Microsoft made the announcement indicating the end of support for Exchange version 2013. It makes things simple and difficult, at the same time. Simple because organizations can pause all other tasks and start the Exchange 2013 to 2019 migration ASAP. Whereas the difficulty is how to go about this complex procedure.
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However, don’t worry as this is where we come in. Our aim with this article is to provide users with a full step-by-step process to upgrade their Exchange Server from 2013 to 2019. Let’s start by listing the advantages of making this change.
Reasons to Migrate System Mailboxes From Exchange Server 2013 to 2019
- The major cause for considering this upgrade stems from the fact that Exchange 2013 no longer receives any Microsoft security updates.
- Apart from this, Exchange 2019 simplifies the email architecture by reducing the overall components to just two, Mailboxes and Client Access.
- Exchange 2019 also uses the Big Funnel search engine which it borrowed from Microsoft’s Bing. It makes indexing within the server quicker and more consistent.
- Exchange Server 2019 comes with a direct integration with Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) not present in the 2013 version.
- Exchange Server 2013 cannot work alongside the latest Outlook Desktop client.
Prerequisite to Upgrade Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019
These prerequisites must be fulfilled before attempting the migration, regardless of the method of choice.
- First up review the product page of Exchange 2019 and find out what’s new. Then make sure that all hardware and software specifications are met. Some of the major requirements are:
64-bit CPU, 128 GB RAM, Windows Server 2019 or later, .Net 4.8.0, etc.
- Verify the health of the Active Directory and ensure it can take the load of the Newserver while maintaining the previous one.
- Obtain an SSL certificate that includes the necessary domain names, including Autodiscover and OWA.
Note: The ability to customize the Exchange parameters changes the minimum requirements follow up with the Microsoft helpline for your specific requirements.
Manual Method to Migrate Exchange 2013 to 2019 & Their Limitations
There are two separate methods for manual data migration we cover them one by one.
How to use the EAC to Upgrade Exchange 2013 to 2019 in step by step manner:
- Visit the EAC portal and sign in via admin credentials
- Within the left-hand pane find and select “Recipients”.
- A drop-down menu appears where you need to choose “Migration”.
- Press the “+ (New)” icon and generate a new migration batch.
- Inside the “Select a migration type” box, select the “Move to a different database” option.
- Then select the “Add” button to choose your mailboxes.
- Create a migration endpoint with Exchange Server 2019 as the version upon filling in admin credentials.
- Without making any unnecessary changes to the default prompts (target, item, mailbox) hit Next.
- Review the settings and press the “Finish” icon to start the migration.
- For a quick look at migration status, you need to revisit the “Recipient” page, where the “Migration“ subsection has all the information you need.
An alternative way that uses PowerShell commands to perform Exchange 2013 to 2019 migration:
Step 1. Connect your PowerShell window to the EAC:
Import-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName <Admin> [-ExchangeEnvironmentName <Exchange2013>] [-ShowBanner:$false] [-DelegatedOrganization <ABC>] [-SkipLoadingFormatData]
Step 2. Make a migration endpoint using:
New-MigrationEndpoint -Name Exchange2019 -ExchangeRemote -Autodiscover -EmailAddress admin@olddomain.com -Credentials (Get-Credential olddomain\ITadmin)
Step 3. Use PowerShell to view the CSV file:
$csvData=[System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes("C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\Migration13to19.csv")
Step 4. Create a new batch for migration and begin the migration:
New-MigrationBatch -CSVData $csvData -Timezone "Indian Standard Time" -Name ExchangeMigration -SourceEndpoint Xchng19 -TargetDeliveryDomain "mail.newdomain.com"
Step 5. To look at the current migration status type:
Get-MigrationUserStatistics -Identity Migration13to19 -Status | Format-List
Professional Way to Upgrade or Migrate Exchange Server 2013 to 2019
In the manual methods, users face many difficulties such as lack of direct support, data loss, and technical complexity, To deal with such issues experts recommend using the SysTools Exchange to Exchange Migration Tool. With this utility, any migration scenario can be completed with ease as the tool contains a simplified UI.
Getting assistance from the utility is quite simple just follow the steps below.
Step 1. Install and start the tool and make Exchange as both your source and target.
Step 2. Make the workload selection and add a Date filter if required.
Step 3. In the Source Tab pick Exchange Server version 2013 and fill rest of the details.
Step 4. Repeat the same step for Target (2019), Validate, and press Next.
Step 5. Attach users in any one out of three ways (Fetch, Import, Download).
Step 6. Validate the mapping and press Start Migration.
Some advantages of using automated tools over traditional methods are as follows:
- Migrate Any Exchange Server Version – You can migrate any Exchange server version using this software such as
- Check Migration Status – Users get to set an SMTP protocol for direct mailing and view real-time data within the dashboard of the tool itself.
- Advanced Selection Capability – Apply priority, date, and Workload based filters for accurate and quick data transmission.
- Migrate Without Limits – The software has no internal limitation when it comes to moving the data.
This along with many more features are present in the software to make the migration smooth and easy.
What to Do If You Operate a Hybrid Exchange Server
A hybrid setup is nothing but the simultaneous existence of both online and on-premise Exchange servers. The extra cost of this combined system is justified by better data redundancy and security. However, during Exchange server migration, this hybrid setup adds additional complexity. So to deal with this users can follow these steps instead.
- Step 1. Preparation – Update Exchange 2013 and ensure a healthy Active Directory. Moreover, prepare a new server with Windows Server 2019 and the required components.
- Step 2. Exchange 2019 Installation – Install Exchange 2019, configuring Mailbox and Client Access roles.
- Step 3. Hybrid Configuration – Update hybrid configuration using Exchange Hybrid Configuration Wizard.
- Step 4. Mailbox Migration – Migrate user mailboxes from Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019.
- Step 5. Update Mail Flow – Adjust mail flow rules and connectors to use Exchange 2019.
- Step 6. Outlook Profiles – Update Outlook profiles with new Exchange 2019 settings.
These are generalized steps your particular scenario might be slightly different so make any changes accordingly.
Post Migration Steps to Upgrade Exchange 2013 to 2019 Step By Step
Some more things that admins need to take care of are given below:
- Update MX Record – These records are part of the DNS which decides how to route the mails. As they exist separate from the exchange server Admins must manually reroute them towards the new server version 2019.
- Decommission Old Exchange Server – If you don’t plan on keeping a backup of the 2013 version for compliance or security purposes simply decommission it and reduce expenses.
With this, our migration is now complete.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed the automated solution as well as the manual solution to migrate Exchange 2013 to 2019. Apart from this, we made users aware of the advantages of shifting to the new Exchange version. By utilizing the tool and ensuring the best pre and post-migration steps, users can simplify the data transfer.