Using B&R to migrate mail

[KOMBillM]

I am in charge of an ancient domain and email server, a mixed-mode Windows Server 2003 AD and Exchange 2003. I am in the process of building a new infrastructure with new AD forest based on Windows Server 2012 and Exchange 2012 on a new virtual machine running alongside the old stuff.

My question is this: can I use Backup & Replication 6.5 to migrate user mailboxes from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2012 on a different virtual machine in a different AD forest? I know there are potential issues with trying ot shove an old Exchange user mailbox into a brand new Exchange 2012 server, but will B&R 6.5 allow me to restore a mailbox to a totally alien VM and much newer Exchange?

Any replies to this bizarre scenario would be appreciated. We are basically trying to avoid using xmerge if at all possible.

[pendragoncrw]

When I have come across situations like this (different domains), I've generally purchased one of the commercial Exchange tools that can read the Exchange DB directly and dump the mailbox to PST. You could do it from each user's Outlook and get the same result, but with the tool you can do it all from one console.

I have used Quest Recovery Manager for Exchange to go from a corrupted store 2003 server to a 2010 server in the same domain, but never across domains. I'd probably give Quest a call and find out if its doable.

[Vitaliy S.]

Hi Bill,

I would recommend using either 3rd party tools that were specifically designed for such scenarios or Microsoft Exchange built-in migration capabilities. Anyway, be aware that Exchange 2013 is not supported by Veeam B&R v6.5 yet.

Thanks!