Hybrid Exchange provides the features of both Exchange on-premises and Exchange Online. It gives the flawless look and feel of a single Exchange environment comprising of Office 365 (Exchange Online) and on-premises Exchange Server.
When you deploy the hybrid Exchange Server, you get the following benefits:
In a hybrid environment, Public folder may remain in only a single platform, either in on-premises or Exchange Online. So, if you are planning to create the public folder in Exchange online (Office 365), then you need to fulfill the requirements: -
When you have completed whole arrangements, go for creating the public folder. But, if you manually try to create the public folder, then you will have to face the error -
The Public Folder mailbox was automatically put on hold for migration because the public folder deployment type for your organization is set as ‘Remote.’ Users will not be able to access local public folder mailboxes until Public Folder migration is complete.
The error occurs because the Office 365 has configured the public folder as ‘Remote’ so that it will remain accessible on the on-premises Exchange Server also.
If you do not want to face the error, then you can follow the upcoming Steps -
Step 1 - Check the root public folder mailbox using the cmdlet at the Exchange Management Shell.
(Get-OrganizationConfig) .rootpublicfoldermailbox | fl
It will show you the status of the public folders. If it shows that the root folder is ‘locked’ for migration, then the remaining public folders will also remain unavailable.
Step 2 - Check the organization configuration with the following cmdlet.
Get-OrganizationConfig | foldername *public*
If the PublicFoldersEnabled attribute shows its status as remote, then it means that Office 365 (Exchange Online) users can use the on-premises public folder.
Step 3 - Now, you need to create public folders at Office 365. First, remove all the existing public folder mailboxes from Office 365.
Get-Mailbox -PublicFolder | Remove-Mailbox -PublicFolder
NOTE - You need to run the cmdlet twice because if there are multiple public folders, then the primary mailbox will not get deleted at once.
Step 4 - After deleting the public folder mailboxes, change the configuration setting of an organization so that you can use the Public Folders at Office 365.
Set-OrganizationConfig -PublicFoldersEnabled Local -RemotePublicFolderMailboxes $null
Step 5 - Now, you can create the Public Folder in Office 365 manually by using the following Steps -
So, this is the whole process of creating the public folder in Office 365 (Exchange Online) in a hybrid mode.
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