use the Exchange Migration Wizard to perform a number of migration tasks:

  • Define and create user accounts in Active Directory for Exchange Server 5.5 accounts.
  • To move the e-mail addresses to the newly created user accounts. This includes:
    • Microsoft Mail
    • SMTP
    • X.400
    • SMTP
  • Convert Active Directory contacts to mail-enabled user accounts.
  • To migrate mailbox data to Exchange Server 2003 mailboxes. This includes the following information:
    • Inbox
    • Sent Items
    • Drafts
    • Calendar
    • Tasks
    • Custom created folders
    • Contacts
  • Migrate Exchange Server 2003 group membership.

The Exchange Migration Wizard does though have a number of limitations, some of which are listed here:

  • The Exchange Migration Wizard cannot migrate mailboxes in the same organization. The source and destination organization cannot be the same organization.
  • The Exchange Migration Wizard also cannot migrate personal address book information and archived mail items.
  • Distribution lists cannot be migrated through the Exchange Migration Wizard either.
  • The Exchange Migration Wizard does not migrate Outlook Inbox rules.
  • To migrate public folders, you have to use either of these methods:
    • Export the public folders to .pst files.
    • Use the Inter-organization Replication utility to migrate the public folders.
  • The Exchange Migration Wizard does not remove any mailboxes in the Exchange 5.5 organization. You have to manually delete the mailboxes and then define the user mail profiles to access mailboxes in the Exchange Server 2003 organization.
  • The Exchange Migration Wizard only maintains the access control list (ACL) associated with the user account. It does not keep the access control lists of mailboxes or public folders.

How to install the first Exchange 2003 server

  1. Run the Exchange Server 2003 setup called SetupPrep to verify that all requirements for installing Exchange Server 2003 are in place.
  2. Initiate the Exchange Installation Wizard.
  3. Click Next on the Welcome to the Exchange Installation Wizard scree.
  4. On the following page, proceed to accept the license agreement by clicking I Agree, and then click Next.
  5. Select the Typical installation option and click Next.
  6. On the Installation Types page, you have to specify whether to perform a new Exchange Server installation or an upgrade installation. Click the Join or Upgrade an Existing Exchange 5.5 Organization option and then click Next.
  7. Provide the server name for the Exchange 5.5 server.
  8. Click OK.
  9. On the Licensing Agreement page, read the Exchange Server licensing agreement, and select the option, I agree that I have read and will be bound by the license agreements for this product. Click Next.
  10. Provide the password of the Exchange 5.5 service account.
  11. The Installation Summary is displayed. Review the settings specified on this page, and then click Next.
  12. Click Finish to close the Exchange Installation Wizard and complete the installation process.

A number of modifications are made when you install Exchange Server 2003:

  • The Exchange Domain Servers security group is modified to include the Exchange Server account.
  • Exchange Server 2003 services are installed and started.
  • Exchange Server 2003 binaries are installed.
  • The Site Replication Service (SRS), which synchronizes the directory with the Exchange 5.5 server in the site, is installed as well.
  • The Recipient Update Service (RUS) is installed to update the following elements in Active Directory:
    • Update recipient policies
    • Update address lists
  • A connection agreement called ConfigCA is created to deal with the replication of configuration information and routing information between Exchange 5.5 and Exchange Server 2003.
  • The IIS services; namely the SMTP service and the NNTP service are changed.

Methods for Migrating Mailboxes to Exchange Server 2003

The methods which you can use to move migrate mailboxes to Exchange Server 2003 are listed here:

  • Use the Active Directory Users and Computers management console (Mailbox move)
  • Use the ExMerge utility (Exmerge.exe)

You can use the ExMerge utility to extract the mailbox contents to a personal store (PST) file and then add the PST file to the Outlook profile of the user. The PST file can be added to a destination mailbox to another server, site or organization.

ExMerge can be used to merge the information listed here:

  • User mail messages
  • User folders
  • Folder rules created using Exchange 5.0
  • Outlook calendars
  • Contacts
  • Tasks
  • Journal
  • Notes

ExMerge cannot be used to merge the information listed here:

  • Schedule+ data
  • Folder riles created using Exchange 4.0.
  • Forms
  • Views

You need to have Service Account Administrator permissions in Exchange 5.5 at each of the following levels to use ExMerge to migrate Exchange 5.5 mailboxes to Exchange Server 2003:

  • Organization container level
  • Site container level
  • Configuration container level

You should only really use the ExMerge utility when you are migrating between Exchange organizations.

