What Factors to count while going for GroupWise to Exchange Migration?
Read time 3 minutes
Many of us understand the advantages of migrating from Novell GroupWise to Microsoft Exchange, but the complexity of the GroupWise to Exchange migration process can be a major concern. Especially when dealing with large enterprises, this task demands meticulous planning and effective project management. It’s crucial to recognize that the checklist of essential tasks at this level can be extensive.
Before embarking on the GroupWise to Exchange migration process, it’s crucial to address several essential considerations.
When discussing critical information, it typically encompasses emails, attachments, tasks, and other data stored on the server. It’s essential to ensure that data from the GroupWise server is transferred to the Exchange server, while GroupWise local stores should be moved to users’ desktops in Outlook’s “personal storage” format (.pst files).
Many users might already be using a new mail client, like Outlook, with the new server. Therefore, it’s crucial for administrators to execute the migration operation with minimal end-user involvement.
As an administrator, it’s your responsibility to establish coexistence between the GroupWise and Exchange directories. For organizations with more than 400 users, it becomes crucial to enable some level of coexistence. During this period of coexistence, both disparate mail systems should seamlessly function as a single, unified system. Several factors, such as directory integration, SMTP mail flow, and calendar compatibility, need to be carefully considered.
It’s crucial to establish a clear plan for directory synchronization between GroupWise and Exchange. This ensures that the GroupWise Address Book and Exchange Global Address List accurately represent the same users, distribution groups, and resources.
Furthermore, there’s a common misconception that all data must be migrated, but this isn’t always necessary. It’s advisable to carefully assess your needs. Many experts recommend focusing on migrating the last four to six months of emails, or in some cases, even a clean Exchange mailbox may suffice.
By addressing the points mentioned above, you can effectively carry out a GroupWise to Exchange migration. While migrating to a new email platform can be a complex project, careful planning ensures successful email migration. Several products and services are available to assist organizations with the migration process. One such solution is Kernel for Novell GroupWise to Exchange Server, which allows you to migrate multiple mailboxes from Novell GroupWise to Exchange Server with ease. It offers useful features like selective mailbox data migration within specified date ranges and supports batch conversion through filtering options. This tool is compatible with all versions of Novell GroupWise, MS Exchange Server, and MS Outlook.
The next time you need to perform a GroupWise to Exchange migration, be sure to plan carefully. If necessary, consider using a reliable GroupWise to Exchange migration software. You can download the demo of Kernel for GroupWise to Exchange migration tool.
