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Migrate Exchange 2019 to Office 365 Using the Most Preferred Way

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Published By Mohit Jha
Anuraag Singh
Approved By Anuraag Singh
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Published On May 29th, 2024
Summary: This write up aims to provide you with complete migration steps, that you can use to migrate Exchange 2019 to Office 365. You can follow along with the mentioned steps to execute a safe and secure Exchnage 2019 to Office 365 without any data loss or hassle. 

Organizations using On-Premise servers like Exchange 2019 are now realizing the importance of Office 365. Besides, hosted exchange servers follow a fixed lifecycle policy.

So, even if you or your organization is using the latest version of the Exchange server, it’s better to migrate Exchange 2019 to Office 365 using an effective method because, at some point in time, Microsoft will end up providing support.

And, the Covid-19 crisis has emphasized the requirement for collaborative platforms like Office 365 to instantly scale up productivity & induce a stable business. The annual growth report for Microsoft 365 is proof that it is the most preferred product by users.

Now, the question comes, Why are users choosing Office 365 for migrating their data from Exchange?

Know The Benefits of Switching to Office 365 from Exchange 2019

When it comes to comparing On-Premise and Exchange Online services, various factors make Office 365 a winner. Such as:

  • The first thing is that you don’t have to worry about paying the maintenance costs.
  • One of the most challenging sides of the Exchange server is the 100% availability of the services. And, Microsoft ensures 99.9% uptime for Office 365 which means your data is available to you almost all the time.
  • In terms of security, Office 365 is more secure than On-Premise.
  • It’s more pocket-friendly since it gives the freedom to choose the subscription plan as per your needs.
  • With Office 365, you don’t have to rely on the admin for software updates since it automatically updates the same.
  • Negligible downtime helps in increasing productivity.

So, let’s understand the different ways to migrate even the latest version of the Exchange server to Microsoft 365.

Step By Step Procedure to Perform Exchange 2019 to Office 365 Migration

Step 1. Prepare for Migration

  • Review your Exchange 2019 environment and ensure it’s up to date.
  • Review user mailboxes for any issues or inconsistencies.
  • Make a backup of your Exchange 2019 data as a precaution.

Step 2. Set Up the Office 365 Environment

  • Create Office 365 accounts for all users involved in the migration.
  • Configure your Office 365 subscription according to your organization’s needs.

Step 3. Update DNS Records

  • Update your DNS records to point to Office 365.
  • This step is crucial for routing emails to the new Office 365 mailboxes.

Step 4. Prepare Mailboxes

  • Ensure all mailboxes are in a healthy state.
  • Archive or delete unnecessary data to reduce migration size.

Step 5. Choose the Migration Method to Perform Exchange 2019 to Office 365 Migration

Decide on the migration method that suits your organization:

  1. IMAP Migration
  2. Hybrid Migration
  3. Automated Solution

How Can You Migrate Exchange 2019 to Office 365?

If you go by the manual ways then there are 2 methods available. They are:

  • IMAP Migration

This migration method is suitable for migrating a few emails. And, to be precise, 500,000 items from the user’s mailbox. Also, the maximum size of the email you can migrate is 35 MB.

If you want to migrate contacts and calendars along with emails then it’s not possible with this method. It only works for emails with certain limitations.

  • Hybrid Migration

Organizations that want to keep both On-Premise and Office 365 environments can opt for hybrid migration. Using this method, you can migrate mailboxes in terms of tens of thousands. However, because of the complexity and costs involved in executing the process, many organizations don’t see any benefit in using the same.

Now, you must be wondering, is there any other method present that can overcome the limitations of the manual approaches? Luckily, Yes. Many IT admins are following the automated method for executing a smooth migration.

Also Read: How to Perform Exchange 2013 to 2019 Migration?

Step 6. Start the Migration

  • Initiate the migration based on your chosen method.
  • Monitor progress closely to address any issues promptly.

Step 7. Complete Exchange 2019 to Office 365 Migration

  • Confirm that all mailboxes and data have been successfully migrated.
  • Verify email flow to Office 365.

Step 8. Decommission Exchange 2019

  • Once satisfied with the migration, decommission your Exchange 2019 servers.
  • This step ensures that all traffic is directed to Office 365.

Step 9. Post-Migration Tasks

  • Update Outlook profiles for users connecting to Office 365.
  • Verify shared resources like calendars and contacts.

Step 10. Training and Support

  • Provide training to users on the new Office 365 environment.
  • Offer support for any migration-related questions or issues.

In The End

Organizations are now seeing the benefits of moving their data to Office 365. So, even if you use the latest version of the Exchange server, sooner or later you will have to move your data to the cloud. And, the sooner the better. So, start planning your migration from Exchange 2019 to Office 365 with the help of trusted software.

Must Read: How to Perform Exchange 2010 to 2016 Migration?

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