How to move mailboxes using the Active Directory Users and Computers management console

  1. Click Start, Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
  2. Locate the users whose mailbox should be moved.
  3. Select all the users which should be moved, right-click and then select Exchange Tasks from the shortcut menu.
  4. The Exchange Task Wizard launches.
  5. Click Next on the Exchange Task Wizard welcome page.
  6. Select the Move Mailbox option and then click Next.
  7. Specify the destination server and the mailbox store. Click Next.
  8. You now have to specify whether corruption should be reported or whether it should be ignored and then click Next.
  9. Define when the mailboxes should be moved. Click Next.
  10. The Task in Progress page appears, the necessary connections are established to the source server and destination server, and the mailboxes are moved.

Migrating Exchange 5.5 Connectors and Services to Exchange Server 2003

The Internet Mail Service (IMS) in Exchange 5.5 is replaced by the following Exchange Server 2003 components:

  • SMTP Connector
  • Internet Message Format
  • Message Delivery Properties

When it comes to Exchange 5.5 connector migrations, one of the better approaches is to create parallel connectors on Exchange Server 2003 so that the Exchange 5.5 connectors can route mail and perform directory synchronization with the foreign mail system.

The benefits of creating parallel connectors are listed here:

  • If there are issues with the Exchange Server 2003 connector, a failback strategy exists.
  • You can reference the configuration of the Exchange 5.5 connector when you configure the Exchange Server 2003 connector.
  • Controlled mail flow testing can occur.
  • Less risk involved in the migration of the connectors.

The foreign mail connectors supported in Exchange Server 2003 are listed here:

  • X.400 Connector
  • GroupWise Connector
  • Lotus Notes Connector

When it comes to foreign mail connector migrations, one of the better approaches is to create parallel foreign mail connectors on Exchange Server 2003.

After the foreign mail connectors are upgraded, you have to change these configuration settings listed below:

  • Address spaces
  • Import container configuration
  • Export container configuration
  • Delivery restriction options
  • Directory synchronization schedule

Converting to Native Mode

In Mixed Mode, mailboxes cannot be moved between various administrative groups. Servers from the same administrative group reside in a routing group. With Exchange Server 2003 Native Mode, routing groups can include servers from many administrative groups. None of the previous limitations of the previous versions of Exchange are relevant in Native Mode. It is impossible to switch from Native Mode to Mixed Mode.

When Exchange 5.5 servers are not needed any longer, the next step is to convert to Exchange Server 2003 Native Mode.

Under the following conditions, it is strongly recommended that you convert to Exchange Server 2003 Native Mode:

  • All Exchange 5.5 servers are no longer needed.
  • There are no Exchange 5.5 servers in the organization.
  • There is no longer a need for having Exchange 5.5 connectors.
  • There is no future expectation that Exchange Server 5.5 servers will be added to the organization.

The benefits made available by switching to Exchange Server 2003 Native Mode are summarized below:

  • The default routing protocol enabled is SMTP
  • Support for multiple Routing Groups.
  • Support for moving servers between Routing Groups.
  • A Routing Group can include servers from other Administrative Groups.
  • Support for moving mailboxes between Administrative Groups.

Steps for converting to Exchange Server 2003 Native Mode

  1. Start by deleting all Directory Replication Connectors.
  2. Next, delete any Exchange 5.5 servers from each site.
  3. Delete the recipient connection agreements from the site.
  4. Delete any other connection agreements from the site.
  5. Delete the Site Replication Service (SRS).
  6. Access the Properties of the organization and then use the Change Mode button to convert to Exchange Server 2003 Native Mode.

How to convert to Exchange Server 2003 Native Mode

  1. Open the Exchange System Manager administrative tool.
  2. Navigate to the organization.
  3. Right-click the organization and then select Properties from the shortcut menu.
  4. On the General tab, in the Change Operations Mode area, click the Change Mode button.
  5. Click Yes to verify the move to Exchange Server 2003 Native Mode.
  6. Click OK.

Best Practices for Migrating from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003

A few best practices for migrating from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003 are summarized here:

  • A dedicated service account should be used to install Exchange Server 2003.
  • If you have Exchange 5.5 connectors which are not supported in Exchange Server 2003, then you should not upgrade all Exchange 5.5 servers, but leave one Exchange 5.5 server to support the unsupported connector.
  • The Active Directory Connector should be installed on the primary or first Exchange Server in the site.
  • Use the ADC tools to configure the connection agreements.
  • It is recommended that you make use of site and server consolidation in Exchange Server 2003 so that the number of servers that have to be supported are reduced.
  • To improve Exchange 2003 security, after Exchange Server 2003 is installed, you should disable all services which are not needed.
  • Use the Move Mailbox migration process over the ExMerge process. You should only really use the ExMerge utility when you are migrating between Exchange organizations.