Exchange 2013 to 2019

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jediatzinger

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  • #1
    Here is what I have:
    DC1 (Server 2022 - FSMO roles, DNS, and DHCP)
    DC2 (Server 2022 - DNS)
    EX2013 - this is running in hybrid mode. I do not have any mailboxes on-prem. Everything was migrated to Exchange Online years ago. I don't have any SMTP relays either.

    Exchange 2013 went EOL last month. I've setup new DCs and am now running 2022 on the forest and domain functional levels.

    I want to bring up a Exchange 2019 server for management, but I'm not sure what I need.

    I have a new Server 2022 VM spun up ready to go. I downloaded the most recent Exchange ISO (CU13 - released 5/3/23).

    Do I need to prep AD and my schema? I remember I used to do this prior to installing Exchange, but I remember reading that this can be done by the installer. I'd like to do it manually and verify...

    Secondly what roles do I install? I'd assume only management, since all I need to be able to do is connect to this server to create new accounts as I'm using AD Connect to sync to Office 365. I know you can shut this server down (DO NOT UNINSTALL IT) once it's up and running, but then I'd need to learn to use PowerShell to create and sync new accounts. I'd like to get to that point, but for now all I'm wanting to do is bring a new Exchange 2019 CU13 up and be able to decomission the 2013.
     
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    Nulls

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  • #3
    Since BigVince already covered managing without a full exchange server, if you need a server for a GUI or any other reason here is what you need to do.

    Yes you will need to extend the schema, I always do it through powershell through the installer exe with the /prepareschema flag.

    According to MS documentation which I will link, you will need the mailbox role, and should also install the management tools. The documentation mentions Exchange 2016 but 2019 has the same roles:
    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/server-roles
    I am sure you already know this but here are a basic overview of a Exchange migration, each environment is different on what's in it but hopefully this is a good starting point if needed.

    After you install Exchange 2019, you will need to setup your cert, then client access URLs, and receive/send connectors if needed. The installer should create a mailbox database which you may need for the system/arbitration mailboxes which you will have to do a mailbox move to the new server.

    Since you have a hybrid setup you should rerun the hybrid wizard for the new server and have it install the hybrid agent on the new server.

    The most important part is to uninstall Exchange first before decommissioning the server. The uninstall will make sure that nothing is using it and will clean up all the exchange system objects for the server in AD.
     
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  • #4
    Here is what I've done so far...

    Get-ADDomain | fl Name,DomainMode
    Get-ADForest | fl Name,ForestMode

    Verified via PowerShell that both my domain and forest are in Windows Server 2016 functional levels (glad I checked - they weren't).

    Mounted the Exchange 2019 CU 13 ISO

    \Setup.exe /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms_DiagnosticDataOFF /PrepareSchema
    \Setup.exe /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms_DiagnosticDataOFF /PrepareAD

    Both commands completed successfully.

    I'm ready to install Exchange.

    What do I need to install onto the server role wise?

    Mailbox and Management Tools? OR ONLY the Management Tools? Would this change if I was going to use the EAC or PS?

    I am 100% mailbox hosted in Exchange Online and I sync my local on-prem AD via AD Connect. Once I have the new Exchange 2019 CU13 up I believe then I can uninstall Exchange 2013 and decomission that old server. I'm going to want to use the Exchange 2019 for Exchange Admin Center OR I can use PowerShell to create local accounts and they'll sync via AD Connect.

    edit: I reread the previous post by Nulls and added some clarification.
     
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    Nulls

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  • #5
    You are going to need to install the mailbox and management tools role. I would run the installer and go through the prereq check which should let you know if there is anything else that needs to be installed on the server.

    The management tools role only include the exchange toolbox and powershell module. The hybrid and EAC is all under the mailbox role.

    Even if you were going to do what BigVince suggested, you would still need to have a Exchange server with the mailbox role in your environment, in that case I think the main difference is that the exchange server gets shut down. Then you install the management tools on a different server to use powershell to create mailboxes.

    Either way a Exchange server with the mailbox role needs to exist in your environment for it to exist in AD. That way AD has all the exchange attributes that get synced from AD to Azure AD.
     
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  • #6
    Nulls said:
    You are going to need to install the mailbox and management tools role. I would run the installer and go through the prereq check which should let you know if there is anything else that needs to be installed on the server.

    The management tools role only include the exchange toolbox and powershell module. The hybrid and EAC is all under the mailbox role.

