IT Services


Migration to Nexus from Local Exchange Systems

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Contents



1. Overview

This evolving document outlines a basic process for migrating small local Exchange implementations to Nexus. This should be read in conjuction with the Migration to Nexus from Non-Herald Email Systems information.

2. Preparation and Prerequisites

  1. Ensure all user accounts to be migrated exist on Nexus and the associated Oxford SSO accounts have been activated
  2. Determine any requisite permissions and reqest they are put in place on Nexus if appropriate (e.g. for sharing of calendars)
  3. Arrange with end-users to clear out old unwanted/irrelevant content that may already be in the Nexus mailbox
  4. Determine the size of the existing mailboxes on their current system
  5. Identify any mobile devices which may access the mailbox (e.g. BlackBerry, iPhone)
  6. Verify that an autodiscover DNS entry exists for the email subdomain(s) being migrated
  7. Confirm which email clients are being used at the current time by the end-users being migrated

3. Process

  1. Reconfigure the oxmail routing to send email to the Nexus system
  2. Disable any forwarding of messages on the Nexus system
  3. Enable forwarding of any content from the old system into Nexus
N.B. This is the point at which Nexus becomes the primary system
  1. Export the existing email content to PST files (see note 1 below)
    1. This can be achieved en masse with the use of EXMERGE (Exchange 5.5 to 2003) or 'export-mailbox' (Exchange 2007).
    2. The Outlook client can also export to PST for small-scale migrations
  2. Record the clients' email configuration including:
    1. Server configuration settings
    2. Message processing rules
    3. Spam processing settings
    4. Signatures
    5. Custom forms/stationery
    6. Journaling configuration
    7. Receipt processing and confirmation
    8. Email clients' default message format (HTML, rich text, plain text)
    9. Record any custom category labels
    10. Rename the .NK2 file as .OLD (see note 2 below)
    11. Verify the size of any offline cache (*.OST). Confirm if caching is for a subset of folders or disabled
    12. For OST files over 2GB record the custom registry values set for oversized *ST files
  3. Ensure that spam filtration is enabled in OWA and disabled in the email client
  4. Reconfigure the client to point to the Nexus server. Where possible, such as Outlook, create a separate profile rather than deleting the current one immediately.
  5. Reinstate all customised settings in the client application
  6. Use Outlook's 'import PST' option to reinstate content into the mailbox from the exported data.
  7. Reconnect any mobile devices and test

Note 1: Any corrupted content will not be exported - it may be necessary to set expectations with the customer that, in this circumstance, content will be lost.

Note 2: This is the 'autocomplete' list of recently-used email addresses when sending. This needs to be cleared as the stored names may reference the original server directly. In these instances delivery of new email would fail.



4. Considerations

  1. Ensure that end-users are aware that autocompleted names will be lost, and why this is the case. The same addressing issue may also affect old messages to which the user clicks 'reply'. In all cases, delivery will be possible if you select the name from the GAL or type in the SMTP address directly.
  2. Handheld/mobile devices will need to be reconnected. In the case of a BlackBerry it will need:
    1. To be backed up (by the desktop client software)
    2. Any BIS email configuration saved for later regeneration
    3. To have its firmware version checked and possibly updated to 4.5 or later
    4. Application configuration data saved. These will lose any preferences but should not be removed by the wipe and reactivation.
    5. To be 'wiped'.
    6. A licence, possibly from the previous BES.
    7. Enterprise Activation
    8. Restoration of the previously backed up configuration.

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