Upgrading from 2.4 to 3.1 and NT to W2K and Exchange 5.5 to W2K

[gary.hughes]

Using the same box, an I on the right track?

1) Export Unity

2) Uninstall Unity

3) Backup Exchange (message store) to save messages ????

4) FDISK, then W2k, Exchange 2K

5) Restore message store from backup ????

6) Install a clean copy of Unity 3.x

7) Import Unity from the MDB file made in step 1

Is this the right way to upgrade? I was confused on when to back up Exchange to save everybody's email

Gary

[kechambe]

There is no way that is supported by Cisco to keep your Exchange messages. I don’t think any third party backup products allow you to backup an Exchange 5.5 store and restore it on Exchange 2000. You will want to look at ExMerge from Microsoft if you want to keep the messages. So, steps 1,2,4,6,7 from your list are the ones you want to do.

Keith

[gary.hughes]

Can I use Exmerge to get the messages back into Exchange 2K and then install Unity 3.1 and then do the import? I understand that Exmerge will let me import messages from 5.5 to Exchange 2K

Thanks

[jmessina]

Exmerge has a one step and a two step process. What you should do is use the 2 step process. First extract the mail from the store on the exchange 5.5 box. Then after the Ex2k server is built import the mail to the associated mailboxes.

Keep in mind that you will lose single instance storage. I have seen .edb files go from 5 to 12 gb as a result but it varies from case to case. If you are running 5.5 on nt, you need to use the 5.5 version (which is found on the BORK) to extract the mail and the 2k version to import (which is on the ex2kcd) or in ciscospeak "the message store" cd . this process is well documented and becomes a little tricky in terms od permissions. For example In exchange 2000 the administrator by default, does not have the proper permissions to the users mailboxes to import the mail so through AD you can set the proper rights. Do some research this is well documented and works very well.

many links out there heres a few.

http://support.microsoft.com/search/preview.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q174197

http://support.microsoft.com/search/preview.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q262481