    Even if you were going to do what BigVince suggested, you would still need to have a Exchange server with the mailbox role in your environment, in that case I think the main difference is that the exchange server gets shut down. Then you install the management tools on a different server to use powershell to create mailboxes.

    Either way a Exchange server with the mailbox role needs to exist in your environment for it to exist in AD. That way AD has all the exchange attributes that get synced from AD to Azure AD.
    Click to expand...
    Copy.

    I haven't done any of this yet... but the server is ready and waiting on me. I've got other priorities for the time being, but need to get this done over the next week or two.

    Q: Once I have installed Exchange 2019 what do I need to do with my existing 2013? Do I go through the uninstall process on it? I don't want to impact the 2019...

    Once I'm left with only the 2019 server my plan is to simply turn it OFF... and then use PowerShell to create new employee AD accounts.
     
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    Nulls

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  • #7
    jediatzinger said:
    Copy.

    I haven't done any of this yet... but the server is ready and waiting on me. I've got other priorities for the time being, but need to get this done over the next week or two.

    Q: Once I have installed Exchange 2019 what do I need to do with my existing 2013? Do I go through the uninstall process on it? I don't want to impact the 2019...

    Once I'm left with only the 2019 server my plan is to simply turn it OFF... and then use PowerShell to create new employee AD accounts.
    Click to expand...

    After you have Exchange 2019 up and running and you are ready to decommission Exchange 2013 then run the Exchange 2013 setup and uninstall Exchange like you would any other program.

    The uninstaller will check and make sure there is nothing on the Exchange 2013 server and cleanly uninstall it from the environment including AD.

    After the Exchange uninstaller successfully runs then you can shut down the server.
     
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  • #8
    Good news!

    I spent the day yesterday with coffee in hand and worked through the install of Exchange 2019 (easy) and the decommissioning of the Exchange 2013 server (difficult).

    Installation was a breeze, but I started to run into walls as I went to uninstall Exchange 2013. I kept seeing a message about mailboxes in usage. I haven't had ANY employee mailboxes onsite in several years. I ran the following in PS from the new Exchange 2019 Management Shell:

    Set-ADServerSettings -ViewEntireForest $True
    Get-Mailbox -Server EX2013 -Arbitration
    Get-Mailbox -Server EX2013 -ResultSize Unlimited
    Get-Mailbox -Server EX2013 -Archive -ResultSize Unlimited
    Get-SiteMailbox
    Get-Mailbox -Server EX2013 -PublicFolder -ResultSize unlimited

    I had 6 mailboxes total listed. 5 in arbitration and 1 in the -resultsize unlimited. The 5 were system mailboxes, and the 1 was a discovery mailbox. I used PS to move them from the Exchange 2013 DB to the Exchange 2019 DB. BOOM! Each Get-Mailbox entry has to have no entries in order for the uninstall to proceed. Once that was completed I was able to uninstall Exchange 2013.

    I know I said it was difficult, but it took me a while to figure out what needed to be done to proceed as the error msg is vague when you start to uninstall and it fails due to there being mailboxes...

    Now I'm running on Server 2022 with Exchange 2019 CU13. I can shut the server down (DO NOT UNINSTALL) as it's no longer needed.

    What I need to be able to do now with PowerShell is add remote user mailboxes that will sync from my local AD to Office 365 via AD Connect.

    I also have several Health Mailboxes left in AD from Exchange 2013 that I wish the uninstall process would have cleaned up.... it didn't. Not sure what to do with them? Or if its safe to delete?

    Today I opened ECP and created a new employee account and everything synced to Office 365. I logged in and assigned a license and that was it. I want to shut the server down next, but I need to be able to create accounts. I'm going to have to look into was PS is needed to do this?

    Appreciate all of the info and help.
     
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    Nulls

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  • #9
    No problem and yeah that is all the system mailboxes and public folders that are technically mailboxes but not like a user mailbox and can be moved to the new server through a mailbox move through PowerShell.

    For the health mailboxes in AD it is safe to delete those, the exchange health service when its started will create new health mailboxes if needed.
     
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  • #12
    Nulls said:
    No a hybrid configuration would require having a on-premise exchange server online to communicate with exchange online.
    Click to expand...
    This is exactly what I have atm. My exchange server (2019) is in "trial" mode. My old decomissioned 2013 had a hybrid license. I used the HCW app back when I set it up... I didn't know if I had to do the same thing for 2019. I'm thinking I do.

    I'm going to shut it down long-term, but before so I want to make sure its good to go if I needed to bring it back online.
     
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