Summary: Archive mailboxes are primarily used for mailbox archiving. You can migrate archive mailboxes from Exchange 2010 to 2016 using the Exchange Admin Center and the Exchange Management Shell, after configuring the Exchange 2016 environment. Or you can automate the complete migration with an advanced tool, Kernel Migrator for Exchange.
Archive mailboxes, also known as in-place archives, are a special type of user mailboxes that are specially used to archive emails. Just like a primary mailbox, you can also migrate archive mailboxes between Exchange versions by creating a migration batch. You can either use the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) or the Exchange Management Shell (EMS) to setup the migration job. But make sure to select the move archive mailbox option if using EAC or the archive mailbox switch if running the cmdlet.
In the upcoming sections, we will discuss the method to migrate archive mailboxes from Exchange 2010 to 2016 using EAC and EMS. You will find the complete information regarding the migration in this blog, like pre-migration tasks, methods to migrate, post-migration tasks, along with common challenges and questions.
Things to do before you migrate Archive Mailboxes from Exchange 2010 to 2016
You cannot just copy a couple of archive mailboxes from 2010 Exchange and paste them into the 2016 Exchange. There are some things that you must take care of before the move, like:
Backup the mailboxes: This is the first and most important task. Take a complete backup of Exchange mailboxes before you begin to move archive mailboxes from Exchange 2010 to 2016. Migration failure due to internet issues or power failure can cause permanent data loss. Backup gives you an option to recover deleted user mailbox in Exchange.
Analyze the source: Check the Exchange 2010 mailbox and remove any obsolete data items. Trim the mailboxes as much as possible. This will reduce migration time and save your target server storage from useless data.
Configure the destination: Setup the 2016 server, update your Active Directory for the 2016 environment. Install necessary certificates and assign other settings as per 2016 system requirements and also update the Windows and .NET software to the latest version.
Methods to Migrate Archive Mailboxes from Exchange 2010 to 2016
As I said earlier, you can move mailboxes using the EAC and EMS. Let’s see both the methods in detail:
Method 1: Migrate archive mailboxes using EAC
You can swiftly migrate your Exchange 2010 mailboxes to 2016 by using your Exchange Admin Center:
Login to EAC (Exchange Admin Center) with the help of administrator credentials.
Go to recipients and click the option migration.
Click the (+) icon and select Move to a different database.
Add the source mailbox with the help of (+) icon and click Next.
Now, provide a unique name to the new batch. Then, select the option Move archive mailbox only without moving primary mailboxes. Finally, click the browse button and select the desired Exchange 2016 database where you want to save the mailbox.
In the next screen, you can browse the user who will get the report after the migration. You can also choose when to start and end the migration.
As soon as the mailbox is synced and migrated, the status of the batch will be changed to “Completed.”
Method 2: Migrate archive mailboxes using EMS
Using the Exchange PowerShell with the New-MoveRequest cmdlet, you can configure and run the archive mailbox migration. The command to move archive mailbox is:
Note: The above command is only for a single mailbox move. To move multiple archive mailboxes, you can create a batch migration using the CSV file.
Post-migration tasks and verification
After you are done with the migration, do this:
Access the archive mailbox content. Make sure all the data items are opening and readable.
Check for items that were skipped due to the bad item limit. If possible, migrate them individually or notify the users about them.
Remove the completed move request and update the retention policies in the 2016 server for the archive mailboxes.
Delete the mailboxes from the old 2010 server to free space.
Limitations of manually migrating Exchange mailboxes
Not reliable to move 500 + mailboxes. Also, manually adding each mailbox is time-consuming.
If you use a CSV file for bulk migration, a single character mistake in the CSV file can fail the migration.
When the bad item limit value crosses the accepted value, the migration will stop.
Missing the option to schedule the migration. Admins have to manually run the migration during off-peak hours.
Kernel Migrator for Exchange | Automate Complete Mailbox Migration
When you have to move 1000+ mailboxes within the same database or across different tenants, you don’t have the scope to make an error. Therefore, for critical migration tasks, admins rely on a professional Exchange migration tool. Such tools are specially designed to connect and move data between different Exchange environments without creating any errors.
Kernel Migrator for Exchange is an advanced software, developed by engineers who understand Exchange Server’s complete workflow & architecture. The tool allows you to move mailboxes, migrate Public folder, or any other Exchange component to any version of Exchange (on-premises or online).
What are the Most Common Mailbox Migration Issues and How to Troubleshoot Them?
You may follow the migration guide to the point. But still, hundreds of things can go wrong. Some of them are:
Large item limit issue: Often, you will find the migration to be stuck at 95% because it cannot move a data item of size 150 Mb. To prevent such issues, either remove large items from the source mailbox before moving or increase the target mailbox item receiving limit.
Low storage quota: Exchange On-Premises has quota limits defined for primary and archive mailboxes. If your archive mailbox limit is 100GB and you are moving a 150GB mailbox, the migration will fail when the quota of 100GB is reached. To prevent it, check the 2010 mailbox size, and depending on it, increase the quota limit on the 2016 server.
StalledDuetotarget_Mdbreplication Issue: If your server is a member of a Database Availability Group (DAG), it will create passive copies of the mailboxes and sync data. And if the data sync fails, due to limited resources or an issue with replication service, the migration will be stalled, and you will see the StalledDuetotarget_Mdbreplication issue. You can either wait for the migration to continue on its own. Or stop any high priority task like backup, so the server resources are fully available for migration.
Migration fails due to corruption: Your data on the 2010 Exchange server is old, and many data items could be corrupted, like calendar entries. If the corrupted items are more than the bad item limit allowed, the server will stop the migration. In such a case, you have to first repair EDB file and then do the migration again.
Archive mailboxes not visible in Outlook: Another common issue I found in various Microsoft forums is that they cannot view the archive mailboxes in their Outlook after the move. The error is mostly a sync issue. You can try to login to OWA, and if the mailbox is visible there, the issue is in Outlook for desktop. Try to remove the cache files and reconfigure Outlook to fix it.
Conclusion
From setting up the mailbox move to fixing the common issues, we discussed everything you need to know to migrate archive mailboxes from Exchange 2010 to 2016. Make sure to backup your complete data before the move and remember to select the archive mailbox option when setting up the migration batch.
For bulk mailbox transfer, I recommend using the Kernel Migrator for Exchange. It has many useful features, like pre-migration analysis, that help to avoid errors like mailbox quota. Also, it allows you to schedule the migration to run during off-peak hours to minimize downtime.
Ans. I try these hacks for faster mailbox migration: 1. Don’t move more than 100 mailboxes in one batch. 2. Use online move instead of cut-over migration. 3. Lower the TTL value so the email sync happens quickly.
Q. What are the other options other than migration to move my archive mailboxes?
Ans. You can export the mailboxes to PST using the EAC or the EMS. Alternatively, you can use any EDB to PST converter tool for bulk download mailboxes to your local PC.
